Eligibility Criteria

Please note: Each grant opportunity may have its own additional criteria for funding.

To qualify for a grant, your nonprofit organization must be:

• Located within Allegheny County and/or primarily serve Allegheny County residents (unless otherwise specified in the grant criteria).
• Designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. (If your organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, you may apply utilizing a fiscal sponsor.) Learn about our  fiscal sponsorship guidelines and if your fiscal sponsor meets our criteria.

IMPORTANT:  The Pittsburgh Foundation does not make grants to any organization not listed in Internal Revenue Code Section 170(b)(1)(A), including private non-operating foundations or any “disqualified supporting organizations” as defined in Internal Revenue Code Section 4966(d) (4).

Our Priorities

We know that nonprofits’ funding needs almost always exceed the grant dollars available. On average, the Foundation receives nearly 700 applications each year; only about one-third receive funding.  (See What We Do Not Fund below.)

We will prioritize funding for organizations that reflect one or more of the following:

• Primarily serve high to extreme need communities (as defined by the Allegheny County Community Need Index).
• Have a demonstrated commitment to advancing social justice as evidenced by its mission and core programs.
• Have an established history in the communities in which it works.
• Are representative of the communities it serves, including but not limited to, leadership and staff who have lived experience in the community issues that it addresses.
• Meaningfully integrate the experience and perspectives of the communities that it serves in the design, implementation, evaluation and/or decision-making process for its strategies and/or programs.

For 2026, we will also give preference to organizations that reflect the following:

• Have an annual operating budget under $2 million.  
• Have received a grant from the Foundation since 2023.  
• Are directly impacted by changes and/or responding to federal policy​ and/or funding shifts. 
   

What We Do Not Fund

• Organizational start-up support (e.g., legal costs to establish a 501(c)3).
• Endowments.
• Statewide or national organizations, unless they have an established local office or chapter that meets the above eligibility criteria and priorities.
• Projects that expressly advocate for or endorse a specific candidate for elected office.
• Annual appeals or event sponsorships.
• Episodic and/or one-time programs and events.
• Operating expenses for schools/school districts, universities or hospitals.
• Capital expenses and/or endowment campaigns.
• Capital expenses and/or campaigns.
• Direct funding for individuals (except individual artists).
• Payments on organizational debt.
• Costs and activities that are completed before a requested grant has received a decision from our board.
• University overhead costs.
• Single-disease support organizations.
• Educational scholarships. Learn about the Foundation’s scholarship program.
• Academic/medical research. Learn about our medical research opportunities.

Grant Duration and Amounts

The Foundation provides grants across a range of dollar amounts. We encourage applicants to apply for the amount they believe is necessary to successfully complete their work. That said, we do have some general guidance concerning our grant amounts and durations based on past grantmaking.

• Duration: Generally, grants will be awarded for no more than two years due to limited availability of funds.
• Amounts: One-year grants generally range from $10,000 to $75,000. Two-year grants will generally not exceed $150,000. Actual grant amounts are determined based on staff review of each individual application and consideration of the funding available at the time the application is received.

In limited situations, proposals that align with one or more of our grantmaking focus areas and with grantmaking priorities, and that clearly demonstrate the need and potential impact, may be considered for a larger grant. Organization leaders should have a conversation with a program officer before submitting a request for more than $150,000.

Generally, an organization receiving funding will not be eligible to apply for a new grant until 12 months after completing the first and submitting a final report. Grantees wishing to be considered for a grant before the end of their 12-month waiting period should contact their program officer before submitting a new application.

In most cases, the Foundation will not provide more than four years of consecutive funding to a grantee organization.