The Dranoff Family Foundation is a Philadelphia-focused funder that makes unrestricted donations to major local institutions, concentrating on cultural, educational/research, and children’s health organizations. Their grants support city anchors — science and arts institutions, the University of Pennsylvania, and pediatric healthcare — with occasional funding for public safety-related work. They typically provide modest-to-medium sized gifts and repeat support to established institutions rather than many small grassroots grants.
A repeated pattern of support for Philadelphia institutions defines Dranoff Family Foundation Inc: The Franklin Institute received $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024. That consistency points to a funder that backs established city anchors rather than rotating through a wide roster of recipients. The foundation’s recent grants also include children’s health, arts, higher education, and civic organizations, all tied to recipient-defined use of funds. In the current grant list, the largest gifts sit at $15,000, with several $10,000 awards and a smaller $9,100 gift, suggesting a modest-to-medium grantmaking pattern. The recipients are all Philadelphia organizations, and the foundation’s giving is concentrated in institutions with broad public-facing roles: a science museum, a university research institution, a pediatric healthcare organization, and a cultural district group. The recurring grants show continuity across years, especially to organizations with long-term local visibility and service reach.
Science and public engagement is one clear theme: The Franklin Institute received $15,000 in 2023, $15,000 in 2024, and $15,000 in 2025 for recipient-directed use. Higher education and research is another steady area, with the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania receiving $10,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024, again with flexible use language. Children’s healthcare appears through $15,000 to the Children's Hospital of Phila Found in 2024 and $10,000 to Chop Foundation in 2024. The foundation also supports arts and civic life, including Avenue of the Arts Inc., which received $9,100 and an additional $100 in 2024.
Typical grant size is centered at $10,000: the p25, median, and p75 are $10,000, $10,000, and $15,000. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same institutions across multiple years, especially The Franklin Institute and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, which indicates ongoing support rather than one-time-only giving. Grants are described as donations for recipients to use to further their goals, pointing to flexible, recipient-directed support. The foundation is an operating nonprofit funder rather than a donor-advised fund or program-related investment vehicle, and the data shows no individual giving.
$119K
$3K
$30K
$28K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Concentrated, locally focused giving: a small portfolio of mid-sized unrestricted grants, with repeated multi-year support to flagship Philadelphia institutions rather than dispersed small grants to many organizations.
Notable grantees: The Franklin Institute, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia Police Foundation, Avenue of the Arts, Inc.
Giving is entirely local and entirely in Pennsylvania: 100% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state. The recipient city visible in the grant list is Philadelphia across every recent grant. That includes major city institutions such as The Franklin Institute, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Phila Found, and Avenue of the Arts Inc. The pattern shows no out-of-state or non-U.S. recipient activity in the data provided.
The recent grants point to Philadelphia institutions in science and public engagement, higher education and research, children’s healthcare, arts and cultural programming, and civic/public safety work. Examples include The Franklin Institute, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Phila Found, Avenue of the Arts Inc., and the Philadelphia Police Foundation.
The grant-size distribution centers on $10,000: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. In the recent list, gifts range from $100 to $15,000, with several awards at $10,000 and $15,000.
Yes. The Franklin Institute received $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania received $10,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024. That pattern shows recurring support for established recipients.
Its giving is local and entirely in Pennsylvania. All recent grants went to Philadelphia recipients, and the recipient country distribution is 100% US. The grant list shows Philadelphia as the city for every named recipient.
The grant language is consistent across the recent list: donations are made for the recipient to use to further its goals. That points to flexible, recipient-directed support rather than tightly restricted project funding.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILA FOUND | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| PHILADELPHIA POLICE FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| CHOP FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| AVENUE OF THE ARTS INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $9,100 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| AVENUE OF THE ARTS INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $100 | 2024 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2023 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2023 | DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS |
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
$15,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$10,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
$15,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILA FOUND
$15,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
PHILADELPHIA POLICE FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$10,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
CHOP FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
AVENUE OF THE ARTS INC
$9,100DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
AVENUE OF THE ARTS INC
$100DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
$15,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS
TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$10,000DONATION FOR RECIPIENT TO USE TO FURTHER THEIR GOALS