The Elinor Jones McConnell Trust Fund is narrowly focused on animal welfare, directing all of its recent grants to animal shelters and rescue organizations. It makes substantial, repeat grants to a small set of humane societies and rescues, suggesting a preference for direct operational support of sheltering and rescue services. The foundation appears to prioritize organizations providing hands-on care and shelter for animals rather than broad advocacy or education work.
Concentrated giving: a small number of relatively large grants distributed repeatedly to a few core grantees in the animal-welfare sector.
Elinor Jones Mcconnell Trust Fund’s recent grantmaking is defined by repeated support for animal shelters and rescue organizations in Pennsylvania. The largest award in the file is $50,000 to Humane Animal Rescue in Pittsburgh, followed by $45,000 to Butler County Humane Society in Renfrew and $43,000 to Animal Friends in Pittsburgh, showing a pattern of sizable operating support for hands-on animal care groups. The trust also returned to the same organizations across multiple years, including Animal Friends, Humane Animal Rescue, and Butler County Humane Society, which points to a consistent relationship rather than isolated gifts. The portfolio leans toward local sheltering and rescue infrastructure rather than broad animal-welfare advocacy. Grants go to humane societies, rescues, and animal care organizations serving stray, abandoned, and surrendered animals, with several awards aimed at shelter operations. Kiski Valley Cat Kitten Rescue, White Oak Animal Safe Haven, and Operation Spay Neuter appear among the recipients, alongside larger humane societies serving western Pennsylvania communities. Across the file, the trust gives to a small set of institutions with hands-on roles in intake, sheltering, and rehoming.
Animal shelter operations are a core theme. The trust gave $35,800 to Animal Friends in Pittsburgh in 2025 and $35,000 to Butler County Humane Society in Renfrew in 2024, both listed as animal shelter grants. Rescue capacity also appears repeatedly: Humane Animal Rescue in Pittsburgh received $25,000 in 2025 for animal rescue, following a $50,000 award in 2024 for the same purpose. The funder also supports organizations tied to intake, veterinary care, and placement work. Westmoreland County Humane Society in Greensburg received $23,800 in 2025 and $20,000 in 2024. Other recipients include White Oak Animal Safe Haven in McKeesport, Operation Spay Neuter in Butler, and Animal Protectors in New Kensington, which together show attention to shelter management and animal services across several local providers.
Typical grants cluster around a mid-sized operating range: the p25 is $4,750, the median is $8,000, and the p75 is $23,750. The file also includes a few larger awards, but most gifts sit below $25,000. Grantmaking appears recurring rather than one-off, with multiple recipients appearing in both 2024 and 2025, including animal shelter and rescue groups in western Pennsylvania. The trust fund is a private trust rather than a family foundation or operating foundation in the data provided, and it does not make program-related investments or grants to individuals.
$180K
$0
$84K
$260K
Most grants fall between $5K and $24K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$24K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Notable grantees: Butler County Humane Society, Animal Friends, Humane Animal Rescue
All recent grants in the file went to U.S. recipients, and the trust’s grantmaking is regional. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, with recipients in Pittsburgh, Renfrew, Greensburg, Monaca, McKeesport, Avonmore, Butler, New Kensington, Canonsburg, Apollo, Evans City, Lyndora, and Southampton. Pittsburgh appears most often among recipient cities, alongside several smaller western Pennsylvania communities. No grants in the recent file went to recipients in South Carolina.
The recent grants go to animal shelters, humane societies, and rescue organizations. Examples in the file include Humane Animal Rescue, Butler County Humane Society, Animal Friends, Westmoreland County Humane Society, and smaller rescues such as Kiski Valley Cat Kitten Rescue and Rainbow Animal Refuge.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the mid-thousands. The p25 is $4,750, the median is $8,000, and the p75 is $23,750.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2024 and 2025, including Animal Friends, Humane Animal Rescue, Butler County Humane Society, Westmoreland County Humane Society, White Oak Animal Safe Haven, Operation Spay Neuter, Promises for Pets, Pet Connection, Animal Care and Welfare, and Kiski Valley Cat Kitten Rescue.
Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Pittsburgh, Renfrew, Greensburg, Monaca, McKeesport, Avonmore, Butler, New Kensington, Canonsburg, Apollo, Evans City, Lyndora, and Southampton.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUTLER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | RENFREW, PA | $45,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| ANIMAL FRIENDS | PITTSBURGH, PA | $35,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| HUMANE ANIMAL RESCUE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| WESTMORELAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | GREENSBURG, PA | $23,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $9,200 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| BEAVER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | MONACA, PA | $9,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| WHITE OAK ANIMAL SAFE HAVEN | MCKEESPORT, PA | $8,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| PET CONNECTION | AVONMORE, PA | $4,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| OPERATION SPAY NEUTER | BUTLER, PA | $4,400 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| PROMISES FOR PETS | PITTSBURGH, PA | $3,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| BRIDGE TO HOME RESCUE | CANONSBURG, PA | $3,200 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| KISKI VALLEY CAT KITTEN RESCUE | APOLLO, PA | $3,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| ANIMAL PROTECTORS | NEW KENSINGTON, PA | $2,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| CRITTER CARE | EVANS CITY, PA | $1,800 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| RAINBOW ANIMAL REFUGE | LYNDORA, PA | $1,200 | 2025 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| WAGS RESCUE | SOUTHAMPTON, PA | $500 | 2025 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| HUMANE ANIMAL RESCUE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
| ANIMAL FRIENDS | PITTSBURGH, PA | $43,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| BUTLER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | RENFREW, PA | $35,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| WESTMORELAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | GREENSBURG, PA | $20,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| BEAVER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | MONACA, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| WHITE OAK ANIMAL SAFE HAVEN | MCKEESPORT, PA | $6,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| ANIMAL PROTECTORS | NEW KENSINGTON, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| PET CONNECTION | AVONMORE, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| OPERATION SPAY NEUTER | BUTLER, PA | $4,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| PROMISES FOR PETS | PITTSBURGH, PA | $3,000 | 2024 | ANIMAL SHELTER |
| KISKI VALLEY CAT KITTEN RESCUE | APOLLO, PA | $2,500 | 2024 | ANIMAL RESCUE |
BUTLER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
$45,000ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL FRIENDS
$35,800ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE
$9,200ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL SHELTER
WHITE OAK ANIMAL SAFE HAVEN
$8,800ANIMAL SHELTER
PET CONNECTION
$4,500ANIMAL SHELTER
OPERATION SPAY NEUTER
$4,400ANIMAL SHELTER
PROMISES FOR PETS
$3,800ANIMAL SHELTER
BRIDGE TO HOME RESCUE
$3,200ANIMAL RESCUE
KISKI VALLEY CAT KITTEN RESCUE
$3,000ANIMAL RESCUE
ANIMAL PROTECTORS
$2,800ANIMAL SHELTER
CRITTER CARE
$1,800ANIMAL RESCUE
RAINBOW ANIMAL REFUGE
$1,200ANIMAL RESCUE
WAGS RESCUE
$500ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL FRIENDS
$43,000ANIMAL SHELTER
BUTLER COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
$35,000ANIMAL SHELTER
WESTMORELAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
$20,000ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL CARE AND WELFARE
$10,000ANIMAL SHELTER
WHITE OAK ANIMAL SAFE HAVEN
$6,000ANIMAL SHELTER
ANIMAL PROTECTORS
$5,000ANIMAL SHELTER
PET CONNECTION
$5,000ANIMAL SHELTER
OPERATION SPAY NEUTER
$4,000ANIMAL SHELTER
PROMISES FOR PETS
$3,000ANIMAL SHELTER
KISKI VALLEY CAT KITTEN RESCUE
$2,500ANIMAL RESCUE