This foundation makes concentrated, sizable grants to local community organizations providing broad human services; its sole recorded grant is a large unrestricted gift to the YWCA. The pattern suggests a priority on supporting women's services and community-based social programs in the foundation's local region rather than many small or specialized projects.
A $325,000 general grant to YWCA in Richmond, Virginia stands out in the latest record for Estes Foundation Co Matthew Breidenbach Pitcairn, and it helps define how the foundation gives: concentrated support to established community organizations, especially those serving women and families. The same pattern appears across other substantial gifts to Richmond-based nonprofits, including Children’s Hospital Foundation, Challenge Discovery, and St Andrews School. The foundation’s giving is not spread across many small awards; it uses a small number of larger grants, most often as general support, to organizations with broad service roles. The recent record points to human services, education, and family support rather than a narrow program niche. Recipients include youth-serving groups, schools, housing and health organizations, and women’s service providers. YWCA is the clearest example of a mission fit that combines women’s services with community support. General grants also went to groups such as Virginia League for Planned Parenthood and Caritasthe Healing Place for Women, reinforcing a pattern of flexible funding for nonprofits working on safety, opportunity, and basic needs. The foundation’s profile is shaped by recurring support for organizations that already serve a visible local role.
Women’s services are a clear thread in the grant record. The foundation gave $325,000 to YWCA in Richmond for general support, and also awarded $30,000 to Caritasthe Healing Place for Women in Richmond. A separate $25,000 grant went to Virginia League for Planned Parenthood in Richmond, adding another women-centered health and support provider to the mix. Education and youth development are another visible area. Grants include $50,000 to St Andrews School in Richmond, $45,000 to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, and $25,000 to Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School in Richmond. The foundation also supported higher-opportunity and after-school style organizations such as Communities in Schools, Higher Achievement, and Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond. Community health and family services appear as well through Children’s Hospital Foundation and Vcu Child Development Center.
$1.2M
$20.8M
$1.7M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in VA.
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Highly concentrated: a single large, general-purpose grant rather than multiple smaller or specialized awards; suggests preference for major, flexible support to established local nonprofits.
Notable grantees: YWCA
Typical grants cluster around a modest-to-substantial range, with p25 at $5,000, median at $10,000, and p75 at $15,000. The recent record shows that the foundation also makes much larger awards when it chooses, including a $325,000 general grant. Repeated recipients appear across multiple years, including YWCA, St Andrews School, Challenge Discovery, Communities in Schools, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, Higher Achievement, Shalom Farms, Elk Hill Farm, and YMCA. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants are recorded as general support, indicating flexible funding rather than tightly restricted project-only awards.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 188 grants going to U.S. organizations. Virginia is the top state by grant count, and Richmond is the most visible city in the record, appearing for YWCA, Children’s Hospital Foundation, St Andrews School, Challenge Discovery, Communities in Schools, YMCA, and others. Other Virginia locations include Harrisonburg, Goochland, and Midlothian, plus Silver Spring, Maryland. The grant map is shaped by a strong Virginia concentration rather than a broad national spread.
The record shows support for women’s services, youth and education organizations, and community human services. Recent grants went to YWCA, Caritasthe Healing Place for Women, Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, St Andrews School, Communities in Schools, and Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond.
The distribution centers at $5,000 for the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $15,000 at the 75th percentile. The foundation also makes much larger grants when it chooses, including a $325,000 award in the recent record.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including YWCA, St Andrews School, Challenge Discovery, Communities in Schools, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Richmond, Higher Achievement, Shalom Farms, Elk Hill Farm, and YMCA.
Virginia is the top state by grant count, with Richmond appearing frequently in the recent grants list. Other Virginia recipient locations include Harrisonburg, Goochland, and Midlothian. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YWCA | RICHMOND, VA | $325,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SILVER SPRING, MD | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ST ANDREWS SCHOOL | RICHMOND, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHALLENGE DISCOVERY | RICHMOND, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS | RICHMOND, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CARITASTHE HEALING PLACE FOR WOMEN | RICHMOND, VA | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SHALOM FARMS | MIDLOTHIAN, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PETER PAUL DEVELOPMENT CENTER | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF METRO RICHMOND | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FEEDMORE | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| VCU CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RE WORK RICHMOND | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ANNA JULIA COOPER EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UPRVA | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BETTER HOUSING COALITION | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ELK HILL FARM | GOOCHLAND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| YMCA | RICHMOND, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JAMES RIVER ASSOCIATION | RICHMOND, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FIT4KIDS | RICHMOND, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NORTHSTAR ACADEMY | GLEN ALLEN, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDREN | RICHMOND, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | RICHMOND, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHURCH HILL ACTIVITIES & TUTORING (CHAT) | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY | HARRISONBURG, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NEXTUP RICHMOND | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE FUTURE | GLEN ALLEN, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| VOICES FOR VIRGINIA'S CHILDREN | HENRICO, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| GREATER RICHMOND SCAN | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF RICHMOND | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHILD SAVERS | RICHMOND, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| OAKWOOD ARTS | RICHMOND, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CAMP HOLIDAY TRAILS | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EAT REAL CERTIFIED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RICHMOND SYMPHONY | RICHMOND, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SOAR365 | RICHMOND, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RICHMOND BALLET | RICHMOND, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CAPITAL TREES | RICHMOND, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE VALENTINE | RICHMOND, VA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ART 180 | RICHMOND, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL | CHRISTCHURCH, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| VCU FOUNDATION | RICHMOND, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HISTORIC RICHMOND FOUNDATION | RICHMOND, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY | RICHMOND, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MAYMONT FOUNDATION | RICHMOND, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE | RICHMOND, VA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
CHALLENGE DISCOVERY
$30,000GENERAL
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS
$30,000GENERAL
CARITASTHE HEALING PLACE FOR WOMEN
$30,000GENERAL
SHALOM FARMS
$25,000GENERAL
HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT
$25,000GENERAL
FEEDMORE
$25,000GENERAL
VCU CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
$25,000GENERAL
YMCA
$25,000GENERAL
FIT4KIDS
$20,000GENERAL
NORTHSTAR ACADEMY
$20,000GENERAL
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$20,000GENERAL
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
$15,000GENERAL
CHURCH HILL ACTIVITIES & TUTORING (CHAT)
$15,000GENERAL
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
$15,000GENERAL
COLLEGIATE SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL
GREATER RICHMOND SCAN
$15,000GENERAL
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF RICHMOND
$15,000GENERAL
CHILD SAVERS
$15,000GENERAL
OAKWOOD ARTS
$10,000GENERAL
CAMP HOLIDAY TRAILS
$10,000GENERAL
THE VALENTINE
$7,500GENERAL
CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL
HISTORIC RICHMOND FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$5,000GENERAL