Laurel Highlands Foundation concentrates its giving on supporting regional cultural institutions, heritage tourism, and local economic/tourism infrastructure in the Laurel Highlands area of southwestern Pennsylvania. Its grants frequently fund arts organizations, historic sites, festivals, trail and watershed groups, and small tourism-oriented businesses, with many awards directed to marketing, operating, or capital needs. The foundation favors place-based investments that strengthen visitor services and local economic development across Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
Laurel Highlands directs its recent giving toward place-based institutions that shape visitor experience in southwestern Pennsylvania. The largest awards in the record go to the Fayette County Agricultural Improvement Association, including a $170,833 grant in 2024 and a $113,725 grant in 2025, showing sustained support for regional agricultural and community infrastructure. Other large grants have gone to South Union Township for marketing, operating, and capital needs, and to Touchstone Center for Crafts for the same broad support category. The foundation’s portfolio repeatedly links culture, heritage, and local economic activity. Awards have supported historic destinations such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and community attractions like the State Theatre Center for the Arts. It also funds organizations tied to recreation and tourism infrastructure, including trail groups, watershed work, and hospitality-oriented enterprises. Across the record, Laurel Highlands appears to back institutions that help define the Laurel Highlands visitor economy while also serving local residents. Its grants often combine operating support with marketing and capital uses, suggesting a practical approach to sustaining public-facing places and events over time.
Heritage tourism is a clear thread in Laurel Highlands’ recent grants. In 2025, it gave $40,718 to Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater for marketing, operating, and capital needs, and in 2024 it awarded $27,506 to the same site for the same broad purpose. The foundation also supported historic and cultural destinations such as the State Theatre Center for the Arts, which received $73,508 in 2025. Arts and crafts organizations are another recurring focus. Touchstone Center for Crafts received $82,056 in 2025 after earlier support of $40,000 in 2024 and $65,000 in 2023. Laurel Highlands also backed Greensburg Civic Theatre with $31,860 in 2023, showing interest in public-facing arts venues. Recreation-linked conservation appears as well. Mountain Watershed Association received $78,670 in 2025 and $74,850 in 2024, and Regional Trail Corporation-Yough Tr received $32,000 in both 2024 and 2025.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: the distribution sits at $8,422 at the 25th percentile, $14,153 at the median, and $20,150 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes a much larger set of awards, which indicates that the foundation uses a layered grant structure with a mix of standard support and larger project or infrastructure grants. Recipients often reappear across multiple years, including several organizations that received repeated awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Laurel Highlands does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. No application process is described in the data.
$1.7M
$12.5M
$5.4M
$5.3M
Most grants fall between $8K and $20K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Geographically concentrated, mid-sized grants focused on the Laurel Highlands region with frequent repeat funding to staple local institutions; funding is often for marketing, operating or capital needs rather than narrow program grants, and mixes nonprofit and place-based small business recipients to boost regional tourism/economic development.
Notable grantees: Fayette County Agricultural Improvement Association, Great Allegheny Passage, Touchstone Center for Crafts, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
Laurel Highlands gives locally, and every grant in the provided record goes to recipients in Pennsylvania. The recipient map is concentrated in Fayette and Westmoreland counties, with repeated awards in Uniontown, Farmington, Dunbar, Connellsville, Greensburg, Mill Run, and Brownsville. Standout recipient cities include Uniontown, which appears multiple times across cultural and township grants, and Farmington, which appears in craft, hospitality, and heritage-related awards. The grant list shows 215 U.S. grants and no non-U.S. recipients.
The foundation backs regional cultural institutions, heritage tourism sites, trail and watershed groups, agricultural fair and market organizations, and small tourism-oriented businesses. Recent grants include support for visitor-facing attractions, local festivals, and infrastructure tied to recreation and tourism in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Typical awards are in the low five figures. The grant-size distribution is $8,422 at the 25th percentile, $14,153 at the median, and $20,150 at the 75th percentile, though the recent record also includes larger project-style grants.
Repeat grantees are common. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including the Fayette County Agricultural Improvement Association, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Mountain Watershed Association, State Theatre Center for the Arts, and Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater.
It gives locally and all grants in the provided record go to Pennsylvania recipients. The strongest concentration is in Fayette and Westmoreland counties, with repeated awards in Uniontown, Farmington, Dunbar, Connellsville, Greensburg, Mill Run, and Brownsville.
No. The funder does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, according to the provided profile data.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Theatre Center for the Arts | Uniontown, PA | $84,518 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Benners Meadow Run RV Campground | Farmington, PA | $64,255 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Touchstone Center for Crafts | Farmington, PA | $62,434 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Fayette County Agricultural Improve | Dunbar, PA | $56,300 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Mountain Area Fair | Farmington, PA | $52,400 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Jumonville Christian Camp & Retreat | Hopwood, PA | $51,406 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Mountain Watershed Association | Melcroft, PA | $51,290 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Deer Creek Winery & Watson Estate B | Uniontown, PA | $51,284 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Braddocks Restaurant & Tavern | Farmington, PA | $47,768 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Timber Rock Amphitheater | Farmington, PA | $47,768 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Ohiopyle Vacation Rentals | Farmington, PA | $46,073 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Neubauers Flowers & Market House | Uniontown, PA | $45,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater | Mill Run, PA | $41,160 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Amys Quilt Room | Uniontown, PA | $35,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Ohiopyle Trading Post & River Tours | Ohiopyle, PA | $32,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| The Perennial Project | Brownsville, PA | $32,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Hilton Garden Inn Uniontown | Uniontown, PA | $27,214 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Frank Lloyd Wrights Kentuck Knob | Dunbar, PA | $25,520 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Patsy Hillman Park | Brownsville, PA | $24,354 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Fayette Friends of Animals | Uniontown, PA | $21,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Yough River Brewing Co | Connellsville, PA | $20,700 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Historic Stone House Restaurant & I | Farmington, PA | $20,681 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Ohiopyle Coffee Company | Ohiopyle, PA | $20,273 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Vacation Ohiopyle | Farmington, PA | $20,150 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Fort Ligonier | Ligonier, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Overlys Country Christmas | Greensburg, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Westmoreland Cultural Trust | Greensburg, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Latshaw Productions & Marketing Inc | Trafford, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Westmoreland Agricultural Fair | Pleasant Unity, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites Donega | Donegal, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Main Street Theatre Company | Connellsville, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Oak Lodge | Saltsburg, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Joyces Jewelry Inc | Uniontown, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| The Westmoreland Museum of American | Greensburg, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Keystone Raceway Park | New Alexandria, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Fort Ligonier Days | Ligonier, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Laurelville Retreat Center | Mount Pleasant, PA | $19,740 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Hampton Inn by Hilton Greensburg | Greensburg, PA | $19,463 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| City of Connellsville | Connellsville, PA | $19,111 | 2026 | Vistior Center Funding |
| The Grandeur Estate | Greensburg, PA | $19,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Great Allegheny Passage | Homestead, PA | $18,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Compass Inn Museum | Laughlintown, PA | $18,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| West Newton Station | West Newton, PA | $16,900 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| White Water Adventurers | Ohiopyle, PA | $16,264 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra | Greensburg, PA | $15,705 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Latrobe Art Center & Caf | Latrobe, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Ligonier Country Market | Ligonier, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festiv | Latrobe, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Mount Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festi | Mount Pleasant, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
| Great Allegheny Passage | Homestead, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | MarketingOperatingCapital |
State Theatre Center for the Arts
$84,518MarketingOperatingCapital
Benners Meadow Run RV Campground
$64,255MarketingOperatingCapital
Fayette County Agricultural Improve
$56,300MarketingOperatingCapital
Mountain Area Fair
$52,400MarketingOperatingCapital
Jumonville Christian Camp & Retreat
$51,406MarketingOperatingCapital
Deer Creek Winery & Watson Estate B
$51,284MarketingOperatingCapital
Braddocks Restaurant & Tavern
$47,768MarketingOperatingCapital
Timber Rock Amphitheater
$47,768MarketingOperatingCapital
Ohiopyle Vacation Rentals
$46,073MarketingOperatingCapital
Neubauers Flowers & Market House
$45,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Amys Quilt Room
$35,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Ohiopyle Trading Post & River Tours
$32,000MarketingOperatingCapital
The Perennial Project
$32,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Hilton Garden Inn Uniontown
$27,214MarketingOperatingCapital
Frank Lloyd Wrights Kentuck Knob
$25,520MarketingOperatingCapital
Patsy Hillman Park
$24,354MarketingOperatingCapital
Fayette Friends of Animals
$21,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Yough River Brewing Co
$20,700MarketingOperatingCapital
Historic Stone House Restaurant & I
$20,681MarketingOperatingCapital
Ohiopyle Coffee Company
$20,273MarketingOperatingCapital
Vacation Ohiopyle
$20,150MarketingOperatingCapital
Overlys Country Christmas
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Westmoreland Cultural Trust
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Latshaw Productions & Marketing Inc
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Westmoreland Agricultural Fair
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Donega
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Main Street Theatre Company
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Oak Lodge
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Joyces Jewelry Inc
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Keystone Raceway Park
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Fort Ligonier Days
$20,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Laurelville Retreat Center
$19,740MarketingOperatingCapital
Hampton Inn by Hilton Greensburg
$19,463MarketingOperatingCapital
City of Connellsville
$19,111Vistior Center Funding
The Grandeur Estate
$19,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Great Allegheny Passage
$18,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Compass Inn Museum
$18,000MarketingOperatingCapital
West Newton Station
$16,900MarketingOperatingCapital
White Water Adventurers
$16,264MarketingOperatingCapital
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra
$15,705MarketingOperatingCapital
Latrobe Art Center & Caf
$15,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Ligonier Country Market
$15,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festiv
$15,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Mount Pleasant Glass & Ethnic Festi
$15,000MarketingOperatingCapital
Great Allegheny Passage
$15,000MarketingOperatingCapital