The Luzerne County Library System concentrates almost all of its giving on local public and free libraries within Luzerne County, PA, providing repeated, substantial support to municipal and independent library branches. Grants appear targeted to sustain operations, facilities, and community services across a network of small-town libraries, with multiple awards to the same institutions over time. The foundation is highly place-based and library-focused rather than broadly philanthropic across sectors.
Highly concentrated, place-based giving: a small number of local library systems receive the bulk of funding. Grants are repeatedly awarded to the same institutions (multiple grants per grantee), indicating ongoing multi-year or serial support rather than one-off gifts; funding amounts are moderate-to-large at the organizational level but focused on a limited set of beneficiaries.
Notable grantees: The Osterhout Free Library, Hazleton Area Public Library, Hoyt Library, Back Mountain Memorial Library, Mill Memorial Library
The Luzerne County Library System’s recent giving is defined by sustained, repeated support for a countywide library network, with large awards appearing year after year to the same branches. The Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre received one of the biggest recent grants at $679,561 in 2025, following $677,779 in 2024 and $611,489 in 2023. Hazleton Area Public Library also received major support across three consecutive years, with awards of $440,194 in 2023, $481,124 in 2024, and $478,030 in 2025. This pattern points to a funder that backs core library operations and continuity rather than one-off projects. The grants reach public and free libraries across Luzerne County, including branches in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Kingston, Dallas, Nanticoke, and other nearby communities. Across the recent grant list, the same institutions reappear multiple times, showing a steady relationship with local libraries rather than a broad or sector-diverse portfolio. The foundation’s giving is closely tied to maintaining library services, access to information, and local community infrastructure in one Pennsylvania county.
Public and free libraries are the clear focus. The foundation gave $241,715 in 2025 to Hoyt Library in Kingston, following $228,876 in 2024 and $209,214 in 2023, which shows continued support for a single local branch over time. Smaller branches also receive recurring backing: West Pittston Library was awarded $49,453 in 2023, $57,897 in 2024, and $55,323 in 2025. The grant list also shows support for community library capacity in Dallas, Nanticoke, and Plymouth, where awards were repeated across multiple years. Because the recipients are municipal and independent libraries rather than a mix of sectors, the foundation’s work appears centered on library service continuity, facilities, and local access to information.
Typical grant size sits at $61,706 at the 25th percentile, $105,636 at the median, and $214,130 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same libraries across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating an ongoing relationship model rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is organized as a public charity and does not fund individuals. Its recent grants are all in Pennsylvania, and the recipient list is concentrated in a single county-level library system.
$2.1M
$423K
$2.3M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $62K and $214K, with a median of $106K.
25th Percentile
$62K
Median
$106K
75th Percentile
$214K
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All recent grants in the provided list went to recipients in Pennsylvania, with 100% of grants landing in the HQ state. The strongest city-level concentrations are Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Kingston, Dallas, Nanticoke, Mountaintop, Plymouth, Pittston, West Pittston, and Wyoming. The pattern is county-local rather than multi-state or national, with repeated awards to libraries in the same small-town and borough settings across Luzerne County.
It funds public and free libraries in Luzerne County, with repeated grants to municipal and independent branches. The recent list includes library recipients in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Kingston, Dallas, Nanticoke, Mountaintop, Plymouth, Pittston, West Pittston, and Wyoming.
Yes. Several libraries appear in multiple years of the recent grant list. Examples include The Osterhout Free Library in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Hazleton Area Public Library in all three years, and Hoyt Library in all three years shown.
The grant-size distribution centers around a median of $105,636. The 25th percentile is $61,706 and the 75th percentile is $214,130, which suggests a mix of mid-sized awards and larger operating-level support.
Its giving is local and entirely in Pennsylvania. Every grant in the recent list went to a recipient in PA, and the recipient cities cluster within Luzerne County and nearby communities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY | WILKESBARRE, PA | $679,561 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY | HAZLETON, PA | $478,030 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| HOYT LIBRARY | KINGSTON, PA | $241,715 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY | DALLAS, PA | $194,183 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY | NANTICOKE, PA | $113,213 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY | MOUNTAINTOP, PA | $104,566 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY | PLYMOUTH, PA | $82,322 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY | PITTSTON, PA | $71,845 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY | WEST PITTSTON, PA | $55,323 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| WYOMING FREE LIBRARY | WYOMING, PA | $50,512 | 2025 | SEE PART IV |
| THE OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY | WILKESBARRE, PA | $677,779 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY | HAZLETON, PA | $481,124 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| HOYT LIBRARY | KINGSTON, PA | $228,876 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY | DALLAS, PA | $187,873 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY | NANTICOKE, PA | $110,006 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY | MOUNTAINTOP, PA | $105,480 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY | PLYMOUTH, PA | $82,008 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY | PITTSTON, PA | $62,504 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY | WEST PITTSTON, PA | $57,897 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| WYOMING FREE LIBRARY | WYOMING, PA | $51,051 | 2024 | SEE PART IV |
| THE OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY | WILKESBARRE, PA | $611,489 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY | HAZLETON, PA | $440,194 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| HOYT LIBRARY | KINGSTON, PA | $209,214 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY | DALLAS, PA | $178,056 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY | NANTICOKE, PA | $105,793 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY | MOUNTAINTOP, PA | $94,431 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY | PLYMOUTH, PA | $69,508 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY | PITTSTON, PA | $59,310 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY | WEST PITTSTON, PA | $49,453 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
| WYOMING FREE LIBRARY | WYOMING, PA | $43,600 | 2023 | SEE PART IV |
HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY
$478,030SEE PART IV
HOYT LIBRARY
$241,715SEE PART IV
BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$194,183SEE PART IV
MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$113,213SEE PART IV
MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY
$104,566SEE PART IV
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
$82,322SEE PART IV
PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$71,845SEE PART IV
WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY
$55,323SEE PART IV
WYOMING FREE LIBRARY
$50,512SEE PART IV
HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY
$481,124SEE PART IV
HOYT LIBRARY
$228,876SEE PART IV
BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$187,873SEE PART IV
MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$110,006SEE PART IV
MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY
$105,480SEE PART IV
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
$82,008SEE PART IV
PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$62,504SEE PART IV
WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY
$57,897SEE PART IV
WYOMING FREE LIBRARY
$51,051SEE PART IV
HAZLETON AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY
$440,194SEE PART IV
HOYT LIBRARY
$209,214SEE PART IV
BACK MTN MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$178,056SEE PART IV
MILL MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$105,793SEE PART IV
MARIAN SUTHERLAND KIRBY LIBRARY
$94,431SEE PART IV
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
$69,508SEE PART IV
PITTSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$59,310SEE PART IV
WEST PITTSTON LIBRARY
$49,453SEE PART IV
WYOMING FREE LIBRARY
$43,600SEE PART IV