The Michael and Suellen Weir Foundation makes a very small number of large, unrestricted charitable gifts, with the majority of funding going to a named individual (Michael Weir) and a sizable commitment to higher education. Grants appear to be concentrated and discretionary rather than broadly distributed across many nonprofits. The foundation’s publicly visible giving indicates priorities around personal/family-directed philanthropy and support for a regional university.
Highly concentrated giving: few (3) grants totaling $1.42M, dominated by two large payments to a named individual and one large grant to a university; repeat payments to the same payee suggest discretionary or internal transfers alongside targeted higher-education support.
A pair of $609,700 charitable grants to Michael Weir anchors the Michael and Suellen Weir Foundation Inc’s visible giving and signals how concentrated its philanthropy is. The foundation’s recent record shows a small number of large, discretionary gifts rather than broad, routine grantmaking, with one substantial higher-education commitment layered on top of personal and family-directed disbursements. In 2025, it also made a $200,000 grant to the Ysu Foundation, connecting the foundation’s giving to a regional university in Youngstown, Ohio. Other 2025 awards point to a mixed but still tightly held portfolio: support for Pittsburgh institutions, education-related groups, veterans’ organizations, and community charities. The pattern is consistent with a funder that directs most of its dollars through large, one-off payments and targeted institutional support. Because the grants are so few and so sizable, each award represents a meaningful share of the foundation’s annual activity. The visible grant history suggests that the foundation’s priorities are shaped by a combination of family-directed philanthropy and selected nonprofit relationships, rather than a widely distributed grant program.
Higher education appears in the foundation’s grant history through a $200,000 charitable gift to the Ysu Foundation for a regional university beneficiary in Youngstown. Education-related support also shows up in Pittsburgh through a $15,000 grant to Extra Mile Education Foundation and smaller awards to Provident Charter School and St Louise of Marillac School. Community and cultural giving is present as well: the foundation gave $25,000 to Pittsburgh Symphony and $2,500 to Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Veterans and military-family support is another visible thread, including $20,000 to Folds of Honor and $8,000 to Wings for Vets. These awards suggest a narrow set of recurring themes, with education, arts, and veteran-serving organizations appearing alongside family-directed charitable transfers.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $609,700, with the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile all at that level, reflecting an unusually compressed distribution at the top of its giving. The recent record also shows repeated large transfers to the same named individual in 2023, indicating a pattern of recurring personal/family-directed disbursements rather than many distinct nonprofit awards. It is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals. The public grant list suggests discretionary, infrequent major gifts rather than an open application program.
$403K
$3.1M
$190K
$440K
Most grants fall between $610K and $610K, with a median of $610K.
25th Percentile
$610K
Median
$610K
75th Percentile
$610K
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Notable grantees: Michael Weir, YSU Foundation (Youngstown State University)
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, and all visible giving goes to Pennsylvania-based recipients or to a small set of out-of-state organizations. Pittsburgh appears repeatedly, including grants to University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Symphony, Extra Mile Education Foundation, and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Sewickley also appears as a recipient location through Union Aid Society and Child Health Association of Sewickley. Outside Pennsylvania, the foundation’s grants reached Youngstown, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Storrs, Connecticut; Alexandria, Virginia; and other single-recipient locations.
The visible grant history includes a regional university, education nonprofits, arts groups, veterans organizations, and community charities. Examples include the Ysu Foundation for higher education, Pittsburgh Symphony for the arts, Folds of Honor and Wings for Vets for veterans-related support, and several Pittsburgh- and Sewickley-area charitable groups.
Its reported typical grant size is $609,700, and the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are all the same amount. That points to a very concentrated distribution in which a few grants make up most of the visible activity.
Yes. While all visible grants are in the United States, the recipient list includes Youngstown, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Storrs, Connecticut; Alexandria, Virginia; Owasso, Oklahoma; New York, New York; Memphis, Tennessee; and Boys Town, Nebraska.
Higher education, education support, arts and culture, veterans-related giving, and community charities all appear in the recent grants. Named recipients in those areas include the Ysu Foundation, Extra Mile Education Foundation, Pittsburgh Symphony, Folds of Honor, and Wings for Vets.
It is concentrated. The recent record shows repeated $609,700 grants to Michael Weir in 2023, followed by a smaller number of nonprofit awards in 2025, which suggests discretionary, large-dollar giving rather than a widely distributed grant program.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YSU FOUNDATION | YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WV NORTHERN SHRINERS | TAMPA, FL | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| STUDENTS FIRST FUND | STORRS, CT | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOLDS OF HONOR | OWASSO, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| EXTRA MILE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SALVATION ARMY | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WINGS FOR VETS | BEAVER, PA | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PROVIDENT CHARTER SCHOOL | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ST LOUISE OF MARILLAC SCHOOL | UPPER ST CLAIR, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PINE VALLEY CAMP | ELLWOOD CITY, PA | $4,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST | PITTSBURGH, PA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ST JUDES CHILDREN RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNION AID SOCIETY | SEWICKLEY, PA | $200 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILD HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SEWICKLEY | SEWICKLEY, PA | $100 | 2025 | CHARIABLE |
| BOYS TOWN | BOYS TOWN, NE | $100 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| YSU FOUNDATION | YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $520,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $40,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SCHRINERS CENTER | CHESWICK, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| DAWN OF AMERICA | PITTSBURGH, PA | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FOLDS OF HONOR | OWASSO, OK | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SALVATION ARMY | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| STUDENTS FIRST FUND | STORRS, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WV NORTHERN SHRINERS | TAMPA, FL | $8,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ST LOUISE OF MARILLAC SCHOOL | UPPER ST CLAIR, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PROVIDENT CHARTER SCHOOL | PITTSBURGH, PA | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION OF HOPE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| DUQUESNE CLUB CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $2,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| WINGS FOR VETS | BEAVER, PA | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ASHLEY WAHL - GO FUND ME | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $200 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHAEL WEIR | SEWICKLEY, PA | $609,700 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| MICHAEL WEIR | SEWICKLEY, PA | $609,700 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
WV NORTHERN SHRINERS
$40,000CHARITABLE
STUDENTS FIRST FUND
$25,000CHARITABLE
FOLDS OF HONOR
$20,000CHARITABLE
SALVATION ARMY
$10,000CHARITABLE
WINGS FOR VETS
$8,000CHARITABLE
PROVIDENT CHARTER SCHOOL
$5,000CHARITABLE
ST LOUISE OF MARILLAC SCHOOL
$5,000CHARITABLE
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
$2,500CHARITABLE
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS FUND
$2,000CHARITABLE
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
$1,000CHARITABLE
UNION AID SOCIETY
$200CHARITABLE
CHILD HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SEWICKLEY
$100CHARIABLE
BOYS TOWN
$100CHARITABLE
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
$25,000CHARITABLE
SCHRINERS CENTER
$15,000CHARITABLE
DAWN OF AMERICA
$15,000CHARITABLE
FOLDS OF HONOR
$15,000CHARITABLE
SALVATION ARMY
$10,000CHARITABLE
STUDENTS FIRST FUND
$10,000CHARITABLE
WV NORTHERN SHRINERS
$8,000CHARITABLE
ST LOUISE OF MARILLAC SCHOOL
$5,000CHARITABLE
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS FUND
$5,000CHARITABLE
PROVIDENT CHARTER SCHOOL
$3,000CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION OF HOPE
$3,000CHARITABLE
DUQUESNE CLUB CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$2,500CHARITABLE
WINGS FOR VETS
$2,000CHARITABLE
ASHLEY WAHL - GO FUND ME
$1,000CHARITABLE
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
$200CHARITABLE
MICHAEL WEIR
$609,700CHARITABLE
MICHAEL WEIR
$609,700CHARITABLE