The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust in this dataset is directing a large, focused investment toward emergency housing and support services for families experiencing homelessness. Their funding here is targeted to capital renovation and programmatic services that increase shelter capacity specifically for large families at risk of homelessness. This indicates a preference for tangible, mission-critical projects that both expand physical capacity and fund direct services for vulnerable family populations.
A defining feature of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is its repeated investment in large, capital-intensive projects that expand shelter, care, and public service capacity. In Phoenix, the trust gave $1,500,000 to UMOM New Day Centers to renovate 16 emergency shelter units for large families and add essential services. In Indianapolis, it awarded $1,000,000 to Friends of Indy Animals to help construct a modern facility for Indianapolis Animal Care Services, with capacity to provide safe and humane shelter for about 15,000 animals each year. Those grants sit alongside other major commitments to housing stability, animal welfare, local journalism, environmental restoration, and postsecondary access. The trust also supported the American Journalism Project with $1,000,000 to build a new model for local news in Central Indiana, showing that its giving is not limited to physical infrastructure. Another recurring thread is direct support for people facing barriers: the Nina Scholars program appears across multiple years as scholarship aid for non-traditional students. Overall, the trust combines capital support, program funding, and continued support for existing grantees across a broad set of community needs.
Housing stability is one of the trust’s clearest priorities. It awarded $750,000 to Human Services Campus in Phoenix for the homeless prevention fund and general operations, with an explicit goal of helping people at risk of housing instability remain housed. It also gave $500,000 to Society of St Vincent de Paul - Phoenix to create a 71-bed transitional housing community with wraparound services. Animal welfare is another major area. The trust gave $1,000,000 to Arizona Humane Society for a new medical and adoption facility in Phoenix, and $600,000 to Alliance for Companion Animals for no-cost spay/neuter and wellness services across Maricopa County. In environmental work, it supported White River Alliance with $500,000 to advance the Indiana Water Roadmap and improve appreciation of the White River. The trust also gave $700,000 to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana for physical upgrades and program enhancements tied to hunger relief.
Typical grant size sits at $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $45,000 at the median, and $77,500 at the 75th percentile, but the trust also makes occasional seven-figure awards for capital projects and major program support. The recent record shows continued support across multiple years for several grantees, including Friends of Indy Animals, Arizona Humane Society, Alliance for Companion Animals, White River Alliance, The Nature Conservancy - Indiana, and the Nina Scholars program. This is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. Invitation-only programs appear throughout its structure, though Summer Youth Program Fund accepts unsolicited applications.
$22.7M
$441.1M
$9.5M
$29.3M
Most grants fall between $6K and $78K, with a median of $45K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$45K
75th Percentile
$78K
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Concentrated, large single grant combining capital and programmatic support to a frontline homelessness service provider; appears to favor high-impact, one-off investments to expand shelter capacity rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: UMOM New Day Centers
Most grants land in Indiana, with 55% of gifts going to recipients in the HQ state. The trust also gives in Arizona, especially Phoenix and Tempe. Recent recipient cities include Indianapolis, Phoenix, Tempe, Bloomington, and Fishers, with Washington, DC appearing as the location of the American Journalism Project grantee. The country distribution in the provided data is entirely U.S.-based, with 879 grants in the United States.
The trust funds housing stability and homelessness prevention, animal welfare and veterinary services, local news and community journalism, food security, postsecondary access through Nina Scholars, and environmental work focused on rivers, habitat, and watershed restoration. Recent grants include support for emergency shelter capacity, transitional housing, spay/neuter services, and White River projects.
Yes. Capital support is a visible part of its giving. Recent examples include $1,500,000 for UMOM New Day Centers to renovate emergency shelter units, $1,000,000 for Friends of Indy Animals to build a modern animal care facility, and $700,000 for Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana for physical upgrades and program enhancements.
The typical grant size is $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $45,000 at the median, and $77,500 at the 75th percentile. At the same time, the trust sometimes awards much larger grants, including several $500,000 to $1,500,000 commitments in the recent grants list.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support across multiple years for several organizations and programs, including Friends of Indy Animals, Arizona Humane Society, Alliance for Companion Animals, White River Alliance, The Nature Conservancy - Indiana, and Nina Scholars. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
Some can, but not all. The Summer Youth Program Fund accepts unsolicited applications. Other active programs in the provided data, including Capital Support Grants, Protecting Animals and Nature, General Trust Grant Rounds, Operating Support Grants, Animal Welfare Initiatives, Environmental Initiatives, and Helping People in Need, are invitation-based or otherwise require prior contact or alignment with the trust's process.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMOM New Day Centers | Phoenix, AZ | $1,500,000 | 2025 | Capital and programmatic support to renovate 16 emergency shelter units for large families at risk of experiencing homelessness and to provide essential services to such families. |
| Friends of Indy Animals | Indianapolis, IN | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Capital support to construct a modern facility for Indianapolis Animal Care Services to provide safe and humane shelter for approximately 15,000 animals per year. |
| American Journalism Project | Washington, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Support to build a new model for local news in Central Indiana that utilizes a community reporting model and acts as a trusted source of information resulting in a more informed and engaged public. |
| Arizona State University Foundation for New American University | Tempe, AZ | $725,769 | 2025 | Support for the Nina Scholars program. |
| Alliance for Companion Animals | Phoenix, AZ | $600,000 | 2025 | Provide no-cost spay/neuter and wellness services to approximately 6,800 animals through veterinary clinics, including mobile veterinary units, across Maricopa County. |
| Indianapolis Zoo | Indianapolis, IN | $500,000 | 2025 | Support for the Global Center for Species Survival, which will serve as a headquarters connecting a team of conservation scientists to 10,000 scientists around the globe, and will provide an immersive visitor experience in a new exhibit space. |
| White River Alliance aka Upper White River Watershed Alliance Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $500,000 | 2025 | Continued support to advance the Indiana Water Roadmap, improve the appreciation of the White River and facilitate solutions to challenges facing the watershed. |
| Society of St Vincent de Paul - Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ | $500,000 | 2025 | Capital support to create a 71-bed transitional housing community that would reduce the number of unhoused individuals while providing safe housing and wraparound services. |
| The Nature Conservancy - Indiana | Indianapolis, IN | $475,000 | 2025 | Continued support to improve the White River watershed's water quality and habitat through activities that include cultivating relationships with stakeholders in watershed management efforts and building an edge-of-field best practices farming demonstration project. |
| Maricopa County Community College District Foundation | Tempe, AZ | $452,914 | 2025 | Support for the Nina Scholars program. |
| Ivy Tech Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $450,788 | 2025 | Support for the Nina Scholars program. |
| Trustees of Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $364,502 | 2025 | Support for the Nina Scholars program. |
| The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis aka Indianapolis Parks Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $325,000 | 2025 | Support for design and engineering work for a new nature center to be built in Riverside Regional Park. |
| National Center for State Courts | Williamsburg, VA | $300,000 | 2025 | Support to expand eviction diversion services to six additional township courts in Marion County. |
| Pilgrim Rest Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $250,000 | 2025 | Support for emergency assistance to individuals and families facing displacement. |
| Desert Botanical Garden | Phoenix, AZ | $250,000 | 2025 | Capital support for construction of the Hazel Hare Center for Plant Science to advance desert plant research, conservation and preservation efforts. |
| Phoenix Zoo | Phoenix, AZ | $250,000 | 2025 | Capital support to build a medical center that will provide innovative care to the zoo's animals and serve as a hub for research and education. |
| Indianapolis Art Center | Indianapolis, IN | $250,000 | 2025 | Capital support to enhance the ArtPark, a park along the banks of the White River that showcases contemporary art, and to build a White River boardwalk and trail. |
| Conservation Law Center | Bloomington, IN | $242,000 | 2025 | Continued support to implement the Indiana Water Report's recommendations, including advocating for water-quality improvements. |
| Gannett Company Inc dba Arizona Republic | Phoenix, AZ | $225,000 | 2025 | Continued support to provide in-depth reporting that focuses on Arizona's most pressing environmental issues. |
| Hoosier Environmental Council | Indianapolis, IN | $225,000 | 2025 | Continued support to reduce coal ash and farming pollution and preserve floodplains and wetlands by engaging in advocacy and public awareness; and to continue providing technical assistance to implement the Mounds Greenway, a forested buffer for the White River between Muncie and Anderson. |
| The Nature Conservancy - Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $195,500 | 2025 | Support for water-saving agricultural projects critical to sustaining Verde River flow. |
| FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic | Indianapolis, IN | $175,000 | 2025 | Support over three years to provide spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and wellness services for 3,000 dogs and cats per year. |
| Humane Society of Indianapolis aka Indy Humane | Indianapolis, IN | $160,000 | 2025 | Support for the downtown clinic, which provides pet owners low-cost and subsidized veterinary services, including low-cost spay/neuter surgeries. |
| Regional Community Partners (on behalf Maricopa Association of Governments) | Phoenix, AZ | $150,000 | 2025 | Support to build capacity of local governments and tribal nations to develop and preserve affordable housing. |
| Arizona Community Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $150,000 | 2025 | Support for the Summer Youth Program Fund for organizations that provide academic enrichment, arts and recreational summer programs for children of low-income families. |
| EmployIndy | Indianapolis, IN | $150,000 | 2025 | Support to create a regional apprenticeship hub that will expand the use of apprenticeships as a pathway into promising careers. |
| The Nature Conservancy - Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $150,000 | 2025 | Continued support to foster groundwater management through collaboration and specific projects to reduce demand, mitigate threats and support communities in securing their water needs. |
| Save the Family Foundation of Arizona | Mesa, AZ | $150,000 | 2025 | Support for housing and supportive services for up to 18 families on the verge of experiencing homelessness. |
| Coburn Place Safe Haven | Indianapolis, IN | $140,000 | 2025 | Support for Coburn Academy, which provides classes on finance, parenting, employment and homeownership to survivors of domestic violence. |
| Prosperity Indiana | Indianapolis, IN | $125,000 | 2025 | Support for the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition to educate low-income residents, community-based organizations and other stakeholders to advance practices that will improve long-term housing outcomes. |
| Arizona's Children Association | Phoenix, AZ | $125,000 | 2025 | Support to provide services to kinship families including caregiver education and support, guardianship clinics, legal services and emergency support services. |
| Julian Center Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $125,000 | 2025 | General operating support to provide supportive services to domestic violence survivors. |
| Indiana State Museum Foundation Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $125,000 | 2025 | Capital support to help redesign and construct the Ancient Seas gallery, which tells the story of Indiana's prehistoric environment. |
| Indy Reads | Indianapolis, IN | $115,000 | 2025 | Support to hire two new full-time positions to engage more adult learners and improve literacy programs. |
| Friends of the Verde River | Cottonwood, AZ | $110,000 | 2025 | Support to provide oversight for construction of a stormwater control system at the site of a workforce housing development that will recharge groundwater by an estimated 360,000 gallons annually. |
| Foundation For Senior Living aka FSL | Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support for a program to effectively serve older adults by assessing immediate needs, removing barriers and creating a follow-up plan to ensure a high quality of life. |
| Be Nimble Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to train Black and Latino adults for careers in technology to enhance employability, career advancement and economic mobility. |
| Fresh Start Women's Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to expand wraparound services for underserved women participating in workforce education and training programs. |
| Bethany Christian Services | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to provide in-home, skill-building training for parents who are at risk of having their children placed in the state's care. |
| Friends of the Verde River | Cottonwood, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to restore high priority upland sites, monitor restoration activities and oversee revisions to the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition strategic plan. |
| Equity1821 | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Support for the Demystifying Underwriting program, which will work with 40 Black small business owners on financial literacy and underwriting. |
| Wildfire Arizona formerly Arizona Community Action Association | Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to create a community-based framework for eviction diversion programs in Maricopa County. |
| Flanner House of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to hire a chief financial officer to provide leadership and to manage upcoming development projects that will bring more affordable housing, retail and workforce units to the Near Northwest Area. |
| Friends of the Verde River | Cottonwood, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to update the Verde Watershed Report Card, an assessment tool designed to track trends in the health of the Verde River watershed and surrounding communities. |
| Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Continued support to maintain a full-time program coordinator for the Reach Out and Read program to provide literacy intervention services during well-child pediatric visits. |
| Friends of the Verde River | Cottonwood, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to work with business owners to design customized systems that would recharge and reuse effluent resulting in nearly 20 million gallons of treated wastewater annually. |
| Grand Canyon Conservancy | Grand Canyon, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support for a study to advance the understanding of flow paths, flow rates and water budgets of the aquifer system below the Kaibab Plateau on the north side of Grand Canyon National Park. |
| Justa Center | Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to identify and eliminate barriers to permanent housing for older adults experiencing homelessness. |
| The Nature Conservancy - Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | Support to improve water quality in Granite Creek by reducing erosion and slowing stormwater runoff. |
UMOM New Day Centers
$1,500,000Capital and programmatic support to renovate 16 emergency shelter units for large families at risk of experiencing homelessness and to provide essential services to such families.
Friends of Indy Animals
$1,000,000Capital support to construct a modern facility for Indianapolis Animal Care Services to provide safe and humane shelter for approximately 15,000 animals per year.
American Journalism Project
$1,000,000Support to build a new model for local news in Central Indiana that utilizes a community reporting model and acts as a trusted source of information resulting in a more informed and engaged public.
Arizona State University Foundation for New American University
$725,769Support for the Nina Scholars program.
Alliance for Companion Animals
$600,000Provide no-cost spay/neuter and wellness services to approximately 6,800 animals through veterinary clinics, including mobile veterinary units, across Maricopa County.
Indianapolis Zoo
$500,000Support for the Global Center for Species Survival, which will serve as a headquarters connecting a team of conservation scientists to 10,000 scientists around the globe, and will provide an immersive visitor experience in a new exhibit space.
White River Alliance aka Upper White River Watershed Alliance Inc
$500,000Continued support to advance the Indiana Water Roadmap, improve the appreciation of the White River and facilitate solutions to challenges facing the watershed.
Society of St Vincent de Paul - Phoenix
$500,000Capital support to create a 71-bed transitional housing community that would reduce the number of unhoused individuals while providing safe housing and wraparound services.
The Nature Conservancy - Indiana
$475,000Continued support to improve the White River watershed's water quality and habitat through activities that include cultivating relationships with stakeholders in watershed management efforts and building an edge-of-field best practices farming demonstration project.
Maricopa County Community College District Foundation
$452,914Support for the Nina Scholars program.
Ivy Tech Foundation
$450,788Support for the Nina Scholars program.
Trustees of Indiana University
$364,502Support for the Nina Scholars program.
The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis aka Indianapolis Parks Foundation
$325,000Support for design and engineering work for a new nature center to be built in Riverside Regional Park.
National Center for State Courts
$300,000Support to expand eviction diversion services to six additional township courts in Marion County.
Pilgrim Rest Foundation
$250,000Support for emergency assistance to individuals and families facing displacement.
Desert Botanical Garden
$250,000Capital support for construction of the Hazel Hare Center for Plant Science to advance desert plant research, conservation and preservation efforts.
Phoenix Zoo
$250,000Capital support to build a medical center that will provide innovative care to the zoo's animals and serve as a hub for research and education.
Indianapolis Art Center
$250,000Capital support to enhance the ArtPark, a park along the banks of the White River that showcases contemporary art, and to build a White River boardwalk and trail.
Conservation Law Center
$242,000Continued support to implement the Indiana Water Report's recommendations, including advocating for water-quality improvements.
Gannett Company Inc dba Arizona Republic
$225,000Continued support to provide in-depth reporting that focuses on Arizona's most pressing environmental issues.
Hoosier Environmental Council
$225,000Continued support to reduce coal ash and farming pollution and preserve floodplains and wetlands by engaging in advocacy and public awareness; and to continue providing technical assistance to implement the Mounds Greenway, a forested buffer for the White River between Muncie and Anderson.
The Nature Conservancy - Arizona
$195,500Support for water-saving agricultural projects critical to sustaining Verde River flow.
FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic
$175,000Support over three years to provide spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and wellness services for 3,000 dogs and cats per year.
Humane Society of Indianapolis aka Indy Humane
$160,000Support for the downtown clinic, which provides pet owners low-cost and subsidized veterinary services, including low-cost spay/neuter surgeries.
Regional Community Partners (on behalf Maricopa Association of Governments)
$150,000Support to build capacity of local governments and tribal nations to develop and preserve affordable housing.
Arizona Community Foundation
$150,000Support for the Summer Youth Program Fund for organizations that provide academic enrichment, arts and recreational summer programs for children of low-income families.
EmployIndy
$150,000Support to create a regional apprenticeship hub that will expand the use of apprenticeships as a pathway into promising careers.
The Nature Conservancy - Arizona
$150,000Continued support to foster groundwater management through collaboration and specific projects to reduce demand, mitigate threats and support communities in securing their water needs.
Save the Family Foundation of Arizona
$150,000Support for housing and supportive services for up to 18 families on the verge of experiencing homelessness.
Coburn Place Safe Haven
$140,000Support for Coburn Academy, which provides classes on finance, parenting, employment and homeownership to survivors of domestic violence.
Prosperity Indiana
$125,000Support for the Hoosier Housing Needs Coalition to educate low-income residents, community-based organizations and other stakeholders to advance practices that will improve long-term housing outcomes.
Arizona's Children Association
$125,000Support to provide services to kinship families including caregiver education and support, guardianship clinics, legal services and emergency support services.
Julian Center Inc
$125,000General operating support to provide supportive services to domestic violence survivors.
Indiana State Museum Foundation Inc
$125,000Capital support to help redesign and construct the Ancient Seas gallery, which tells the story of Indiana's prehistoric environment.
Indy Reads
$115,000Support to hire two new full-time positions to engage more adult learners and improve literacy programs.
Friends of the Verde River
$110,000Support to provide oversight for construction of a stormwater control system at the site of a workforce housing development that will recharge groundwater by an estimated 360,000 gallons annually.
Foundation For Senior Living aka FSL
$100,000Support for a program to effectively serve older adults by assessing immediate needs, removing barriers and creating a follow-up plan to ensure a high quality of life.
Be Nimble Foundation
$100,000Support to train Black and Latino adults for careers in technology to enhance employability, career advancement and economic mobility.
Fresh Start Women's Foundation
$100,000Support to expand wraparound services for underserved women participating in workforce education and training programs.
Bethany Christian Services
$100,000Support to provide in-home, skill-building training for parents who are at risk of having their children placed in the state's care.
Friends of the Verde River
$100,000Support to restore high priority upland sites, monitor restoration activities and oversee revisions to the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition strategic plan.
Equity1821
$100,000Support for the Demystifying Underwriting program, which will work with 40 Black small business owners on financial literacy and underwriting.
Wildfire Arizona formerly Arizona Community Action Association
$100,000Support to create a community-based framework for eviction diversion programs in Maricopa County.
Flanner House of Indianapolis
$100,000Support to hire a chief financial officer to provide leadership and to manage upcoming development projects that will bring more affordable housing, retail and workforce units to the Near Northwest Area.
Friends of the Verde River
$100,000Support to update the Verde Watershed Report Card, an assessment tool designed to track trends in the health of the Verde River watershed and surrounding communities.
Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
$100,000Continued support to maintain a full-time program coordinator for the Reach Out and Read program to provide literacy intervention services during well-child pediatric visits.
Friends of the Verde River
$100,000Support to work with business owners to design customized systems that would recharge and reuse effluent resulting in nearly 20 million gallons of treated wastewater annually.
Grand Canyon Conservancy
$100,000Support for a study to advance the understanding of flow paths, flow rates and water budgets of the aquifer system below the Kaibab Plateau on the north side of Grand Canyon National Park.
Justa Center
$100,000Support to identify and eliminate barriers to permanent housing for older adults experiencing homelessness.
The Nature Conservancy - Arizona
$100,000Support to improve water quality in Granite Creek by reducing erosion and slowing stormwater runoff.