About Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh
The Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh makes a small number of very large, predominantly unrestricted grants to a mix of local institutional partners and national advocacy/faith-based organizations. Its giving is concentrated in higher education and civic advocacy, with a clear secondary emphasis on Jewish communal causes and innovative food-system solutions. Grants are often sizable and flexible, allowing recipients to use funds for general operating support.
Focus Areas
Major research university support (Carnegie Mellon University — unrestricted institutional funding)Civil liberties and national legal advocacy (ACLU — unrestricted support)Food systems innovation and food recovery (ReFED — scalable solutions/grantmaking)International Jewish development and relief (American Jewish World Service)Jewish communal and religious institutional support (Union for Reform Judaism)
Who They Fund
unspecified/any
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated: very few, large unrestricted grants; repeat major funding to a flagship local university alongside single large gifts to national advocacy and Jewish organizations.
About Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh
A defining feature of Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh is the size and flexibility of its grants: it gives a small number of very large awards, and many of the recent grants are listed as unrestricted or general use. Carnegie Mellon University received three of the largest awards in the recent grants list, including $3,525,000 in 2023 and $3,050,000 in 2025. The foundation also made major general-support grants to the ACLU Foundation, including $2,000,000 in 2025, and to ReFED Inc., which received $1,250,000 in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs institutions with substantial, open-ended support rather than tightly scoped project funding. The portfolio mixes Pittsburgh-based organizations with national advocacy, food-system, and Jewish communal grantees. Primary Care Health Services Inc. in Pittsburgh received $1,000,000 in 2025, while Braddock Carnegie Library Association and Best of the Batch Foundation also appear among the larger awards. Outside the region, the foundation has supported American Jewish World Service, Union for Reform Judaism, Save the Children, Village Capital, and National Public Radio. The recurring use of general-use grants suggests an emphasis on organizational capacity and long-horizon institutional support.
What Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh Funds
Higher education is one of the clearest anchors in the recent grant record. Carnegie Mellon University received $3,525,000 in 2023, $3,025,000 in 2024, and $3,050,000 in 2025, all described as unrestricted or general use. Civil liberties and legal advocacy are another visible line of giving. The ACLU Foundation was awarded $2,000,000 in 2025 and $1,000,000 in both 2024 and 2023, again as unrestricted support. Food-system work also appears consistently. ReFED Inc. received $1,250,000 in 2025, $800,000 in 2024, and $500,000 in 2023, while the Global Foodbanking Network received $500,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also funded Waste and Resources Action Programme with $500,000 in 2023, $500,000 in 2024, and $500,000 in 2025.
How Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh Gives
Typical grants are large: the size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $46,250, a median of $100,000, and a 75th percentile of $256,250, while recent awards often run into the seven figures. The foundation behaves like a regular grantmaker rather than a DAF. Recurring relationships are visible across multiple years, with repeat awards to Carnegie Mellon University, the ACLU Foundation, ReFED Inc., American Jewish World Service, Global Foodbanking Network, Splash, Tides Center, and Waste and Resources Action Programme. Several grants are described as unrestricted or general use, and the active programs include both ongoing priority-area grantmaking and targeted RFPs for food waste and student success initiatives.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$25.4M
Total Assets
$175.5M
Total Revenue
$23.5M
Total Expenses
$29.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $46K and $256K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$46K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$256K
Geographic Reach
Regional19 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 266 | $59.1M | 98.9% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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