The Richard G and Audrey A Brinkman Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in the Philadelphia area, prioritizing educational opportunity and neighborhood-based faith-inspired social services. Its grants repeatedly support scholarship and college‑access programs that help low‑income students attend private schools and transition to higher education, alongside local Mercy ministry programming. The foundation favors a small set of repeat grantees and programmatic grants rather than one-off donations to many organizations.
Richard G and Audrey a Brinkman Foundation’s grant history is defined by repeated, multi-year support for Philadelphia-area education access and faith-based neighborhood services. The foundation has awarded $75,000 grants across several years to Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, as well as $75,000 grants to both Philadelphia Futures and Heights Philadelphia for college connection work. Those recurring awards show a preference for programmatic support tied to specific local outcomes rather than scattered one-time gifts. Alongside education, the foundation also backs Catholic and Mercy-linked institutions in the region. Merion Mercy Academy received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for The Bahkita, and Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia appears repeatedly as well. The pattern suggests a funder that works through a small circle of familiar grantees and keeps a strong local focus in Philadelphia and nearby communities. Its giving reaches students, youth-serving nonprofits, and neighborhood organizations working in education and social support.
Education access is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $75,000 to Philadelphia Futures for the College Connection Program and another $75,000 to Heights Philadelphia for the same program, pointing to an interest in helping Philadelphia youth move from high school into college. Scholarship support is another major priority: Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia received $75,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for general charitable purposes. The foundation also funded Delaware County Literacy Council with $16,250 in 2025 for general charitable purposes, following earlier grants of $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024. In the faith-based education space, Merion Mercy Academy received $50,000 in 2025 for The Bahkita.
Typical grants cluster around a mid-six-figure pattern: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $75,000. The foundation’s recent history shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially for education and neighborhood services. That pattern points to relationship-based giving rather than one-off awards. The foundation is not reported to fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Grant descriptions also show a mix of general charitable purposes, general operating support, and program-specific support.
$247K
$4.4M
$317K
$296K
Most grants fall between $10K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
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Concentrated, mid‑to‑large grants to a handful of repeat grantees in Philadelphia; funding is programmatic (scholarships and college‑connection programs) and often delivered through multi-year or multiple grants rather than many small, one‑time awards.
Notable grantees: Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia, Inc., Heights Philadelphia, Philadelphia Futures, Merion Mercy Academy
The foundation gives locally, with 90% of grants going to recipients in Pennsylvania and the top state by grant count also Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is the central hub of its giving, with multiple grants to organizations there. Other Pennsylvania recipients include Merion Station, Chester, and Brookhaven. Outside Pennsylvania, the only recipient location in the recent grants list is Silver Spring, Maryland, which appears in two grants to Friends in Solidarity.
It repeatedly supports education-access and college-transition organizations, along with faith-based neighborhood service groups. Recent grants include Philadelphia Futures and Heights Philadelphia for the College Connection Program, Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia for general charitable purposes, and Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia for general charitable purposes.
Yes. Several grantees appear across multiple years. Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia received $75,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Merion Mercy Academy received support in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical awards are in the $10,000 to $75,000 range. The grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $10,000, a median of $50,000, and a 75th percentile of $75,000.
The foundation is highly local. Ninety percent of grants go to recipients in Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia is the main recipient city in the recent grants list, with additional Pennsylvania recipients in Merion Station, Chester, and Brookhaven.
Recent grants include general charitable purposes, general operating support, program-specific support, and unrestricted or general charitable funding tied to named initiatives. Examples include the College Connection Program, The Bahkita, and general charitable purposes for scholarship, literacy, and neighborhood-service organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heights Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2026 | COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM |
| Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Merion Mercy Academy | Merion Station, PA | $50,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA |
| Delaware County Literacy Council | Chester, PA | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Heights Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $58,750 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Merion Mercy Academy | Merion Station, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA |
| Delaware County Literacy Council | Chester, PA | $16,250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Heights Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2024 | COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM |
| Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $52,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Merion Mercy Academy | Merion Station, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA |
| Delaware County Literacy Council | Chester, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Friends in Solidarity | Silver Spring, MD | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Saint Josephs Family Hope Center | Brookhaven, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Philadelphia Futures | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2023 | COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM |
| Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $75,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $52,500 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Merion Mercy Academy | Merion Station, PA | $25,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA |
| Delaware County Literacy Council | Chester, PA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Friends in Solidarity | Silver Spring, MD | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Family Promise of Delaware County Interfaith Hospitality Network | Brookhaven, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Merion Mercy Academy
$50,000TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA
Delaware County Literacy Council
$12,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Merion Mercy Academy
$50,000TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA
Delaware County Literacy Council
$16,250GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Merion Mercy Academy
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA
Delaware County Literacy Council
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Friends in Solidarity
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Saint Josephs Family Hope Center
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Philadelphia Futures
$75,000COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Merion Mercy Academy
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE BAHKITA
Delaware County Literacy Council
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Friends in Solidarity
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Family Promise of Delaware County Interfaith Hospitality Network
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES