The Burke Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on large, local investments in Pittsburgh-area civic life—especially major arts and cultural institutions, public recreational infrastructure, and selective independent schools. Grants are predominantly unrestricted/general operating support to established organizations, signaling a preference for sustaining institutions that shape the region’s cultural and public landscape. The foundation’s giving is place-based and focused on visible community anchor projects rather than many small or experimental grants.
The Burke Foundation C/o Merrilynn Young makes some of its largest recent gifts to Pittsburgh civic and cultural anchors, led by a $1,250,000 grant to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh in 2025. That pattern fits a portfolio built around sustaining institutions that shape daily life in the city: museums, theaters, riverfront and trail projects, schools, libraries, and neighborhood organizations. The foundation’s recent giving includes repeated support for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Allegheny Rivertrail Park, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, alongside institutions such as the Senator John Heinz History Center and Fred Rogers Productions. General support is a common form of funding in the recent grants list, which suggests an emphasis on flexible operating dollars rather than project-only awards. The foundation also appears comfortable making six-figure grants to a mix of cultural, educational, health, and community-serving nonprofits. Several recipients receive support in multiple years, including Power, The Neighborhood Academy, Primary Care Health Services Inc, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. The overall profile is local, concentrated, and institution-focused, with Pittsburgh-area organizations receiving the bulk of the recent activity.
Arts and culture are central to the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $500,000 in 2025 to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and $262,500 in 2024 to Senator John Heinz History Center, both as general support. The portfolio also includes $259,500 to The Clemente Museum and $175,000 to Moonshot Museum, showing support for both established and newer cultural institutions. Public recreation and riverfront space is another visible theme. In 2024, Allegheny Rivertrail Park received $1,013,175 in general support, and Riverlife received $125,000 in 2025. The grants point to interest in trail access and riverfront development. Education and youth-serving organizations also appear in the record. The Burke Foundation C/o Merrilynn Young awarded $500,000 to Linsly School Incorporated in 2024, $250,000 to The Neighborhood Academy in 2025, and $125,000 to Steel City Squash Inc in 2023. Health-related support appears as well, including $262,500 to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation in 2024.
$4.3M
$83.4M
$5.6M
$5.6M
Most grants fall between $1K and $13K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$13K
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Concentrated, high-dollar general operating grants to a small number of local anchor institutions; evidence of repeat or multi-ticket support to the same cultural organizations rather than many small or new grantees.
Notable grantees: Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Allegheny RiverTrail Park, Linsly School Incorporated, POWER
Typical grants are modest relative to the largest awards: the 25th percentile is $1,250, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,500. At the same time, the recent list shows a small number of very large outliers in the six- and seven-figure range, indicating a strongly skewed distribution. The foundation is a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recipients recur across years, including Power, The Neighborhood Academy, Primary Care Health Services Inc, Allegheny Rivertrail Park, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. Grants in the list are primarily marked general support.
The Burke Foundation C/o Merrilynn Young gives almost entirely in the United States, and 87% of grants go to recipients in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is the dominant recipient city, with most of the recent list located there. Other Pennsylvania recipients include Braddock and regional organizations serving the Pittsburgh area. Outside Pennsylvania, a recent grant went to Linsly School Incorporated in Wheeling, West Virginia. The giving pattern is therefore local, with a narrow regional footprint centered on western Pennsylvania.
Recent grants show support for arts and culture, riverfront and trail infrastructure, education, health, and neighborhood-serving nonprofits. Examples include museums, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Allegheny Rivertrail Park, The Neighborhood Academy, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.
The distribution is very wide. The 25th percentile is $1,250, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $12,500. Recent grants also include much larger awards, including several in the hundreds of thousands and one at $1,250,000.
Yes. Its giving is local, and 87% of grants go to recipients in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh accounts for most of the recipient locations in the recent grants list, with additional activity in nearby western Pennsylvania communities.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year in the recent grants list, including Power, The Neighborhood Academy, Primary Care Health Services Inc, Allegheny Rivertrail Park, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Most recent awards are labeled general support. The foundation is a regular funder, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The pattern suggests flexible institutional support rather than restricted project-only funding.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $1,250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST | PITTSBURGH, PA | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| POWER | PITTSBURGH, PA | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER | PITTSBURGH, PA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| URBAN IMPACT FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ALLEGHENY RIVERTRAIL PARK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RIVERLIFE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| STEEL CITY SQUASH INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WINCHESTER THURSTON SCHOOL | PITTSBURGH, PA | $62,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST | PITTSBURGH, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| QUANTUM THEATRE INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $37,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| IMANI CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE FRICK PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MENTOR | BOSTON, MA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE MENTORING PARTNERSHIP OF SWPA | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SPOTLIGHT PA | HARRISBURG, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| KNEAD COMMUNITY CAFE | NEW KENSINGTON, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ALLEGHENY RIVERTRAIL PARK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SECOND HARVEST | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CENTER OF LIFE MINISTRIES | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE CLEMENTE MUSEUM | PITTSBURGH, PA | $10,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH THREE RIVERS MARATHON INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LAURI ANN WEST COMMUNITY CENTER | PITTSBURGH, PA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,037 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AUDUBON SOCIETY OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SCHAUMBURG PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION | SCHAUMBURG, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MANCHESTER CRAFTSMEN GUILD | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PITTSBURGH PROMISE FOUNDATION | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| INTERNATIONAL POETRY FORUM | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE FIRST TEE OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ATTACK THEATRE INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | DUQUESNE, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| POWER | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SHARPSBURG COMMUNITY LIBRARY | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ROOTS OF FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FOX CHAPEL | PITTSBURGH, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BAREBONES PRODUCTIONS | BRADDOCK, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF PITTSBURGH
$1,250,000GENERAL
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
$500,000GENERAL
POWER
$350,000GENERAL
SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER
$250,000GENERAL
GENERAL
COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$125,000GENERAL
ALLEGHENY RIVERTRAIL PARK
$125,000GENERAL
COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$125,000GENERAL
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
$50,000GENERAL
CARNEGIE MUSEUMS OF PITTSBURGH
$50,000GENERAL
PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY
$25,000GENERAL
THE FRICK PITTSBURGH
$25,000GENERAL
SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER
$12,500GENERAL
KNEAD COMMUNITY CAFE
$12,500GENERAL
ALLEGHENY RIVERTRAIL PARK
$12,500GENERAL
SECOND HARVEST
$12,500GENERAL
THE CLEMENTE MUSEUM
$10,500GENERAL
PITTSBURGH THREE RIVERS MARATHON INC
$7,500GENERAL
COOPER-SIEGEL COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$7,500GENERAL
LAURI ANN WEST COMMUNITY CENTER
$7,500GENERAL
SCHAUMBURG PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
$5,000GENERAL
MANCHESTER CRAFTSMEN GUILD
$5,000GENERAL
INTERNATIONAL POETRY FORUM
$5,000GENERAL
POWER
$5,000GENERAL
SHARPSBURG COMMUNITY LIBRARY
$5,000GENERAL
ROOTS OF FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FOX CHAPEL
$5,000GENERAL
BAREBONES PRODUCTIONS
$5,000GENERAL