The Ivywood Foundation concentrates its funding on education and youth services in the Philadelphia region, with a particular emphasis on teacher development and K–12 support. A single large investment in the University of Pennsylvania’s Teachers Institute dominates its portfolio, while smaller grants back local child-serving nonprofits, civic/democracy work, and a neighborhood Episcopal parish. The foundation appears focused on strengthening classroom practice, supporting children’s services, and sustaining civic and faith-based community institutions.
A $1.2 million grant to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia defines The Ivywood Foundation’s recent giving. That award is far larger than its typical gifts and signals a strong commitment to teacher professional development in Philadelphia. The foundation also backed Children First with two separate grants in 2023 and 2024, showing continued support for child-focused advocacy and services in the city. Smaller grants extend that pattern to organizations working on civic participation, legal aid, hunger relief, and neighborhood-based education and faith institutions. Across the portfolio, Ivywood’s funding is centered on K-12 support, classroom practice, and organizations that shape conditions around students and schools. The recipient list suggests a preference for Philadelphia-based work, while also reaching selected organizations in Washington, DC; Baltimore; Ann Arbor; Saint Louis; and New York. In the recent record, the foundation’s largest commitments sit alongside repeated general support for smaller community groups, combining a major institutional investment with a series of modest operating grants.
Teacher development is the clearest thread in the portfolio. The Ivywood Foundation gave $1.2 million to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia, tying its largest recent grant to school-university partnership work. Child and family advocacy also appears in the record: Children First received $90,000 for general fund support in 2023 and another $20,000 in 2024. The foundation also funded Philadelphia institutions tied to civic and public-interest work, including $14,000 to Philadelphia Jobs With Justice and $10,000 to Community Legal Service, both in 2024. Beyond Philadelphia, the grants include support for education and cultural organizations such as the American Philosophical Society and the Am Philosophical Society, both based in Philadelphia, plus the Volunteer English Program in West Chester.
Typical grants are small: the p25 is $1,000, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $10,000. The portfolio includes one outlier at $1.2 million, followed by many grants clustered at $5,000 and $10,000. Several recipients appear more than once across 2023 and 2024, including Children First, Debs Jones Douglas Institute, Volunteer English Program, and Housing Options for Elderly (hope), indicating repeated support rather than a one-time-only pattern. The foundation does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments. The recent record also shows mostly general or unrestricted support, often labeled as general fund or general.
$767K
$4M
$547K
$799K
Most grants fall between $1K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Highly concentrated: one very large flagship grant drives giving while the remainder are a few mid-to-smaller donations. Mix of repeat funding to select local nonprofits and one dominant institutional commitment; geographically focused on Philadelphia-area organizations.
Notable grantees: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Teachers Institute of Philadelphia), Debs Jones Douglas Institute, Children First, Right to Democracy Project, Episcopal Church of the Incarnation
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the recent record. Philadelphia, PA is the most common recipient city, with grants to organizations such as Children First, Community Legal Service, Philadelphia Jobs With Justice, and the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. Other repeated recipient locations include Washington, DC; Ann Arbor, MI; Saint Louis, MO; and New York, NY. Pennsylvania accounts for 39% of grants by recipient location, while Maryland is the top state by grant count overall. The foundation’s giving is regional rather than national in reach.
Its recent grants center on teacher professional development, K-12 support, and child-serving organizations. The record also includes civic engagement, legal aid, hunger relief, and neighborhood faith-based or educational institutions, mostly through general support grants.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is small and concentrated: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. The recent record also includes one much larger $1.2 million grant to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.
Yes. Children First appears in both 2023 and 2024, and the recent list also shows repeated support for Debs Jones Douglas Institute, Volunteer English Program, and Housing Options for Elderly (hope). That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards.
Its grantmaking is regional and entirely U.S.-based in the recent record. Philadelphia, PA is the most common recipient city, and Pennsylvania receives 39% of grants by recipient location. Maryland is the top state by grant count overall.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOOD WORKS INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $309,658 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| RECOVERY DIARIES | DREXEL HILL, PA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| RIGHT TO DEMOCRACY PROJECT | OKEMOS, MI | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GOOD WORKS INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $46,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLIER FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FAT ACCEPTANCE | LAS VEGS, NV | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| RESEARCH FOUNDATIN OF CUNY | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WORLDS FAIR FUND | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PHILADELPHIA JOBS WITH JUSTICE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN FIRST | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| VOLUNTEER ENGLISH PROGRAM | WEST CHESTER, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| GLOBAL REFUGE | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| IOWA ABORTION ACCESS FUND | CEDAR RAPIDS, IA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CENTER ON BUDGET POLICY PRIORITIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOUNDING FORWARD | VALLEY FORGE, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ABORTION LIBERATION FUND OF PA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $9,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF SABEEL NORTH AMERICA | GREENEOOD VILLAGE, CO | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASS'N -- ICER | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| DRS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUNGER FREE AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS | ANN ARBOR, MI | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CENTRAL REFORM CONGREGATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| WOMENS LAW PROJECT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL NEWTORK OF ABORTION FUNDS | BEAVERTOWN, OR | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PARTNERS IN HEALTH | BOSTON, MA | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PROJECT HOME | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| MISSOURI WORKERS CENTER | ST LOUIS, MO | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE REFLECT ORGANIZATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LIKEN | WINCHESTER, KY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PREVENTION POINT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HOUSING OPTIONS FOR ELDERLY (HOPE) | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL AUDOBON SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PI SIGMA ALPHA | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LAND INSTITUTE | SALINA, KS | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| USA FOR UNHCR | WASHINGTON, DC | $600 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS FUND | BOULDER, CO | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SIERRA CLUB | OAKLAND, CA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BARN RAISING MEDIA | CHICAGO, IL | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY | ITHACA, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SMITH MEMORIAL FUND | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL |
GOOD WORKS INC
$309,658GENERAL
RECOVERY DIARIES
$60,000GENERAL
RIGHT TO DEMOCRACY PROJECT
$50,000GENERAL
GOOD WORKS INC
$46,000GENERAL
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FAT ACCEPTANCE
$30,000GENERAL
RESEARCH FOUNDATIN OF CUNY
$30,000GENERAL
WORLDS FAIR FUND
$20,000GENERAL
PHILADELPHIA JOBS WITH JUSTICE
$20,000GENERAL
CHILDREN FIRST
$15,000GENERAL
VOLUNTEER ENGLISH PROGRAM
$10,000GENERAL
GLOBAL REFUGE
$10,000GENERAL
COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE
$10,000GENERAL
IOWA ABORTION ACCESS FUND
$10,000GENERAL
FRIENDS OF SABEEL NORTH AMERICA
$8,000GENERAL
AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASS'N -- ICER
$5,000GENERAL
DRS WITHOUT BORDERS
$5,000GENERAL
MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS
$3,000GENERAL
CENTRAL REFORM CONGREGATION
$3,000GENERAL
NATIONAL NEWTORK OF ABORTION FUNDS
$3,000GENERAL
PARTNERS IN HEALTH
$3,000GENERAL
THE REFLECT ORGANIZATION
$3,000GENERAL
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF AMERICA
$2,000GENERAL
LIKEN
$2,000GENERAL
PREVENTION POINT
$2,000GENERAL
HOUSING OPTIONS FOR ELDERLY (HOPE)
$1,500GENERAL
NATIONAL AUDOBON SOCIETY
$1,000GENERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$1,000GENERAL
PI SIGMA ALPHA
$1,000GENERAL
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
$500GENERAL
BARN RAISING MEDIA
$500GENERAL
CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY
$500GENERAL