The Otto & Gertrude K. Pollak Scholarship Fund focuses almost exclusively on supporting graduate and upper-level social science education in the Philadelphia area, funding scholarships, summer research fellowships, and internships in social work, social policy, and sociology. Grants are program-restricted and directed to higher-education institutions—primarily Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania—indicating a strong, local commitment to training social-service professionals and supporting experiential research opportunities for graduate students.
The Otto & Gertrude K Pollak Scholarship Fund centers its giving on graduate training in social work, social policy, and sociology, with scholarships, research fellowships, and summer internships delivered through Philadelphia-area higher education institutions. The pattern is narrow and durable: the fund repeatedly supports Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania, linking its grants to professional preparation and research experience for graduate students. In 2025, the fund made multiple $87,500 grants tied to those programs, including support for Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols. It also funded graduate summer research fellowships in the University of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept and summer internships through the Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept. Earlier grants in 2024 and 2023 followed the same structure, showing a steady institutional pattern rather than one-off awards. The fund’s grantmaking is program-restricted and oriented toward higher-education departments rather than individuals. Its support reaches graduate students preparing for work in social-service fields and research settings, especially within the Philadelphia academic corridor.
Graduate social work education is a core theme. The fund gave $87,500 in 2025 to Bryn Mawr College for Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships, and it repeated that support in 2024 and 2023. Master’s-level social policy training is another recurring area. The University of Pennsylvania received $87,500 in 2025 for School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols, with the same program funded in 2024 and 2023. The fund also supports research and experiential learning in sociology. In 2025, it awarded $87,500 to the University of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept for Graduate Summer Research Fellowships and $87,500 to the Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept for Summer Internships. Across these areas, the common thread is graduate-level preparation for social-service and research careers.
Typical grants cluster tightly around a single level: p25 is $80,000, the median is $80,000, and p75 is $87,500. The recent record shows a repeated annual pattern from 2023 through 2025, with the same departments funded in more than one year. Grants are program-restricted and directed to institutions rather than individuals. The fund does not make program-related investments. With 100% of grants going to recipients in PA, its giving is highly local and concentrated.
$380K
$2.3M
$394K
$554K
Most grants fall between $80K and $88K, with a median of $80K.
25th Percentile
$80K
Median
$80K
75th Percentile
$88K
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Highly concentrated: a small number of large, repeated, program-restricted grants to a couple of local institutions. Funding is stable and targeted (equal-size awards across multiple years) rather than broad or exploratory.
Notable grantees: Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr College Sociology Department, University of Pennsylvania (School of Social Policy & Practice), University of Pennsylvania Sociology Department
All recent grants in the sample went to US recipients, and every grant landed in Pennsylvania. The main recipient cities are Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia. Bryn Mawr College and Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept appear in Bryn Mawr, PA, while the University of Pennsylvania, its School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Sociology Dept are in Philadelphia, PA. The foundation gives locally within the Philadelphia-area academic corridor rather than across multiple states or countries.
It supports graduate scholarships, summer research fellowships, and summer internships tied to social work, social policy, and sociology. Recent grants went to department- and school-level programs at Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania.
Typical recent awards are tightly clustered: p25 is $80,000, the median is $80,000, and p75 is $87,500. In the latest year on file, several grants were $87,500.
No recent grants in the provided sample went outside Pennsylvania. The recipient state distribution shows 100% of grants to PA, with recipients in Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia.
They are recurring. The same institutions and program lines appear across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including support for social work scholarships, social policy masters scholarships, sociology research fellowships, and sociology internships.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $95,000 | 2026 | School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols |
| Univ of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept | Philadelphia, PA | $95,000 | 2026 | Graduate Summer Research Fellowships |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $95,000 | 2026 | Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships |
| Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept | Bryn Mawr, PA | $95,000 | 2026 | Summer Internships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $87,500 | 2025 | School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $87,500 | 2025 | Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships |
| Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept | Bryn Mawr, PA | $87,500 | 2025 | Summer Internships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept | Philadelphia, PA | $87,500 | 2025 | Graduate Summer Research Fellowships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $80,000 | 2024 | School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $80,000 | 2024 | Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships |
| Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept | Bryn Mawr, PA | $80,000 | 2024 | Summer Internships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept | Philadelphia, PA | $80,000 | 2024 | Graduate Summer Research Fellowships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $80,000 | 2023 | School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $80,000 | 2023 | Graduate School of Social Work Scholarships |
| Univ of Pennsylvania Sociology Dept | Philadelphia, PA | $80,000 | 2023 | Graduate Summer Research Fellowships |
| Bryn Mawr College Sociology Dept | Bryn Mawr, PA | $80,000 | 2023 | Summer Internships |
School of Social Policy & Practice Masters Schols