The United Airlines Pilots Retirement Foundation focuses narrowly on direct financial relief for families connected to United Airlines pilots and staff, primarily channeling support through an employee-centered assistance organization and a small number of individual/family awards. Its grants are overwhelmingly labeled as "grants to families," indicating a priority on emergency or hardship aid for households rather than programmatic nonprofit support.
Highly concentrated: very few, relatively large grants; repeat funding to a primary intermediary (United We Care) plus occasional one-off family awards. The foundation prefers direct, targeted cash assistance over broad programmatic grants.
The United Airlines Pilots Retirement Foundation’s recent giving is centered on direct relief for families tied to United Airlines pilots and staff, with most awards described as grants to families. The largest grant in the latest year on file was $130,272 to United We Care in Chicago for family support, following a $133,700 award to the same organization in the prior year. That repeated support signals a narrow, household-level approach rather than broad nonprofit program funding. Other recent awards went directly to named recipients, including Nancy Orpin Co Morningside of River in Little Rock, Ingrid Melin in Mill Valley, and Gabrielle Robles in Santa Rosa, all labeled as family grants. The pattern suggests the foundation is used as a vehicle for emergency or hardship assistance, including support for retirees, beneficiaries, and households connected to the airline community. Across the grants list, the foundation’s work appears tightly focused on practical financial help rather than a wide range of philanthropic causes.
The clearest theme in the foundation’s recent grantmaking is family financial assistance. In 2024, it awarded $130,272 to United We Care in Chicago for grants to families, reinforcing the role of an employee-centered relief channel. Direct household support also appears in awards such as $39,800 to Nancy Orpin Co Morningside of River in Little Rock and $25,200 to Ingrid Melin in Mill Valley, both designated for families. A third example is the $25,000 grant to Gabrielle Robles in Santa Rosa, again framed as family aid. The presence of named individual recipients alongside an assistance organization shows a mix of routed support and direct relief. The foundation also supported Marion Wiltger in Ashville, North Carolina, with a $7,800 family grant in 2024, indicating that its assistance extends beyond one locality while staying within a very specific household-support model.
Typical awards are modest, with a p25 of $2,050, a median of $16,400, and a p75 of $36,150. The distribution is shaped by a few larger family-support grants and a longer tail of smaller awards. The recent record shows repeated support to United We Care across 2023 and 2024, while some named recipients also appear in multiple years, including Marion Wiltger and Ingrid Melin. That pattern suggests follow-on household assistance rather than one-time, isolated payments. The foundation is not a program-related investor and does not fund individuals as a standalone category; its grantmaking is built around family relief and direct support to household units.
$4.3M
$0
$409K
$4.4M
Most grants fall between $2K and $36K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$36K
About 30% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Notable grantees: United We Care, Nancy Orpin Co Morningside of River, Ingrid Melin
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, and the giving is national in scope. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. Recent recipient cities include Chicago and Carbondale in Illinois, Little Rock in Arkansas, Mill Valley and Santa Rosa in California, and Ashville in North Carolina. Illinois also accounts for 30% of grants, showing a meaningful concentration there alongside a broader spread across other states.
It primarily funds grants to families connected to United Airlines pilots and staff. Recent awards are labeled “grants to families,” including support routed through United We Care and direct household grants to named recipients in Illinois, Arkansas, California, and North Carolina.
Typical grant size is about $16,400 at the median, with a p25 of $2,050 and a p75 of $36,150. The recent list includes both larger family-support awards and smaller follow-on grants, showing a wide spread around that median.
Yes. United We Care received grants in both 2023 and 2024, and some named recipients also appear in multiple years, including Marion Wiltger and Ingrid Melin. That pattern points to recurring family assistance rather than strictly one-time awards.
The foundation gives nationally, with recipients located entirely in the United States. North Carolina is the top state by grant count, while Illinois receives 30% of grants and appears frequently through Chicago and Carbondale recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED WE CARE | CHICAGO, IL | $2,163,371 | 2025 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY | CARBONDALE, IL | $432,673 | 2025 | GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION |
| SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY | SAN JOSE, CA | $432,673 | 2025 | GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION |
| UNIVERISITY OF NORTH DAKOTA | GRAND FORKS, ND | $432,673 | 2025 | GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION |
| EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY | DAYTONA BEACH, FL | $432,673 | 2025 | GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION |
| LEWIS UNIVERSITY | ROMEOVILLE, IL | $432,673 | 2025 | GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION |
| NANCY ORPIN CO MORNINGSIDE OF RIVER | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $12,000 | 2025 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| UNITED WE CARE | CHICAGO, IL | $130,272 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| NANCY ORPIN CO MORNINGSIDE OF RIVER | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $39,800 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| INGRID MELIN | MILL VALEY, CA | $25,200 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| GABRIELLE ROBLES | SANTA ROSA, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| MARION WILTGER | ASHVILLE, NC | $7,800 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| UAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION CO SIUF COLYER HALL MAIL CODE 6805 | CARBONDALE, IL | $2,000 | 2024 | GRANTS TO FAMILIES |
| United We Care | Chicago, IL | $133,700 | 2023 | Grants to Families |
| Marion Wiltger | Ashville, NC | $2,200 | 2023 | Grants to Families |
| Nancy Orpin co Morningside of River | Hoover, AL | $1,000 | 2023 | Grants to Families |
| Ingrid Melin | Mill Valey, CA | $1,000 | 2023 | Grants to Families |
UNITED WE CARE
$2,163,371GRANTS TO FAMILIES
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
$432,673GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION
UNIVERISITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
$432,673GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION
EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY
$432,673GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION
GRANTS TO SUPPORT MISSION
NANCY ORPIN CO MORNINGSIDE OF RIVER
$12,000GRANTS TO FAMILIES
UNITED WE CARE
$130,272GRANTS TO FAMILIES
NANCY ORPIN CO MORNINGSIDE OF RIVER
$39,800GRANTS TO FAMILIES
INGRID MELIN
$25,200GRANTS TO FAMILIES
GABRIELLE ROBLES
$25,000GRANTS TO FAMILIES
MARION WILTGER
$7,800GRANTS TO FAMILIES
UAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION CO SIUF COLYER HALL MAIL CODE 6805
$2,000GRANTS TO FAMILIES
United We Care
$133,700Grants to Families
Marion Wiltger
$2,200Grants to Families
Nancy Orpin co Morningside of River
$1,000Grants to Families
Ingrid Melin
$1,000Grants to Families