About Dietrich Foundation
To support select institutions of higher education and certain cultural and civic organizations in perpetuity—primarily in Western Pennsylvania—by growing and prudently managing assets to fund scholarships, faculty/research support, and community engagement programs.
Focus Areas
higher educationarts and culturecommunity developmentchildren and youth programsscholarships and faculty support
Who They Fund
Undergraduate students (including honors students)Graduate studentsFaculty and academic leaders (deanships)Children and youthLocal community members
Funding Style
direct scholarships/student financial aid
About Dietrich Foundation
The Dietrich Foundation’s recent grants are dominated by large, recurring commitments to a small circle of Pittsburgh institutions, with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh receiving some of the biggest awards. That pattern fits the foundation’s long-running structure as a charitable trust that supports select educational, cultural, and civic organizations in perpetuity, especially in Western Pennsylvania. Its giving is not broad-based; it is built around annual distributions and endowments that help fund scholarships, faculty and research support, academic leadership, and community engagement. Within higher education, the foundation backs both student aid and institutional capacity. Carnegie Mellon University receives support tied to STEM, scholarships, science programs, and faculty needs, while the University of Pittsburgh is funded for graduate and undergraduate student support and an entrepreneur program. The foundation also maintains named support for Thiel College, Duquesne University, and Chatham University, linking its philanthropy to curriculum, deanships, and faculty development. Beyond campuses, it funds cultural and civic organizations, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and The Pittsburgh Foundation community fund, reflecting a grantmaking approach centered on enduring local institutions rather than short-term projects.
What Dietrich Foundation Funds
Higher education is the clearest throughline in Dietrich Foundation giving. Carnegie Mellon University received $24,307,999 in 2025 for STEM, scholarships, science programs, and faculty needs, while the University of Pittsburgh received $11,358,878 in 2025 for an entrepreneur program plus graduate and undergraduate student support. Thiel College also received $2,271,776 in 2025 for honors college curriculum, showing support for academic programming as well as student aid. The foundation also funds leadership and faculty infrastructure. Duquesne University received $1,135,888 in 2025 for the deanship of the School of Osteopathic Medicine, and Chatham University received $517,813 in 2024 for faculty development. Outside academia, community and youth programs appear through United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which received $624,738 in 2025 for children and youth programs, and through The Pittsburgh Foundation Community Fund, which received $1,647,038 in 2025 for community support generation.
How Dietrich Foundation Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$45.4M
Total Assets
$1.5B
Total Revenue
$107.3M
Total Expenses
$56.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $426K and $1.6M, with a median of $586K.
25th Percentile
$426K
Median
$586K
75th Percentile
$1.6M
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
About 92% of grants go to recipients in PA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
EDWARD J GREFENSTETTE
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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