The Helen Ruth Gordon Charitable Trust appears to fund local Pittsburgh-area nonprofits focused on direct community services and neighborhood enrichment—particularly food access, youth programming, arts education, immigrant/refugee support, and faith-based community programs. Grants are operational and programmatic (general operating, summer and after-school programs, food purchases), suggesting a preference for organizations that deliver hands-on services to residents and families. The foundation favors established local groups and culturally specific community organizations rather than national institutions.
The Helen Ruth Gordon Charitable Trust’s largest recent gift was $25,000 to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for food purchases, a clear sign that practical community support sits near the center of its grantmaking. Across the recent grants list, the trust backs neighborhood organizations, church-based programs, and service groups that work directly with children, families, and local residents. The trust gives at a modest-to-midsize level. Its recent awards include operating support, program support, and targeted project funding, with checks often written to organizations running summer activities, after-school programming, arts instruction, and intervention services. Several grants are directed to Pittsburgh-area groups such as Creative Citizen Studios, Write Pittsburgh, Foundation of Hope Inc, and the Bhutanese Community Association. Those awards point to a funder that favors hands-on, community-level work rather than large institutional grants. Its pattern also includes support for organizations serving specific populations. Recent examples include program funding for a girls’ night out at Treasure House and general operating support for YWCA Greater Pittsburgh. The trust’s giving combines basic needs, youth enrichment, and community-based services in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Food support is one of the trust’s clearest priorities. It gave $25,000 to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for food purchases, and that grant shows direct support for the supply side of hunger relief rather than a broad advocacy grant. Youth programming appears in several forms. Community Life Enrichment Foundation received $20,000 for summer programs, Friends of the Monroeville Public Library received $12,500 for after school programs, and Mooncrest Neighborhood Programs received $7,361 for after school programs. The trust also funds arts and skills-based education. Creative Citizen Studios received $16,500 for visual arts classes, Write Pittsburgh received $10,000 for general operating, and Neighborhood Allies received $9,875 for computer literacy education. A smaller set of grants supports community care and prevention work, including $12,500 to Foundation of Hope Inc for intervention and prevention and $12,000 to Bhutanese Community Association for general operating.
$229K
$1.5M
$127K
$98K
Most grants fall between $8K and $15K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 77% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Concentrated, modest-sized grants to local organizations—mix of repeat support (Community Life Enrichment Foundation appears more than once) and one-off gifts; mainly unrestricted or program support rather than large capital grants. Funding is geographically focused on Pittsburgh/Monroeville and favors service-delivery nonprofits and culturally specific community groups.
Notable grantees: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Community Life Enrichment Foundation, Creative Citizen Studios, Bible Center Church, Bhutanese Community Association
Typical grant size clusters in a fairly tight range: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. That places most awards in a modest operating or program-support band rather than at very small or very large levels. The trust shows both recurring and one-time patterns. Community Life Enrichment Foundation appears in both 2023 and 2025, and several organizations receive general operating support in 2025. The data also shows a mix of project-specific grants and unrestricted support, with no indication of individual giving or program-related investments. The available records point to a private charitable trust making direct grants rather than operating through an application process described in the data.
The trust’s giving is concentrated in Pennsylvania, which accounts for 77% of grants. Pittsburgh is the most common recipient city, with additional Pennsylvania recipients in West View, Wexford, Monroeville, Moon Township, Mars, and Mt. Pleasant. Outside Pennsylvania, the recent grants list includes Cincinnati, Ohio; Maiden Rock, Wisconsin; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. All recent grants shown are within the United States.
The recent grants favor local community-serving organizations: food access groups, after-school and summer programs, visual arts education, church-based academies, immigrant and refugee support, and prevention or intervention services. The trust also funds operating support for organizations that deliver these services directly.
The grant-size distribution is fairly compact. The 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. Recent awards cluster around that middle range, with several grants written at $10,000 to $15,000.
Pennsylvania is the top giving state, accounting for 77% of grants. Recent recipients are concentrated around Pittsburgh and nearby communities such as West View, Wexford, Monroeville, Moon Township, Mars, and Mt. Pleasant.
Yes. Community Life Enrichment Foundation appears in both 2023 and 2025, with grants for summer programs and general operating support. The pattern also includes multiple general operating awards in 2025, showing some repeat or ongoing relationships.
The trust gives a mix of food purchases, summer and after-school program support, general operating support, and project-specific funding. Recent examples include visual arts classes, computer literacy education, intervention and prevention work, and academy or camp programs.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNITY LIFE ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION C/O PNC BANK | WEST VIEW, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BIBLE CENTER CHURCH | MAIDEN ROCK, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | ACADEMY PROGRAM |
| BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | GREENLEAP PROGRAM |
| LAURELVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH CEN C/O PNC BANK | MT PLEASANT, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FOUNDATION OF HOPE INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,500 | 2025 | INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION |
| BHUTANESE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION C/O PNC BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WRITE PITTSBURGH C/O PNC BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIES | CINCINNATI, OH | $9,875 | 2025 | COMPUTER LITERACY EDUCATION |
| TREASURE HOUSE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $8,000 | 2025 | SPONSORED GIRLS NIGHT OUT |
| EARLY EXCELLENCE PROJECT C/O PNC BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PROTOTYPE PGH INC | PITTSBURGH, PA | $7,500 | 2025 | PROTOTYPE PGH INCUBATOR |
| CENTER FOR HEARING & DEAF SERVICES C/O PNC BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $6,023 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| YOUNG LIFE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $3,946 | 2025 | CAPERNAUM CAMP |
| YWCA GREATER PITTSBURGH C/O PNC BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $2,085 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | PITTSBURGH, PA | $25,000 | 2023 | FOOD PURCHASES |
| COMMUNITY LIFE ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION | WEXFORD, PA | $20,000 | 2023 | SUMMER PROGRAMS |
| CREATIVE CITIZEN STUDIOS | PITTSBURGH, PA | $16,500 | 2023 | VISUAL ARTS CLASSES |
| FRIENDS OF THE MONROEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY | MONROEVILLE, PA | $12,500 | 2023 | AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS |
| MOONCREST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS | MOON TOWNSHIP, PA | $7,361 | 2023 | AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS |
| INSPIRED HEARTS AND HANDS INC | MARS, PA | $2,357 | 2023 | EMPOWERED SCHOLAR PROGRAM |
COMMUNITY LIFE ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION C/O PNC BANK
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING
BIBLE CENTER CHURCH
$15,000ACADEMY PROGRAM
BRIDGEWAY CAPITAL INC
$15,000GREENLEAP PROGRAM
LAURELVILLE MENNONITE CHURCH CEN C/O PNC BANK
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
FOUNDATION OF HOPE INC
$12,500INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION
BHUTANESE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION C/O PNC BANK
$12,000GENERAL OPERATING
WRITE PITTSBURGH C/O PNC BANK
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING
NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIES
$9,875COMPUTER LITERACY EDUCATION
TREASURE HOUSE
$8,000SPONSORED GIRLS NIGHT OUT
EARLY EXCELLENCE PROJECT C/O PNC BANK
$8,000GENERAL OPERATING
PROTOTYPE PGH INC
$7,500PROTOTYPE PGH INCUBATOR
CENTER FOR HEARING & DEAF SERVICES C/O PNC BANK
$6,023GENERAL OPERATING
YOUNG LIFE
$3,946CAPERNAUM CAMP
YWCA GREATER PITTSBURGH C/O PNC BANK
$2,085GENERAL OPERATING
GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
$25,000FOOD PURCHASES
COMMUNITY LIFE ENRICHMENT FOUNDATION
$20,000SUMMER PROGRAMS
CREATIVE CITIZEN STUDIOS
$16,500VISUAL ARTS CLASSES
FRIENDS OF THE MONROEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
$12,500AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
MOONCREST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS
$7,361AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
INSPIRED HEARTS AND HANDS INC
$2,357EMPOWERED SCHOLAR PROGRAM