The Pilgrim Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,522,466 (2024)
• Total Assets: $21.9 million
• Success Rate: Not applicable - invitation only
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $5,000 - $102,000+ (typical grants)
• Geographic Focus: International (Africa, Haiti, China, U.S.) with emphasis on Chester County, PA

Contact Details

Website: https://thepilgrimfoundation.org

Email: info@thepilgrimfoundation.org

Mailing Address: Foundation Source, 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377

Physical Location: Chester County, Pennsylvania (West Chester area)

Overview

Founded in 1998 by Suzanne Daniel and her father, The Pilgrim Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to protecting children and the most vulnerable members of society by offering financial support to Christian organizations. With total assets of $21.9 million and charitable disbursements of approximately $2.5 million annually, the foundation has partnered with over 50 nonprofit organizations spanning Africa, Haiti, China, and the United States. The foundation follows Jesus Christ's instructions to care for the most vulnerable and seeks to fulfill "Tikkun Olam"—the Hebrew word meaning to "repair the world" or restore it to the original condition God intended. The foundation has recently expanded its focus to include impact investing alongside traditional grant-making, emphasizing long-term, unrestricted grants that build sustainable structures to move people forward.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation provides unrestricted, multi-year grants (typically 5-10 years) to Christian organizations across several focus areas:

• Economic Development: Supporting sustainable job creation and enterprise development (e.g., HOPE International, Sinapis, Unshattered)
• Education: Schools, educational programs, and capacity building (e.g., Edify, Musana, Anseye pou Ayiti)
• Health: Medical services and health programs (e.g., CURE, Heartline Ministries, Water Mission)
• Human Rights: Anti-trafficking, justice, and freedom initiatives (e.g., International Justice Mission, Restavek Freedom, Restore NYC)
• Immigrants/Refugees: Support for displaced populations (e.g., World Relief, Providence Worldwide)
• Youth Development: Programs serving vulnerable children and families (e.g., Young Life, Cradle of Hope, Exile International)
• Sector Support: Christian philanthropy infrastructure (e.g., Faith Driven Movements, The Gathering, Impact Foundation)

The foundation also offers Care and Development Grants of $5,000-$10,000 specifically for staff wellness and leader health.

Priority Areas

• Christian organizations serving the most marginalized people
• Organizations benefiting women and children
• Programs in Chester County, PA and internationally
• Evangelical Christian organizations
• Crisis pregnancy centers, orphan care programs, adoption agencies
• Asset-based community development approaches
• Organizations that value creating sustainable income sources over dependency

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests and operates on an invitation-only basis.

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Suzanne T. Daniel - Director, President, Secretary
Co-founded the foundation in 1998 with her father. Suzanne has been a grant maker for over 20 years, focused on making grants that solve problems and meet the needs of the vulnerable. She serves on the board of the Gathering Impact Foundation and is active in the faith-driven investing community.

Key Quote: "We want to see [people] have a hope and a future and their identity restored to where the Lord wants to see them be."

Jaclyn Daniel - Director

Foundation Principles

The foundation operates on three core principles:

1. Biblically Rooted: Activities of funded organizations must be consistent with Biblical truth
2. Unrestricted Grant Relationships: Use of funds determined by the organization's leadership with repeated opportunities to reapply, establishing a consistent funding source over 5-10 years
3. Asset-based Community Development: Recognizing that valuable human and material assets exist in all communities, with progress coming from within affected communities guided by local people

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Pilgrim Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation is unable to accept unsolicited grant requests due to limitations in their budget and overwhelming need. Grant relationships are established through invitation only.

Organizations that have been invited to apply use an external application portal at fsrequests.com/pilgrim (which redirects to Foundation Source's online system).

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, they actively participate in the Christian philanthropy ecosystem through:

• Faith-based philanthropic networks: The foundation is connected to organizations like Faith Driven Movements, The Gathering, and Impact Foundation
• Sector conferences and events: Leadership participates in faith-driven investor and Christian philanthropy gatherings
• Existing partner referrals: Given their emphasis on trust-based relationships, connections through current grant recipients may be valuable
• Philanthropic networks: The foundation is a member of Philanthropy New York, indicating participation in regional funder networks

The foundation seeks organizations aligned with crisis pregnancy centers, orphan care in Africa and Asia, adoption agencies, housing providers, legal service providers, and faith-based foster care programs—particularly in the New York City area and Chester County, PA.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on relationship-based grant making with decisions made through trustee discretion rather than formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable. As an invitation-only funder, the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or publish success rates.

Reapplication Policy

For organizations already in relationship with the foundation, there are repeated opportunities to reapply, with the goal of establishing consistent funding relationships over 5-10 years. The foundation requests financial documents and holds annual meetings with partners but works through challenges rather than cutting off funding during difficult periods.

Application Success Factors

The Foundation's Philosophy (Direct Quotes and Guidance)

On Trust-Based Philanthropy:

"If you truly trust the leader, let them decide how to use their funds. He/she knows the field far better than we do."

The foundation explicitly rejects controlling approaches to philanthropy, stating that "'Project funding' is the easy way to give, providing a false sense of control with results at the end of the grant period, but donors may not know what that leader had to do to keep those funds for that project - perhaps an employee didn't get paid or bills fell behind."

On Partnership:

"If we as funders would internalize the idea that this is a partnership... imagine where we could go in tackling the problems of our day!"

What the Foundation Values

• Long-term relationships: 5-10 year funding commitments rather than one-off grants
• Unrestricted funding: They trust organizational leaders to determine how to use funds
• Sustainability: Preference for creating sustainable business models over perpetual dependency
• Leader health: Offers specific Care and Development grants ($5,000-$10,000) for staff wellness
• Holistic impact: Looking beyond financial metrics to assess true community transformation
• Transparency: Values honest communication about organizational needs and challenges
• Biblical alignment: Activities must be consistent with Biblical truth
• Asset-based approach: Recognizes community strengths and supports local leadership

Organizations They Currently Support

The foundation's grant recipients demonstrate their priorities:

• Organizations creating jobs and economic development in developing regions (HOPE International, Sinapis)
• Anti-trafficking and justice organizations (Aruna Project, International Justice Mission)
• Educational programs in underserved areas (Edify, Musana)
• Medical services for vulnerable populations (CURE, Hope Walks)
• Refugee support (World Relief)
• Youth development programs (Young Life, Exile International)

Red Flags to Avoid

• Controlling or manipulative grant-seeking approaches
• Focus solely on project-specific funding requests
• Lack of alignment with Christian values and mission
• Inability to articulate long-term sustainability plans
• Organizations not serving the "most vulnerable" populations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only model: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Building relationships within the Christian philanthropy ecosystem is essential for potential consideration.
• Trust-based approach: The foundation explicitly rejects controlling, project-specific funding in favor of unrestricted, multi-year grants based on trust in organizational leadership.
• Long-term commitment: Successful partnerships span 5-10 years with repeated funding opportunities, not single grants.
• Christian alignment is essential: Organizations must demonstrate that their activities are consistent with Biblical truth and share the foundation's faith-based mission.
• Focus on sustainability: The foundation increasingly favors organizations that can create sustainable income sources and business models over those requiring perpetual charitable support.
• Relationship matters: With approximately $2.5 million in annual giving distributed to over 50 partners, average grants likely range from $25,000-$75,000+ annually, with Care and Development grants at $5,000-$10,000.
• Network strategically: Connections through current grant recipients, Faith Driven Movements, The Gathering, Impact Foundation, or Philanthropy New York may provide pathways to the foundation's attention.

References

• The Pilgrim Foundation official website: https://thepilgrimfoundation.org (accessed January 21, 2026)
• The Pilgrim Foundation grant recipients page: https://thepilgrimfoundation.org/partners (accessed January 21, 2026)
• The Pilgrim Foundation blog on trust-based philanthropy: https://thepilgrimfoundation.org/blog (accessed January 21, 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Pilgrim Foundation (EIN 23-2955610): https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/232955610 (accessed January 21, 2026)
• Philanthropy New York member spotlight: https://philanthropynewyork.org/news/new-member-spotlight-pilgrim-foundation (accessed January 21, 2026)
• Faith Driven Investor Episode 189 - "Stewards Not Spectators: A Conversation with Suzanne Daniel and Dana Wichterman": https://faithdriveninvestor.org/episode-189-stewards-not-spectators-a-conversation-with-suzanne-daniel-and-dana-wichterman/ (accessed January 21, 2026)
• GuideStar Profile - The Pilgrim Foundation: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/23-2955610 (accessed January 21, 2026)
• Candid Foundation Directory - The Pilgrim Foundation: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=PILG006 (accessed January 21, 2026)