The Allerton Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated interests are animal welfare and land conservation to preserve animal habitat, so a request fits best if your work is in those areas and you are based in, or doing substantial work in, Philadelphia or its suburbs.
- Support for other causes is occasional and highly selective, and it considers only qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits, so a request outside those areas or from an organisation without that status is unlikely to go anywhere.
- The median grant in the filing is $25,000 and half of grants are $25,000 or less, so a modest request of that order is realistic; the $5,000 to $500,000 band is typical for about 8 in 10 grants, not the full range, since the largest grant was $1,500,000.
- Send a short letter describing your mission, the amount requested and its purpose, noting that the filing gives no deadlines and that decisions are generally made at spring and autumn board meetings.
- In the filing, 74% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups the foundation had also funded in an earlier filing, so a first approach should make a clear case for fit rather than assume an easy route in.
Overview
The Allerton Foundation is a US private foundation based in Newtown Square, PA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Allerton Foundation is primarily interested in animal welfare and land conservation to preserve animal habitat. It considers requests only from qualified tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisations. For its animal-welfare and animal-habitat-conservation support, it limits consideration to organisations located in, or doing substantial work in, Philadelphia or its suburbs. It also makes grants to charities supporting other causes, but only on a very selective basis. Its grants have supported animal shelters and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation groups, conservation organisations, arts institutions, universities and hospitals. Organisations apply by sending a short letter describing their mission, the amount requested and its purpose; decisions are generally made at spring and autumn board meetings.
Themes
- Animal welfare
- Land conservation
Geographic Focus
Philadelphia.
How to apply
Submit a short letter at any time describing the organisation and its mission, the amount requested and its purpose. Funding decisions are generally made at spring and autumn board meetings.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 74% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 58 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Support for causes other than animal welfare and habitat conservation is occasional and highly selective.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 31% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 74% of grant dollars went to organisations The Allerton Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 29 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Conservation Fund · The allerton wildlife habitat fund & operating support$1,500,0002023 tax year
- Natural Lands · For general support of organization$1,100,0002023 tax year
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation · Center for autism research$500,0002023 tax year
- Drexel University · Operating support for transition pathways$250,0002023 tax year
- Judith Creed Horizons for Achieving Independence · Funding for career success program curriculum enhancement, staff training & engaging partnerships$200,0002023 tax year
- Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education · General operating support for clinic$125,0002023 tax year
- Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals · Lancaster county enforcement and clinics$125,0002023 tax year
- Nature Conservancy · General operating support$100,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- L Bruce Melgary — Director, Secretary
- Marguerite Lenfest — Treasurer & Director
- Diane L Myer — President & Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,401,551 | $4,186,000 | $87,429,785 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,664,618 | $4,334,000 | $94,524,594 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to The Allerton Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (610) 640-6615
- Newtown Square, PA
Applying to The Allerton Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (610) 640-6615
- Newtown Square, PA