The Barra Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 23-6277885 · since 1963barrafoundation.org·Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$4M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,000 to $105k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$11,000

Typical grant (median)

85 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Barra Foundation funds through its Catalyst Fund, supporting early-stage, innovative projects in Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services, and applicants must be 501(c)(3) organisations located in, or serving, the five-county Greater Philadelphia region; Education, Health and Human Services projects should primarily serve under-resourced people, though Arts & Culture work is excepted from that requirement.
Most requests should be modest: half of its 253 grants across its recent filings were $10,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fell between $1,000 and $105,000, though exceptionally the foundation has made a $350,000 grant to Philadelphia Foundation, an organisation that regrants to others.
Approach is by letter of inquiry rather than a full application, reviewed on a rolling basis, with selected applicants invited to submit a full application, so there is no fixed deadline to plan around.
With 57% of its grant dollars to organisations going to those it had also funded in the previous two filings, relationships and a track record with the foundation seem to count for a good deal, though new applicants are not shut out.
Organisations should not apply for individual support, budget deficits, endowments, capital campaigns or projects (unless these form a component of an innovative project) including feasibility studies for capital campaigns, international programs, environmental, religious or political organisations, scholarships or fellowships, stand-alone audio/video projects, publications, catalogs, symposia, conferences, marketing or communications plans, evaluations, or expansion of existing programs.

Overview

The Barra Foundation is a US private foundation based in Philadelphia, PA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Barra Foundation’s core grantmaking is the Catalyst Fund, which provides early-stage support for bold, novel approaches to test ideas and tackle entrenched or emerging problems. Its four areas of interest are Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services; the foundation treats these as overlapping guides rather than rigid boundaries. Supported work is intended to strengthen communities and produce durable, transformative and equitable change, particularly for under-resourced individuals, families and communities, while Arts & Culture projects may address the needs of a vibrant cultural sector. Catalyst Fund applicants must be 501(c)(3) organisations located in, or serving, the five-county Greater Philadelphia region. Projects should be innovative and early-stage, with the potential for significant community impact and change across a field, sector, region or system. Education, Health and Human Services projects should primarily serve under-resourced people; Arts & Culture is excepted from that requirement.

Themes

Arts & Culture
Education
Health
Human Services

Geographic Focus

Greater Philadelphia region: Bucks, Chester, Delaware and 2 more counties in Pennsylvania.

What They Don't Fund

Catalyst Fund only: individuals; budget deficits; endowments; capital campaigns and projects (unless a component of an innovative project), including feasibility studies for capital campaigns; international programs; environmental, religious or political organizations; scholarships and fellowships; stand-alone audio/video projects, publications and catalogs; stand-alone symposia and conferences; stand-alone marketing or communications plans; stand-alone evaluations; expansion of existing programs

How to apply

Organisations submit an LOI. Barra reviews LOIs on a rolling basis and invites selected applicants to submit a full application.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 57% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 253 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The project should address a precisely defined and timely problem or opportunity.
The project should demonstrate a break from existing practice.
The idea should be informed by the people most affected by the issue.
The project should create outsized impact for communities.
The idea should have the potential to inspire deep change in a field, sector, region or system.
The project should address the needs of under-resourced communities or a vibrant cultural sector.
The idea should stem from changed assumptions, emerging evidence or arguments, or a shift in cultural or social awareness.
Projects should build on a strong organisational or individual leadership track record.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Pennsylvania87%

Virginia3%

New York3%

Rhode Island2%

Ohio2%

California2%

6 other states: 2%

The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 57% of grant dollars went to organisations The Barra Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
16% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

85 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $11,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 85 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k2%

$1k–$2.5k14%

$2.5k–$5k8%

$5k–$10k14%

$10k–$25k21%

$25k–$50k6%

$50k–$100k14%

$100k–$250k16%

$250k–$500k4%

Median $11,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

TCG Groceries · Catalyst fund grant - $300,000, knowledge and networks grant - $5,000
$305,0002024 tax year
Philadelphia City Fund · Catalyst fund grant
$300,0002024 tax year
Workshop Learning · Entity support - special grant
$263,2802024 tax year
Art-Reach · Knowledge and networks grant
$205,0002024 tax year
Philadelphia Accelerator Fund · Mission aligned investment grant
$200,0002024 tax year
Sustainable Business Networktriple Bottom Brewing · Catalyst fund grant
$182,5002024 tax year
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania · Knowledge and networks grant
$180,0002024 tax year
Drexel University · Catalyst fund grant
$150,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Uva Coles — Director
Emily L Turner — Assistant Treasurer
Clayton Gates McNeil — Secretary
Matthew Bergheiser — Chairman
Kristina L Wahl — President, Treasurer
John C Williams Jr — Director
Robert L McNeil III — Director
Joanna McNeil Lewis — Director
David P O'Conner — Director
Magda Martinez — Director
Stacy E Holland — Director
Michael DiPiano — Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$4,679,680	$2,947,500	$82,770,739	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$5,135,431	$2,816,700	$82,165,197	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$7,013,678	$4,018,848	$94,849,803	Filing for 2024 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.