The Grable Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $12,356,114 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
Decision Time: Varies by cycle; trustees review three times yearly
Grant Range: $2,000 - $4,140,000
Average Grant: $33,877
Geographic Focus: Southwestern Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh region)
Total Assets: $326.5 million

Contact Details

Address: 436 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2400, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Grant Portal: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=grable

Contact for Summer Programs: Ryan Rydzewski (ryan@grable.org) - Communications Officer

Overview

The Grable Foundation was established in 1976 by Minnie K. Grable, widow of Errett M. Grable, founder of Rubbermaid, Inc. After Mrs. Grable's death in 1990 at age 100, her estate assets were transferred to the Foundation, and the first professional staff were hired in 1991. Today, with assets of $326.5 million, the Foundation awarded 365 grants totaling $12.4 million in 2023. The Foundation's mission, rooted in Mrs. Grable's vision to "help young people discover and achieve their dreams," focuses on improving the lives of children and youth in the greater Pittsburgh region through supporting programs critical to a child's successful development from early childhood through their formative years, both inside and outside the classroom. The Foundation particularly targets children with limited economic opportunities. Under Executive Director Gregg S. Behr's leadership, the Foundation has become internationally recognized for its support of innovative learning approaches, including founding the Remake Learning network in 2007—a coalition of over 250 schools, museums, libraries, and community institutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Grable Foundation organizes its grantmaking around five interconnected focus areas, with applications accepted through an online portal on a cyclical basis:

1. Early Childhood

Grant Range: Varies widely ($15,000 - $100,000+)
Focus: High-quality learning experiences in quality settings led by caring, well-trained adults; parent and caregiver support
Recent Example: Fred Rogers Productions received $100,000 (8/1/2025–7/31/2027) for redesign of the Daniel Tiger for Parents app

2. Public Schools (Pre-K through 12th grade)

Focus: Igniting student interests, stretching abilities, educational leadership, teacher and curriculum development, character education
Supports students, teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, and community members

3. Out-of-School Time

Grant Range: $15,000 - $75,000 typical
Focus: High-quality afterschool programs, engaging summer experiences, mentoring programs that foster meaningful connections with caring adults
Recent Example: The Pittsburgh Project received $15,000 (9/1/2025–5/31/2026) for comprehensive afterschool program for North Side K-12 students

4. Families

Focus: Learning spaces and community resources designed with children in mind; programs to prevent teen pregnancy, coordinate services to families in need, provide parent education and training, encourage family literacy
Recent Example: Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank received $100,000 (7/1/2025–6/30/2027) to eliminate child hunger throughout the Pittsburgh region

5. Community

Focus: Innovative learning and play spaces, community resources that support well-being, celebrations and cultural events, nonprofit organizations supporting child success
Recent Examples: Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh received $75,000 (8/1/2025–7/31/2026) for high-quality arts education; Bike Pittsburgh Inc. received $40,000 (9/1/2025–8/31/2027) for bike riding and safety programs

Priority Areas

Early learning and development for young children
Enhanced learning in public school classrooms
Enriching out-of-school time learning opportunities
Places, events, and opportunities contributing to healthy, joyful families
Vibrant communities that value children's learning and well-being
Programs serving children with limited economic opportunities

What They Don't Fund

Requests from individuals
Requests to conduit organizations that pass funds to other organizations
Organizations or schools outside of southwestern Pennsylvania (unless invited)
Indirect costs and overhead percentages (direct administrative expenses may be requested if justified in project budgets)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

The Board is composed primarily of Grable family members who guide the Foundation according to Minnie Grable's vision:

Charles R. Burke, Jr. - Chair
Jan Nicholson - President
Nancy B. Foster - Treasurer
Barbara Nicholson McFadyen
Charles S. Burke
Peter G. Burke
Rachel N. Foust
Ryan D. McFadyen
Robert J. Ivry
William H. Isler - Trustee Emeritus
Susan H. Brownlee - Advisor

Staff Leadership

Gregg S. Behr - Executive Director
Kristen A. Burns - Associate Director
Tracey Armant - Senior Program Officer
James E. Doyle - Program Officer
Ryan Rydzewski - Communications Officer
Dana Lamenza - Senior Accountant
Regina L. Archie - Office Manager
Devin Cecere - Program Assistant
Will Hayden - Program Assistant
Bart Rocco - Fellow
Bille Rondinelli - Fellow

Leadership Perspectives

Gregg Behr, Executive Director, has articulated the Foundation's forward-thinking approach to education:

On modern challenges: "The world is shifting at an incredible clip, and there is no telling exactly what kind of challenges our kids will face or what problems they will need to solve."
On centering young learners: "If we get it right, we might finally put our young learners at the center."
On Fred Rogers' influence: "If there really is one person responsible for what's happening here in Pittsburgh, in Western Pennsylvania, it's Fred Rogers."
On supporting transformative opportunities: "We support the transformative opportunities The Pittsburgh Promise brings to children in our region. We recognize the potential impact of this educational incentive on the life prospects for children."

The Foundation's guiding principle is helping "children and youth become independent, caring, contributing members of society by supporting programs critical to a child's successful development."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Grable Foundation uses a two-stage application process:

Stage 1: Letter of Inquiry

Create an account in the online grant portal at grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=grable
Submit a letter of inquiry through the portal
Foundation staff will review each inquiry and follow up about next steps

Stage 2: Full Proposal (By Invitation Only)

Full proposals may be submitted only after an invitation from the Foundation
Proposals must be clearly identified with one of the Foundation's five focus areas

Decision Timeline

The Foundation's trustees review grant requests three times per year:

Trustee Meeting	Letter of Inquiry Deadline	Full Proposal Deadline
March 2026	December 10, 2025	January 16, 2026
July 2026	April 10, 2026	May 10, 2026
November 2026	August 10, 2026	September 10, 2026

Special Process for Summer Programs: Applications for summer programs are considered on a rolling basis between January and April. Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of inquiry as soon as summer program plans are finalized. Contact Ryan Rydzewski (ryan@grable.org) with questions regarding summer grants.

Success Rates

In 2023, the Foundation made 365 awards from an undisclosed number of applications. The Foundation does not publicly disclose its overall success rate or the percentage of inquiries that are invited to submit full proposals. However, with $12.4 million distributed across 365 grants in 2023, the Foundation maintains an active grantmaking portfolio.

Historical data shows consistent growth:

2020: 272 awards
2021: 302 awards
2022: 323 awards
2023: 365 awards

From 2020-2023, the Foundation awarded 1,169 individual grants totaling $60.9 million.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation does not publicly disclose a specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants. Organizations whose inquiries are not invited to full proposal or whose proposals are declined should contact Foundation staff directly to discuss future application opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's stated priorities, recent grants, and leadership guidance, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Clear Alignment with Focus Areas The Foundation emphasizes understanding which of the five focus areas your work addresses. Proposals must be "clearly identified with one of the Foundation's indicated fields of interest." Recent successful grants show clear connections to Early Childhood, Public Schools, Out-of-School Time, Families, or Community priorities.

2. Focus on Under-Resourced Children The Foundation explicitly seeks to support "children and youth with limited economic opportunities." Successful applications demonstrate how programs reach and serve children facing economic challenges in the Pittsburgh region.

3. Evidence of Quality and Impact The Foundation's priorities emphasize "high-quality" learning experiences, whether in early childhood settings, afterschool programs, or summer experiences. Language consistently stresses quality over quantity—"rich learning experiences," "well-trained adults," "meaningful connections with caring adults."

4. Innovative and Forward-Thinking Approaches Under Gregg Behr's leadership, the Foundation values innovative learning models. Behr's statement that "the world is shifting at an incredible clip" suggests openness to creative, future-oriented approaches. The Foundation's founding of the Remake Learning network demonstrates commitment to reimagining education.

5. Comprehensive Child Development The Foundation's approach recognizes that children's success depends on multiple factors—"inside the classroom and out," from "early childhood through the formative years." Successful applications show understanding of children's holistic development needs.

6. Geographic Specificity Applications must demonstrate clear service to southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation explicitly states that "unless invited, requests from organizations or schools outside of southwestern Pennsylvania unfortunately cannot be considered."

7. Direct Service Focus The Foundation does not fund conduit organizations. Successful applicants are organizations directly providing programs and services to children, families, and educators.

8. Justified Administrative Costs While the Foundation does not allow indirect costs or overhead percentages, "direct administrative expenses may be requested if justified in project budgets." Successful applications clearly explain how administrative costs directly support program delivery.

9. Strong Summer Programming The Foundation's special rolling application process for summer programs (January-April) indicates particular interest in summer learning and enrichment. Summer program applications should be submitted "as soon as summer program plans are finalized."

10. Connection to Foundation Values The Foundation's mission stems from Mrs. Grable's vision to "help young people discover and achieve their dreams." Successful applications connect programmatic work to this aspirational, empowering vision for children's futures.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Two-stage process is mandatory: All applicants must start with a letter of inquiry through the online portal; full proposals are by invitation only, which helps focus your initial effort on a compelling inquiry letter.
Geographic restriction is firm: Unless specifically invited, organizations must serve southwestern Pennsylvania. Don't waste time applying if you're outside this region.
Quality over size: With grants ranging from $15,000 to over $4 million and an average of $33,877, the Foundation funds organizations of all sizes. Focus on demonstrating program quality rather than asking for large amounts.
Summer programs have special access: The rolling application process (January-April) for summer programs provides more flexibility than the standard three-yearly cycles. Contact Ryan Rydzewski early if you have summer programming.
Think holistically: The Foundation's five interconnected focus areas reflect understanding that children's development happens across contexts. Show how your program connects to this comprehensive vision.
Embrace innovation: Executive Director Gregg Behr's leadership of the Remake Learning network and statements about preparing children for an uncertain future suggest openness to creative, innovative approaches to learning and development.
Multi-year funding is possible: Recent grants show funding periods ranging from one to two years, indicating the Foundation supports sustained work rather than only one-time projects.

References

Accessed: December 22, 2025