Pincus Family Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Pincus Family Foundation funds work in Creative & Performing Arts, Education, Health & Wellness, and Play & Recreation, so your project needs to sit squarely within one of these four areas.
- Its geographic priority covers the Greater Philadelphia region, Southern New Jersey, NYC Metro, Delaware, Baltimore, MD, Washington, D.C., New Haven, CT, Santa Fe, NM, New Orleans, LA, Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA.
- Typical grants run from $5,000 to $100,000, with about eight in ten grants in this range and a median grant of $25,000, so a modest request around this level is realistic, though the largest grant made was $2,000,000.
- Approach is by Letter of Inquiry on a rolling basis, with staff review taking four to twelve weeks before a full application may be invited for Board consideration; 96% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had already funded previously, so this looks like a relationship-led funder where ongoing partners are strongly favoured, though new applicants can still apply through the Letter of Inquiry process.
- The Foundation does not fund political activities or candidates, individuals, promotion of religious doctrine, event promotion such as telethons, galas or walk-a-thons, past operating deficits, travel or conference expenses, capital campaigns, building projects, endowments, or 509(a)(3) organisations, so organisations seeking support for these should not apply.
Overview
Pincus Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation supports its non-profit partners to develop and enhance programmes that improve the lives of children, their families and their communities. It funds projects, programmes and general operating support in four priority areas: Creative & Performing Arts, Education, Health & Wellness, and Play & Recreation. Its stated approach centres trust, relationships, equity and transparency, with streamlined application and reporting, flexible funding when appropriate, site visits to learn alongside partners, and multi-year relationships with grantees. Across its area-specific strategies it highlights arts as a tool for social change for young people from marginalised communities, and academic, critical-thinking and socio-emotional skills for middle-school students facing gaps in high-school readiness. It expects applicants’ mission and scope to align with the Foundation’s mission and the relevant area strategies, and proposals to show understanding of project context and sustainability where appropriate.
Themes
- Creative & Performing Arts
- Education
- Health & Wellness
- Play & Recreation
Geographic Focus
Priority: Greater Philadelphia region; Southern New Jersey; NYC Metro; Delaware; Baltimore, MD; Washington, D.C.; New Haven, CT; Santa Fe, NM; New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA.
What They Don't Fund
- Political activities or candidates
- Individuals
- Religious doctrine promotion
- Event promotion (telethons, galas, walk-a-thons)
- Past operating deficits
- Travel or conference expenses
- Capital campaigns, building projects, or endowments
- 509(a)(3) organizations
How to apply
Organisations submit a Letter of Inquiry; staff review it within 4–12 weeks and may invite a complete application for Board consideration.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 96% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 284 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants should demonstrate a clear understanding of their proposed project or programme’s environment, including stakeholders and service providers.
- Applications should show how the proposal fits the applicant organisation’s mission and reflect careful consideration of the scope of work needed for success.
- Proposals should indicate how the organisation will sustain a project or programme, where appropriate, without ongoing funding from the Foundation.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 8%
- The largest single recipient received 23% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to organisations Pincus Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 104 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $22,500 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Love Futbol · Philadelphia Growth and Expansion$846,4022025 tax year
- Childrens Global Health Fund Inc · General & Unrestricted$700,0002025 tax year
- Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund · Pincus Family Foundation Violence Prevention Scholarship Fund at Tulane University$296,3552025 tax year
- Temple University Of The Commonwealth System Of Hi · Pincus Urban Health Fellowship$252,5022025 tax year
- Smith Memorial Playgrounds · enhancing programs and increasing the options for play directed to youth age visitors$150,0002025 tax year
- Leadership Education and Athletics in Partnership · Bridge Grant-Emergency General Operating Funds$150,0002025 tax year
- Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology · Wistar High School Program in Biomedical Research and Authentic Classroom Learning$150,0002025 tax year
- Pincus Fund for Hunger Relief · Expenditure responsibility grant$125,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Nathaniel Pincus Schwarz — Trustee
- Elizabeth Rubin — Trustee
- Bruce Rubin — Trustee
- Leslie Pincus Elliott — Trustee
- Stephen Nicholas — Trustee
- George Hirschhorn — Trustee
- Karyn Gilvarg — Trustee
- Eric Epstein — Trustee
- Andrew Epstein — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $7,311,139 | $5,717,721 | $114,524,295 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $8,317,640 | $6,268,256 | $120,070,049 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $7,637,741 | $5,207,568 | $128,950,546 | Filing for 2025 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
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to Pincus Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required