The Daniel and Susan Pfau Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work serves children, adolescents or young adults up to age 30 with disabilities or facing significant economic barriers, or supports arts and culture or parks and recreation, the foundation's stated focus fits; the geographic focus given is the Greater Cincinnati area, including Hamilton, Butler and Clermont counties and five more, as other published sources report.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 160 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $40,000, with a median of $25,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though its largest grant was $100,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- Submit a Letter of Inquiry through the online system by January 15 or May 15, ahead of the application deadlines of March 1 and July 1, and frame your request around one specific project, since the foundation usually prefers to share a project with other donors.
- Organisations that do not provide a letter of determination issued by the Internal Revenue Service showing 501(c)(3) status and not private foundation status as defined in Section 509(a) should not apply, and grants to schools are excluded except under the foundation's stated exceptions.
- Repeat funding is substantial, with 44% of its grant dollars in its latest filing going to organisations it had also funded in an earlier filing, so an established relationship counts for a lot, though this does not mean newcomers are excluded.
Overview
The Daniel and Susan Pfau Foundation is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, PNC Bank N A, in Pittsburgh, PA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website and other web pages about the foundation (gcfdn.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation’s primary focus is on the education, health, cultural experience and social welfare of children, adolescents and young adults up to age 30 with physical, mental or developmental disabilities, and those facing significant economic barriers to success. It also places emphasis on their families and on programmes that help clients realise their full potential. Its giving includes support for arts and cultural organisations, public parks and other recreational areas. The Foundation funds capital, operating and a limited number of endowment needs, and usually prefers to participate with other donors in support of a specific project.
Themes
- Youth with disabilities
- Youth facing economic barriers
- Arts and culture
- Parks and recreation
Geographic Focus
Greater Cincinnati area: Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and 5 more counties. (as reported in other published sources)
What They Don't Fund
- An organization that does not provide a letter of determination issued by the Internal Revenue Service showing its status as a 501(c)(3) organization and not a private foundation as defined in Section 509(a)
- Grant funding to support schools, subject to the Foundation’s stated exceptions
How to apply
Organisations should submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through the online system.
Deadlines:
- Letters of Inquiry are due twice yearly, on January 15 and May 15.
- Application deadlines are March 1 and July 1.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 44% 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 160 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation usually prefers to participate with other donors in supporting a specific project.
- A Foundation representative may visit or meet with an applicant to discuss its programme and needs.
- Grantees must report project outcomes against those projected in the application and explain how funds were spent; annual reports are required until the grant is fully accounted for.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 44% of grant dollars went to organisations The Daniel and Susan Pfau 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 50 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Greater Cincinnati Foundation · Support power of place$100,0002025 tax year
- Crayons to Computers · General support$60,0002025 tax year
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Of · General support$55,0002025 tax year
- MindPeace · General support$50,0002025 tax year
- Starfire Council of Greater Cincinnati · General support$50,0002025 tax year
- Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts · General support$50,0002025 tax year
- Comprehensive Community Child Care · General support$50,0002025 tax year
- Cincinnati Youth Collaborative · Support mentoring programs$50,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
Administered by its trustee, PNC Bank N A.
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $1,537,813 | $1,357,000 | $27,963,334 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,680,090 | $1,462,000 | $29,840,655 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,764,667 | $1,557,500 | $32,358,081 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Daniel and Susan Pfau Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (513) 241-2880
- jennifer.geisheimer@gcfdn.org
- jade.sams@gcfdn.org
- Pittsburgh, PA (office of its trustee, PNC Bank N A)
- pfaufoundation.org
Applying to The Daniel and Susan Pfau Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (513) 241-2880
- jennifer.geisheimer@gcfdn.org
- jade.sams@gcfdn.org
- Pittsburgh, PA (office of its trustee, PNC Bank N A)
- pfaufoundation.org