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The Pew Charitable Trusts

Annual Giving
$142.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $3.0M
Decision Time
1mo

The Pew Charitable Trusts

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $6 billion (as of 2020)
  • Annual Giving: Approximately $142 million (2019)
  • Decision Time: 4-6 weeks for letter of inquiry; varies by program
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $3 million+ (varies significantly by program)
  • Geographic Focus: National and international, with special Philadelphia regional programs
  • Application Type: Primarily invitation-only; Philadelphia programs accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Main Office:

  • One Commerce Square, Suite 2800
  • 2005 Market Street
  • Philadelphia, PA 19103
  • Phone: 215-575-9050
  • Website: https://www.pew.org

Pew Center for Arts & Heritage:

Overview

Founded in 1948 and reorganized as a public charity in 2004, The Pew Charitable Trusts is a major philanthropic organization with $6 billion in assets. The organization originated from seven charitable funds established between 1948 and 1979 by the children of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph Newton Pew and his wife, Mary Anderson Pew. In 2011, the Pew family was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for their support. Pew is dedicated to improving policy, informing the public, and invigorating civic life through a rigorous, analytical, and evidence-based approach. The organization focuses on careful planning, science and data, strong partnerships, and measurable results. Recent strategic priorities include environmental conservation, biomedical sciences, public health, civic engagement, and arts and culture, particularly in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

National/International Programs (Primarily Invitation-Only):

  • Pew Biomedical Scholars Program: $300,000 total ($75,000/year for 4 years) to early-career scientists in their first few years as assistant professors. Requires institutional nomination; limited to one nomination per institution. Supports innovative, high-risk biomedical research.

  • Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation: $150,000 over 3 years for midcareer scientists and experts advancing ocean protection. Over 200 fellows from 44 countries have been supported. Application method varies by cycle.

  • Pew Latin American Fellows Program: $30,000 annual stipend for 2 years to 10 Latin American biomedical researchers for postdoctoral training in the U.S. Supports researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Peru.

Philadelphia Regional Programs (Accept Applications):

  • Pew Fund for Health and Human Services:

    • Growth Grants: $1 million - $3 million over 5 years, renewable based on performance
    • Venture Grants: Smaller, shorter-term funding for critical service gaps
    • Over $220 million awarded to approximately 320 nonprofits since inception

  • Pew Center for Arts & Heritage:

    • Creative Project Grants: $80,000 - $300,000, plus 20% general operating support (maximum $360,000)
    • Pew Fellowships in the Arts: $85,000 unrestricted grants to 12 artists annually (nomination-only)
    • Over $153 million awarded since 1989

  • Civic Initiatives: Supports programs that strengthen the Philadelphia region through infrastructure, public spaces, and civic engagement projects

Priority Areas

  • Environment: Ocean conservation, marine biodiversity protection, sustainable fisheries, habitat preservation, climate resilience
  • Biomedical Sciences: Early-career researcher support, innovative health research, Latin American scientific capacity building
  • Health & Human Services (Philadelphia): Maternal and infant health, LGBTQ+ youth services, opioid and behavioral health crisis, senior services, public benefits access
  • Arts & Culture (Philadelphia): Theater, music, visual arts, public art, historical exhibitions, cultural programming
  • Civic & Economic Initiatives (Philadelphia): Workforce development, teacher recruitment, community spaces, public benefit programs

What They Don't Fund

  • For-profit organizations (except upon invitation)
  • Individuals (except through nomination-based fellowship programs)
  • Political campaigns or lobbying
  • Projects outside strategic priority areas (for most national programs)
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status (for most programs)
  • Projects outside specified geographic areas for regional programs

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO: Susan K. Urahn, Ph.D., has served as president and CEO for more than five years (30 years total at Pew). She announced retirement plans in October 2025, with a successor expected by January 2027. The board is planning a search to launch in early 2026.

Key Leadership (as of September 2025):

  • Michael Caudell-Feagan: Executive Vice President for Programmatic Initiatives and Chief Program Officer
  • Roger-Mark De Souza: Vice President for Environment
  • Tom Dillon: Senior Vice President for Environment and Crosscutting Initiatives
  • Donna Frisby-Greenwood: Senior Vice President for Philadelphia and Scientific Advancement
  • Ralph Leslie: Executive Vice President for Operations, COO, and CFO
  • Michael Dimock, Ph.D.: President of the Pew Research Center
  • James G. McMillan: Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs

Board Members: Joseph N. Pew and Robert H. Campbell serve on the board.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For Most National/International Programs: The majority of Pew's grant making is highly selective, proactive, and closed to unsolicited queries or submissions. Pew generally does not accept applications for funding, with exceptions for its Philadelphia programs and fellowships requiring institutional nomination.

For Philadelphia Programs (Health & Human Services, Civic Initiatives):

  1. Letter of Inquiry: Submit a brief letter (preferably less than 3 pages) through Pew's online inquiry form describing your project, goals, and anticipated outcomes. Do NOT submit examples of past work, articles, reports, or videos with the letter of inquiry.

  2. Review: Staff will review within 4-6 weeks to assess alignment with funding priorities.

  3. Full Proposal: If invited, submit a comprehensive proposal as requested by Pew staff.

Eligibility: Organizations must have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and provide services in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and/or Philadelphia counties.

For Pew Center for Arts & Heritage:

Creative Project Grants:

  • Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline: May 15 at 4 p.m. EST
  • Invited applicants notified: Mid-June
  • Full application deadline: July 25 at 4 p.m. EST
  • Final decisions: October 31
  • Public announcement: December
  • Projects may not begin before April 1 of the following year

Pew Fellowships in the Arts:

  • Nomination-only process
  • Decisions announced: October 31

For Pew Biomedical Scholars:

  • Requires institutional nomination
  • Each institution may submit only one nomination
  • Maximum two lifetime applications per researcher
  • Online application required

Decision Timeline

  • Philadelphia Letter of Inquiry: 4-6 weeks for initial review
  • Arts & Heritage Creative Project Grants: LOI to decision approximately 5.5 months (May to October)
  • Biomedical Scholars: Varies; institutional nomination deadline typically in fall
  • Marine Fellows: Timeline varies by cycle

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the highly selective nature of programs is evident:

  • Pew Biomedical Scholars: Described as "highly competitive"; only one nomination per institution accepted
  • Pew Fellowships in the Arts: 12 awards annually from nomination-only pool
  • Creative Project Grants: 28 organizations awarded in 2025 cycle from undisclosed applicant pool
  • Overall Approach: "Highly selective, proactive" with most programs closed to unsolicited applications

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in public sources. For Philadelphia programs submitting letters of inquiry, organizations not invited to submit full proposals may submit new inquiries in future cycles. For fellowship programs, Pew Biomedical Scholars allows maximum two lifetime applications with institutional nomination required for each.

Application Success Factors

For Pew Biomedical Scholars (Direct Institutional Guidance):

  • Avoid incremental research: "Successful applications should not look like typical R01 grant applications with incremental research steps and safe hypotheses supported by existing data. Pew supports truly out-of-the-box, brilliant, early-career science which may accelerate and advance progress to understanding aspects of biomedical research."

  • Dual assessment criteria: "The National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal."

  • Track record matters: "Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate's performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications."

For Creative Project Grants (LOI Evaluation Criteria):

LOI evaluators assess: "Does this project grow directly out of the organization's mission? Does it demonstrate sufficient excellence, care, and conceptual rigor to recommend going forward to the full application?"

General Success Factors:

  • Mission alignment: "Your organization's mission and projects must distinctly align with Pew's strategic priorities. Clearly illustrating how your initiatives fit into Pew's categories, such as environmental conservation, public health, or policy improvements, significantly impacts your eligibility."

  • Evidence-based approach: Pew values "careful planning; a consistent focus on facts, science, and data; strong partnerships; and a commitment to stewardship, innovation, and measurable results."

  • Demonstrated capacity: "Demonstrating prior successful management of grant funds or impactful projects strengthens eligibility."

  • Impact and feasibility: "Evaluation criteria generally focus on your project's potential impact, feasibility, financial accountability, and organizational stability."

Recent Funded Examples (2024-2025):

  • Maternal and infant health programs ($8 million to 11 nonprofits)
  • LGBTQ+ youth services
  • K-12 teacher shortage initiatives
  • Senior housing and legal services ($4 million to 3 nonprofits)
  • Public benefits access programs ($4 million)
  • Opioid and behavioral health crisis response ($1 million)
  • Philadelphia cultural institutions and artists ($10.2 million to 39 recipients)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Know which door to knock on: Most of Pew's grantmaking is invitation-only. Philadelphia-area nonprofits have more direct access through regional programs; national/international applicants should focus on fellowship programs that accept institutional nominations or wait for invitations.

  • Evidence and innovation over incrementalism: Pew explicitly rejects "safe" approaches. Whether biomedical research or community programs, they seek transformative, data-driven solutions that advance their strategic priorities significantly.

  • Mission alignment is non-negotiable: Don't apply if there's not a clear, direct connection to Pew's stated priorities. Generic community benefit isn't enough; show how your work advances their specific strategic goals in environmental conservation, biomedical sciences, or Philadelphia civic life.

  • Institutional credibility matters: Track record of successful grant management, organizational stability, and demonstrated impact are essential. For fellowship programs, academic reputation and previous accomplishments weigh heavily.

  • Start small for Philadelphia programs: Letters of inquiry should be concise (under 3 pages) and focused. Don't submit supplementary materials unless requested. Let staff guide you to a full proposal if there's genuine interest.

  • Patience with invitation-only programs: For marine conservation, major environmental initiatives, or national policy work, building relationships and getting on Pew's radar through sector engagement is more effective than cold applications.

  • Timing matters for Arts & Heritage: Philadelphia-area cultural organizations should plan around the structured grant cycle with clear May and July deadlines. Budget sufficient time for LOI development as competition is significant.

References

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