The Fiducia Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,702,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (no open application process)
• Grant Range: $500 - $1,100,000
• Geographic Focus: National (with emphasis on public broadcasting, arts/culture, education)

Contact Details

Address:
PO Box 185
Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0185

Trustee:
BNY Mellon N.A. (Professional Trustee)

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

The Fiducia Fund (also known as Fiducia Fund Tr) is a private grantmaking foundation established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and granted tax-exempt status in September 2020. With total assets of approximately $22 million and annual charitable disbursements of nearly $2 million, the foundation primarily supports public broadcasting, arts and culture organizations, higher education, and select community initiatives. The foundation is administered by BNY Mellon N.A. as professional trustee, working alongside co-trustees David Andrew Trust and Diane K Trust. The foundation's most significant recent commitment was a $5 million grant (over five years) to GBH in Boston to support The Culture Show, representing the largest gift ever dedicated to GBH News. This transformative grant reflects the foundation's deep concern about the declining media coverage of arts and culture over the past decade.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Fiducia Fund does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines. Instead, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees. Based on 2023 grantmaking activity:

• Major Institutional Grants: $600,000 - $1,100,000 (for significant multi-year commitments or substantial annual support)
• Mid-Level Grants: $50,000 - $100,000 (for established organizations)
• Small Grants: $500 - $1,000 (typically to public broadcasting stations)

All grants identified in recent years have been designated for general operating support rather than specific projects.

Priority Areas

Based on recent grantmaking patterns (2023-2024), the foundation demonstrates clear funding priorities:

Public Broadcasting & Media:

• Major support for public broadcasting organizations (GBH, WLIW-FM, WSHU)
• Focus on arts and culture programming
• Support for daily arts news and cultural coverage
• Concern about declining media attention to the arts sector

Arts & Culture:

• Significant commitment to preserving and expanding arts coverage
• Support for cultural programming that serves broad audiences
• Multi-platform media initiatives (radio, television, digital, podcasts)

Higher Education:

• Grants to major research universities (Columbia University)
• General operating support for educational institutions

Sports & Youth Development:

• Support for soccer-related organizations (US Soccer)

Animal Welfare:

• Small grants to animal rescue organizations (Positive Tails)

What They Don't Fund

Because the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions and operates through trustee discretion, it is difficult to definitively state what they do not fund. However, all identified grants have been for general operating support rather than:

• Capital campaigns
• Endowment building
• Individual scholarships
• Specific program projects (though the GBH grant supports a specific show)

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• BNY Mellon N.A. (Professional Trustee): Compensated $86,873 in 2024 for professional trustee services. BNY Mellon has deep roots in Pittsburgh, dating back to the founding of Mellon Bank in 1869, and provides expert fiduciary, trust administration, and estate planning services.
• David Andrew Trust (Co-Trustee): Individual trustee serving without compensation. In announcing the GBH grant, David Andrew Trust stated: "The arts are an important part of what makes any city thrive culturally. Yet, over the past decade, media coverage of the arts has declined significantly."
• Diane K Trust (Co-Trustee): Individual trustee serving without compensation.

The foundation operates as a private trust with decision-making authority residing with these three trustees. The involvement of BNY Mellon as professional trustee suggests sophisticated investment management and compliance oversight.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Fiducia Fund does not have a public application process. This is a private foundation that makes grants through trustee discretion rather than open solicitation.

Based on available information, the foundation:

• Does not accept unsolicited grant applications
• Does not maintain a public website or published grant guidelines
• Awards grants based on trustee identification and selection of beneficiaries
• Appears to support organizations and causes aligned with the personal philanthropic interests of the trustees

Organizations seeking funding from this foundation cannot apply through a formal process.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation without an open application cycle, decisions are made on the trustees' timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so there is no measurable "success rate" for outside applicants.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Note: Because this foundation does not accept applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, their grantmaking patterns reveal clear values and priorities:

Demonstrated Funding Values:

1. Commitment to Arts & Culture Coverage: The foundation's largest grant ($5 million to GBH) explicitly addresses trustee concern about declining media coverage of the arts. Organizations working to expand, preserve, or enhance arts journalism and cultural programming align with demonstrated priorities.

2. General Operating Support Philosophy: All identified grants have been for general operating expenses rather than restricted project funding. This suggests trustees value organizational sustainability and flexibility over earmarked initiatives.

3. Quality of Institutional Recipients: Recent grants span from internationally renowned institutions (Columbia University) to major public broadcasting networks (GBH) to small community nonprofits (Positive Tails), suggesting appreciation for both institutional excellence and grassroots impact.

4. Public Broadcasting Infrastructure: Multiple grants to public radio and television stations demonstrate sustained commitment to the public broadcasting ecosystem, particularly for cultural programming.

5. Multi-Platform Thinking: The GBH grant specifically supports expansion "across multiple platforms, including radio, YouTube, podcasts, and live broadcasts," indicating trustee appreciation for meeting audiences where they are.

Quote from Leadership: David Andrew Trust, in announcing the GBH grant: "The arts are an important part of what makes any city thrive culturally. Yet, over the past decade, media coverage of the arts has declined significantly."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be pursued through traditional grant application methods. It operates through trustee discretion and likely through existing relationships or trustee-initiated giving.

2. Arts & Culture Media Focus: The foundation's demonstrated passion is supporting media coverage of arts and culture, particularly through public broadcasting. Organizations in this space are clearly aligned with trustee values.

3. General Operating Support: All identified grants support general operations rather than specific projects, suggesting trustees value organizational health and flexibility.

4. Range of Grant Sizes: The foundation makes grants from $500 to over $1 million, indicating willingness to support organizations at vastly different scales.

5. Pittsburgh Connection with National Reach: While based in Pittsburgh, the foundation makes grants nationally (Boston, New York public broadcasting, national organizations like US Soccer).

6. Professional Administration: BNY Mellon's involvement as professional trustee suggests sophisticated governance, investment management, and compliance - but also potential distance from day-to-day grantmaking decisions compared to a family foundation managed directly by donors.

7. Monitor Their 990s: Since there's no public application process, the only window into this foundation's activities is their annual IRS Form 990-PF filing. Organizations interested in understanding their evolving priorities should review these documents annually through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer or similar databases.

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Fiducia Fund Tr (EIN: 84-6683674). Available at: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/846683674 (Accessed February 2026)

2. Cause IQ - The Fiducia Fund Profile. Available at: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/fiducia-fund-trust,846683674/ (Accessed February 2026)

3. Instrumentl - Fiducia Fund Tr 990 Report. Available at: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/fiducia-fund-tr (Accessed February 2026)

4. GBH Press Release - "GBH Receives $5 Million from The Fiducia Fund to Support The Culture Show" (February 20, 2024). Available at: https://www.wgbh.org/foundation/press/press-releases/2024-02-20/gbh-receives-5-million-from-the-fiducia-fund-to-support-the-culture-show (Accessed February 2026)

5. Philanthropy News Digest - "GBH receives $5 million grant from Fiducia Fund" (February 2024). Available at: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gbh-receives-5-million-grant-from-fiducia-fund (Accessed February 2026)

6. GrantExec - The Fiducia Fund Foundation Profile. Available at: https://grantexec.com/foundations/846683674 (Accessed February 2026)

7. IRS Form 990-PF filings for Fiducia Fund Tr (Tax Years 2020-2024), available through ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and other nonprofit database services.