Curtis I & Paul Kossman Char Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA · EIN 30-0106868. Reported 282 grants totalling $698,350 to 79 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Curtis I & Paul Kossman Char Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $500. Half of everything it gave fell between $275 and $1,200; the smallest was $200 and the largest $55,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,275 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Western Pennsylvania Conservancy | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,900 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| United Jewish Federation | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Jewish Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Red Cross | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank | Duquesne, PA | $42,550 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pennsylvania State University | State College, PA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| American Humanist Association | Washington, DC | $23,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Children's Hospital Fee Care Fund | Pittsburgh, PA | $21,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,275 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| United Way of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,275 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Pennsylvania State University Paul M Kossman Endowment for Excel | University Park, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $16,300 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| American Indian College Fund | Denver, CO | $16,050 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $11,050 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood | Pittsburgh, PA | $11,050 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Wqed | Pittsburgh, PA | $11,050 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Provident Charter School Foundation | University Park, PA | $10,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Children's Institute | Pittsburgh, PA | $7,300 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Brady Center | Washington, DC | $6,850 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Life's Work | Pittsburgh, PA | $5,450 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh Action Against Rape | Pittsburgh, PA | $5,175 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Alzheimer's Foundation of American | New York, NY | $5,150 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Doctors Without Borders | Hagerstown, MD | $4,775 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center | Los Angeles, CA | $4,775 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| City of Hope | Duarte, CA | $4,700 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Animal Rescue League | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Unicef | New York, NY | $4,200 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Secular Coalition of American Education Fund | Washington, DC | $3,525 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,350 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Brain & Behavior Research Foundation | New York, NY | $3,200 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Amazon Conservation Association | Washington, DC | $3,100 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Boca Helping Hands | Boca Raton, FL | $2,950 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army (project Bundle Up) | Carnegie, PA | $2,675 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Children's Museum of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,550 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Americares | Stamford, CT | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| International Rescue Committee | New York, NY | $2,375 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Map International | Brunswick, GA | $2,375 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Secular Student Alliance | Los Angeles, CA | $2,275 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Animal Friends | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Spectrum Charter School | Monroeville, PA | $2,050 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Alzheimers Foundation of America | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Canine Service Pals of Pittsburgh | Coraopolis, PA | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Prison Pet Partnership | Gig Harbor, WA | $1,925 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | Bethesda, MD | $1,575 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Pittsburgh Project | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,575 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Epilepsy Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,550 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Cure Alzheimer's | Wellsley Hills, MA | $1,375 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Holy Ground | Riviera Beach, FL | $1,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| NPR-Wesa Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Place of Hope | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | $1,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Navy Seal Foundation | Virginia Beach, VA | $1,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Neads (national Education for Assistance Dog Services) | Princeton, MA | $1,300 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| It's About the Warrior | Wexford, PA | $1,275 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Secular Student Alliance | Columbus, OH | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Crossroads Foundation of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,100 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Natural Resource Defense Counsel | New York, NY | $1,100 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Multiple Myeloma Research Fund | Norwalk, CT | $1,075 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Upmc Project Sunshine | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,075 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Children's Hospital Free Care Fund | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cure Alzheimers | Wellesley, MA | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs | Williston, FL | $825 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Helen Keller International | New York, NY | $825 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Sebastian Strong Foundation | Miami Springs, FL | $825 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Amnesty International | New York, NY | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Crossroads Fdn of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Epilepsy Association of Western and Central Pa | Pittsburgh, PA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Helen Keller Services Development Department | Sands Point, NY | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Sebastian Strong Foundation | New York, NY | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| It's About the Warrior | Washington, DC | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Natural Resource Defense Councel | New York, NY | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Neads | Princeton, MA | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Paws 4 People | Wilmington, NC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Puppies Behind Bars | New York, NY | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Guardian Angels Medical | Williston, FL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project Sunshine | New York, NY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
71 of 79 (90%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 94%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 132 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56 | $135,150 | $500 |
| 2022 | 56 | $126,700 | $250 |
| 2023 | 57 | $145,050 | $500 |
| 2024 | 57 | $135,050 | $500 |
| 2025 | 56 | $156,400 | $550 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
83% of its giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $500. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Pennsylvania.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Curtis I & Paul Kossman Char Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Eleven Parkway Center 300, Pittsburgh, PA, 15220. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 30-0106868 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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