The Sarah Ralston Foundation
Philadelphia, PA · EIN 23-1387107. Reported 140 grants totalling $7,442,178 to 71 organizations across tax years 2023-2025, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For The Sarah Ralston Foundation, the IRS classifies it under human services rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE P810) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 71 distinct organizations, with 5% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 66% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 2 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 56% median for grantmaking charities -- lower than the 67% median for private foundations. It describes the organizations it already funds, not whether it would consider a new one.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $43,500. Half of what it reported fell between $20,000 and $63,000; the smallest was $5,250 and the largest $375,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Federation of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $375,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Penn Asian Senior Services Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $375,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Broad Street Ministry | Philadelphia, PA | $290,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Center in the Park Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $260,500 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Connectedly | Philadelphia, PA | $250,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Face to Face | Philadelphia, PA | $245,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Intercommunity Action Incorporated | Philadelphia, PA | $225,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Seniorlaw Center | Philadelphia, PA | $225,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Urban Resources Development Corporation | Philadelphia, PA | $200,250 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia Corporation for Aging | Philadelphia, PA | $195,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Sunday Breakfast Asssociation of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $195,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Caring for Friends | Philadelphia, PA | $182,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Generations on Line | Philadelphia, PA | $165,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| North City Congress | Philadelphia, PA | $163,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Council for Relationships Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lutheran Social Mission Society of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Overbrook West Neighbors | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp Chinatown Community Park | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Widener University | Chester, PA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Artz Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $147,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Visionlink | Philadelphia, PA | $145,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels | Flourtown, PA | $144,600 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Jewish Family and Childrens Service of Greater Philadelphia | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $135,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Center for the Advocacy for the Rights & Interests of the Elderly | Abington, PA | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Rebuilding Together Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation Inc | North Wales, PA | $125,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Pathways to Housing Pa | Philadelphia, PA | $121,078 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| African Family Health Organization Afaho | Philadelphia, PA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mazzoni Center | Philadelphia, PA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| William Way Lgbt Community Center | Philadelphia, PA | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $115,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Inglis Community Services Incorporated | Philadelphia, PA | $110,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Episcopal Community Services of the Diocese of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $105,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Northwest Mutual Aid Collective Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $85,250 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Ordinarie Heroes | Philadelphia, PA | $79,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unitarian Universalist House of the Joseph Priestly District | Philadelphia, PA | $72,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Jeff Kornblau Partners for Patient Advocacy | Jenkintown, PA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Raymond and Mirim Klein Jcc | Philadelphia, PA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Love Pray Peace Project Veterans Residence | Pilgrim Gdns, PA | $67,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Center - Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $62,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Caring People Alliance | Philadelphia, PA | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Feast of Justice | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Legal Clinic for the Disabled Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Paraprofessional Training Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Philadelphia Vip Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign | Washington, DC | $49,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Penns Village | Philadelphia, PA | $40,250 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Southeast Asian Maa Coalition Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $37,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ralston Mercy Douglas House | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tcg Groceries | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Urban Affairs Coalition | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Catholic Housing and Community Services | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lutheran Children and Family Service of Eastern Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Masjid Al-Wasatiyah Wal-Itidaal | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Depaul USA Inc | Chicago, IL | $27,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Saint Josephs University | Philadelphia, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Federation Housing Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Northwest Community Court Program | Philadelphia, PA | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Kiths Integrated and Targeted Human Services | Philadelphia, PA | $15,250 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Federation Housing Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia Life Enrichment Corporation | Elkins Park, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Yoga 4 the World | Philadelphia, PA | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Jewish Relief Agency | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| New Life United Brethren Church | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Students Care Inc | Pinecrest, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Morivivi Latino Cancer Support Group | Philadelphia, PA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Best Day of My Life So Far Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $5,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
41 of 71 (58%) received money in more than one year over the 3 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Penn Asian Senior Services
INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT - Health Federation of Philadelphia
INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT - 2ND INSTALLMENT - Broad Street Love
INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT GRANT; GENERAL OPERATION SUPPORT GRANT; EMERGENCY FUND SUPPORT - Urban Resources Development Corporation
INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT GRANT; GENERAL OPERATION SUPPORT GRANT; PARTICIPATION IN PEER COLLABORATION LUNCHEON - Connectedly
INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT - 2ND INSTALLMENT AND GENERAL OPERATION SUPPORT GRANT - Generations on Line
GENERAL OPERATION SUPPORT AND INNOVATIVE PROJECT SUPPORT GRANTS
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 57 of 71 recipients we could match to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's, not ours -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 47 | $1,995,500 | $50,000 |
| 2024 | 53 | $3,581,678 | $50,000 |
| 2025 | 40 | $1,865,000 | $25,125 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
99% of its giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. 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 grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $43,500 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Pennsylvania.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Sarah Ralston Foundation's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Recipient classifications, the concentration and retention figures and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations from them, described in how we build this.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 40 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 123 South Broad Street 2245, Philadelphia, PA, 19109.
EIN 23-1387107 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your organization? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.