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Irene C Shea Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Irene C Shea Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$1.2M
Granted FY2025still arriving
32
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$159k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0194% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Human Services$2.5MEducation$1.9MReligion$876kArts & Culture$713kHealth$625kHousing & Shelter$455kYouth Development$355kCommunity Improvement$350kOther$0
02FY2025 · 32 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $7k
  • $10k–50k20 grants · $399k
  • $50k–250k11 grants · $784k
$25,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$23M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
CARLOW UNIVERSITY$159,000
WOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER$100,000
EAST LIBERTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE$75,000
PENNSYLVANIA ORGANIZATION FOR WO$75,000
Coalition for Christian Outreach$65,000
Angel's Place$60,000
East End Cooperative Ministry$50,000
THE PITTSBURGH PROJECT$50,000
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH$50,000
KIDSVOICE$50,000
HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE$50,000
EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH$40,000
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTERN$30,000
THE BLESSING BOARD$25,000
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY$25,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY17–25, $2.5M) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%East End Cooperative Ministry: $50k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $40k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $40k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $40k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $25k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $25k → 11%East End Cooperative Ministry: $25k → 11%The Blessing Board: $25k → 11%The Blessing Board: $25k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $40k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $40k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $40k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $40k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $25k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $25k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $25k → 11%EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH: $25k → 11%City of Asylum: $30k → 11%City of Asylum: $25k → 11%City of Asylum: $25k → 11%City of Asylum: $25k → 11%City of Asylum: $25k → 11%Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH: $50k → 11%Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH: $50k → 11%Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH: $50k → 11%Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH: $50k → 11%Catholic Charities of the Diocese of PGH: $35k → 11%WOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER: $100k → 11%WOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER: $100k → 11%WOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER: $100k → 11%WOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF GREATER: $100k → 11%THE BLESSING BOARD: $50k → 11%THE BLESSING BOARD: $30k → 11%THE BLESSING BOARD: $30k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $50k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $50k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $50k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $50k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $50k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $35k → 11%HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $35k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $70k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $70k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $65k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $65k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $65k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $60k → 11%Bethlehem Haven of Pittsburgh: $60k → 11%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

97%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$8.6M · 40 repeat orgs$292k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +41% since the first grant, against +25% for those funded once.

40 repeat relationships: 28 still active in FY2025, 12 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

40
9

Total granted

$8.6M
$252k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+41%
+25%

Still filing today

73%
67%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $40k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesArts & CultureYouth DevelopmentEducationHealthCrime & LegalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • CU
    CARLOW UNIVERSITY
    9× · 2017–2025 · $1.2M · revenue +65%
  • AP
    Angels Place Inc
    9× · 2017–2025 · $525k · revenue +110%
  • EL
    EAST LIBERTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC
    7× · 2017–2025 · $525k · revenue +120%

Funded once

  • TC
    THE CAMPUS LABORATORY SCHOO
    one grant, 2023 · $75k
  • CH
    CATHOLIC HOSPICE INC
    one grant, 2018 · $50k · revenue -24%
  • PM
    PITTSBURGH MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM INCgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $50k · revenue +77%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Youth Enrichment Services Inc

Youth enrichment services, inc. was founded in 1994 for the purpose of providing at-risk teens and low-income families residing in allegheny county a comprehensive in-home peer mentoring program, juvenile alternative to detention,…

Human Services
2
Point Park University

Provides innovative education in a dynamic urban setting. dedicated to academic excellence and community engagement,we prepare students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, skill,and experience to lead meaningful lives as informed…

—
3
Jeremiah's Place Pittsburgh Relief Nursery

Jeremiah's place will protect children and strengthen families by providing a safe haven of respite, health, renewal, and support for children and families during times of crisis. we strive to serve as a leading voice for child abuse…

Human Services
4
Ch Pennsylvania Under - 21

Our mission is to serve children and youth facing homelessness and human trafficking, and to protect and safeguard all children. we provide trauma-informed interventions for youth who are in need.covenant house pennsylvania (chpa) remains…

Housing & Shelter
5
Mercy Life Center Corporation

We, pittsburgh mercy health system and trinity health, serve together in the spirit of the gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within our communities. mercy life center is a member of pittsburgh mercy health system…

Health
6
Pittsburgh Council On Higher Education

To provide a means for sharing resources and information among members, engage in joint projects, and offer a common voice on educational matters.

Education
7
Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation

To create and distribute trusted content, build connections and strengthen our community through public media.

Arts & Culture
8
The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh

To heal. to teach. to empower. to amaze.

Education
9
The Pittsburgh Promise Foundation

The pittsburgh promise promotes high educational aspirations among urban youth, funds scholarships for post-secondary access, and fuels a prepared and diverse regional workforce.

Philanthropy
10
Community Action Commission

Commmunity action commission's mission is to build on the strengths and resources available, provide solutions, for complex issues, and empower individuals, families, and communities to move out of poverty.

Human Services
11
Shady Side Academy

Shady side academy offers an exceptional pre-k through twelfth grade academic and balanced educational experience by challenging each student to realize his or her potential in a stimulating and nurturing environment.

Education
12
Bethesda Children's Home

Bethesda's vision is to fulfill the social, emotional, spiritual, and behavioral health needs of children, families, and individuals by providing an effective and efficient continuum of care in a quality focused environment.

Human Services
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Urban Impact Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Presbyterian SeniorCare. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

37 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 37 of the 53 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
36/37
Grantees still filing
27/37
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

COALITION FOR CHRISTIAN OUTREACH: $770,000 · OtherCOALITION FOR CHRISTIAN OUTREACHAngels Place Inc: $525,000 · OtherAngels Place IncWOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OF: $375,000 · OtherWOMEN'S CENTER & SHELTER OFBeaver Falls Youth Network Inc: $143,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipient: $115,000 · OtherPENNSYLVANIA ORGANIZATION FOR WO: $115,000 · OtherTHE CROSSROADS FOUNDATION: $115,000 · OtherJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA INC: $185,000 · OtherJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANI…+21 more: $923,000 · Other+21 moreBETHLEHEM HAVEN OF PITTSBURGH: $455,000 · Human ServicesBETHLEHEM HAVEN OF PITTSBURGHWOMEN'S CENTER AND SHELTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH: $400,000 · Human ServicesWOMEN'S CENTER AND SHELTER OF GR…HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $320,000 · Human ServicesHOLY FAMILY INSTITUTEEAST END COOPERATIVE MINISTRY: $285,000 · Human ServicesEAST END COOPERATIVE MINISTRYCATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PGH: $280,000 · Human ServicesCATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCES…EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH INC: $260,000 · Human ServicesEMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH I…THE BLESSING BOARD: $250,000 · Human ServicesTHE BLESSING BOARDCITY OF ASYLUM: $180,000 · Human ServicesCITY OF ASYLUM+4 more: $80,000 · Human ServicesCARLOW UNIVERSITY: $1,186,500 · EducationCARLOW UNIVERSIT…THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY: $80,000 · EducationTHE NEIGHBORHOOD…EAST LIBERTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC: $525,000 · HealthPITTSBURGH MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM INC: $50,000 · HealthCIVIC LIGHT OPERA ASSOCIATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH: $165,000 · Arts & CultureTHE CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS: $158,425 · Arts & CultureThe City Theatre Company Inc: $100,000 · Arts & CulturePITTSBURGH SYMPHONY INC: $100,000 · Arts & Culture+1 more: $10,000 · Arts & CultureKIDSVOICE: $320,000 · Crime & LegalCAFE MOMENTUM PITTSBURGH: $50,000 · Crime & LegalThe Pittsburgh Project: $350,000 · Community Improvement
Other$3,266,000Human Services$2,510,000Education$1,266,500Health$575,000Arts & Culture$533,425Crime & Legal$370,000Community Improvement$350,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCARLOW UNIVERSITY: $1,186,500 over 9y, 0.4% of budgetCOALITION FOR CHRISTIAN OUTREACH: $770,000 over 9y, 0.7% of budgetAngels Place Inc: $525,000 over 9y, 4.3% of budgetEAST LIBERTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC: $525,000 over 7y, 1.1% of budgetBETHLEHEM HAVEN OF PITTSBURGH: $455,000 over 7y, 2.2% of budgetWOMEN'S CENTER AND SHELTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH: $400,000 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetThe Pittsburgh Project: $350,000 over 7y, 16% of budgetKIDSVOICE: $320,000 over 9y, 2.3% of budgetHOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE: $320,000 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetEAST END COOPERATIVE MINISTRY: $285,000 over 9y, 1.4% of budgetCATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PGH: $280,000 over 7y, 0.4% of budgetEMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH INC: $260,000 over 8y, 0.5% of budgetTHE BLESSING BOARD: $250,000 over 9y, 4.5% of budgetJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA INC: $185,000 over 7y, 1.1% of budgetCITY OF ASYLUM: $180,000 over 7y, 1.9% of budgetCIVIC LIGHT OPERA ASSOCIATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH: $165,000 over 7y, 0.9% of budgetTHE CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS: $158,425 over 6y, 7.8% of budgetBeaver Falls Youth Network Inc: $143,000 over 9y, 1.7% of budgetTHE CROSSROADS FOUNDATION: $115,000 over 7y, 1.1% of budgetThe City Theatre Company Inc: $100,000 over 4y, 0.9% of budgetPITTSBURGH SYMPHONY INC: $100,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTHE COMMUNITY AT HOLY FAMILY MANOR: $100,000 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetTHE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY: $80,000 over 8y, 0.3% of budgetCASEY'S CLUBHOUSE: $50,000 over 2y, 3.2% of budgetCATHOLIC HOSPICE INC: $50,000 over 1y, 3.6% of budgetPITTSBURGH MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM INC: $50,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCAFE MOMENTUM PITTSBURGH: $50,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetFRIENDS OF CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER: $50,000 over 2y, 12% of budgetURBAN IMPACT FOUNDATION: $30,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetPresbyterian SeniorCare: $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetYOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION GREATER PITTSBURGH: $20,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetORANGE ARROW INC: $20,000 over 2y, 15% of budgetALUMNI THEATER COMPANY: $10,000 over 1y, 2.7% of budgetTHREE RIVERS YOUTH: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetOPEN FIELD: $10,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetPROJECT DESTINY INC: $7,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds CARLOW UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds COALITION FOR CHRISTIAN OUTREACH ↗
  • Who funds Angels Place Inc ↗
  • Who funds EAST LIBERTY FAMILY HEALTH CARE CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds BETHLEHEM HAVEN OF PITTSBURGH ↗
  • Who funds WOMEN'S CENTER AND SHELTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH ↗
  • Who funds The Pittsburgh Project ↗
  • Who funds KIDSVOICE ↗
  • Who funds HOLY FAMILY INSTITUTE ↗
  • Who funds EAST END COOPERATIVE MINISTRY ↗
  • Who funds CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PGH ↗
  • Who funds EMMAUS COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH INC ↗
  • Who funds THE BLESSING BOARD ↗
  • Who funds JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA INC ↗
  • Who funds CITY OF ASYLUM ↗
  • Who funds CIVIC LIGHT OPERA ASSOCIATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH ↗
  • Who funds THE CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS ↗
  • Who funds Beaver Falls Youth Network Inc ↗
  • Who funds THE CROSSROADS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds The City Theatre Company Inc ↗
  • Who funds PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY INC ↗
  • Who funds THE COMMUNITY AT HOLY FAMILY MANOR ↗
  • Who funds THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY ↗
  • Who funds CASEY'S CLUBHOUSE ↗
  • Who funds CATHOLIC HOSPICE INC ↗
  • Who funds PITTSBURGH MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM INC ↗
  • Who funds CAFE MOMENTUM PITTSBURGH ↗
  • Who funds FRIENDS OF CAMP KON-O-KWEE SPENCER ↗

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Pittsburgh Founda…The United Way of Sou…The Grable FoundationHillman Family Founda…Richard King Mellon F…The Heinz EndowmentsMassey Charitable Tru…Snee-Reinhardt Charit…McCune Foundation Pnc…The Jack Buncher Foun…Staunton Farm Foundat…Jewish Federation of …
The Pittsburgh FoundationPA55.4× affinity28 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Pittsburgh Foundation · The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania · The Grable Foundation · Hillman Family Foundations · Richard King Mellon Foundation · The Heinz Endowments · Massey Charitable Trust · Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation · McCune Foundation Pnc Bank Na · The Jack Buncher Foundation · Staunton Farm Foundation 540-054 Dba Staunton Farm Foundation · Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Irene C Shea Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Irene C Shea Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    15report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Irene C Shea Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Irene C Shea Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 53 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Irene C Shea’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home