Every nonprofit has a story to tell. The organizations highlighted below are improving lives in countless ways, from expanding educational opportunities and empowering people with disabilities to preserving history and strengthening communities. We are pleased to recognize their work and the meaningful impact they have on the individuals and families they serve. Here’s a list of our 2025 grants.
Awarded Summer and Fall 2025
Best Buddies Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Best Buddies is dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They have programs that foster meaningful friendships, expand employment opportunities, build self-advocacy skills, and promote independent living. The Foundation has been impressed by their team’s efforts and commitment to serve the disabled community. A grant was awarded to support the Pittsburgh chapter, helping to expand opportunities to build friendships, develop life skills, and become more active members of their communities.
Imagination Library
Maryland
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was founded on a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves a home library and the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of reading. Since its founding by Dolly Parton in 1995, the program has grown into an international literacy initiative, mailing high-quality books each month to children from birth through age five at no cost to their families. As a strong advocate for early childhood literacy, Phillips Charitable Foundation was pleased to award a grant to support the Imagination Library program in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The program helps foster school readiness, strengthen family engagement, and build a foundation for lifelong learning.
Landon School
Maryland
Landon School is an independent school for boys in grades 3 through 12, dedicated to developing young men of character, curiosity, and purpose. Home to approximately 700 students on a beautiful 75-acre campus, Landon emphasizes academic excellence alongside ethical and personal growth. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded a grant to support the school’s financial aid fund in honor of the Foundation’s benefactor, Howard W. Phillips, Jr., a member of the Landon Class of 1944. It is our hope that this grant will help make a Landon education accessible to deserving students who, like Howard Phillips, will go on to make meaningful contributions in their communities.
Lehigh University
Pennsylvania
Lehigh University is home to more than 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students and is dedicated to advancing learning through the integration of teaching, research, and service. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded a grant to support the University’s financial aid fund. The Foundation’s benefactor, Howard W. Phillips, Jr., graduated from Lehigh in 1950, and the education he received helped shape the problem-solving ability, leadership, and collaborative spirit that defined his career. Lehigh continues to foster those same qualities today.
Reading Team
New York
The Reading Team helps children in New York City’s underserved neighborhoods become confident readers while developing the skills and habits that support long-term success in school and in life. Through its preschool and after-school programs in Harlem, The Reading Team focuses on early intervention, helping children build strong literacy skills before academic struggles diminish their confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded an operational grant in recognition of the organization’s proven early intervention model and its meaningful, lasting impact on the young children and families it serves.
St. Anthony School
Pennsylvania
St. Anthony School Programs provides academic instruction, moral and spiritual formation, and vocational training for students ages 5 through 21 with special needs. St. Anthony’s operates elementary, high school, and post-secondary programs in partnership with Catholic schools throughout the Pittsburgh region, including a post-secondary program at Duquesne University. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded an operational grant in memory of a dear friend of the Foundation who benefited greatly from the care, guidance, and opportunities she received through St. Anthony’s School Programs.
Special Sweets
New York
Special Sweets Bakery empowers adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities through hands-on vocational training that builds confidence, independence, and essential job skills in a supportive work environment. The bakery’s employees, affectionately known as the “Cupcake Crew,” create specialty cupcakes enjoyed by individuals, businesses, community events, and healthcare organizations. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded a grant to purchase an industrial double oven, increasing the bakery’s production capacity, expanding opportunities to serve more customers, and creating additional employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.
Variety Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
Variety – the Children’s Charity empowers children with disabilities to live life to the fullest through programs that promote mobility, confidence, independence, and inclusion. The organization provides adaptive communication devices, specialized strollers and bicycles, and memorable events and experiences for the children and families it serves. Phillips Charitable Foundation awarded a grant to support Variety’s My Stroller program, which provides adaptive strollers that are lighter, easier to transport, and designed to meet each child’s individual needs. By making everyday outings and community activities more accessible, these strollers help families participate more fully in the experiences many people take for granted.
Virginia Museum of Transportation
Virginia
Virginia Museum of Transportation has been preserving Virginia’s rich transportation history since 1963. Phillips Charitable Foundation was especially drawn to the museum because of our benefactor, Howard W. Phillips, Jr.’s lifelong appreciation of American history and his love of trains. A grant was awarded to support firebox repairs to the iconic Norfolk and Western Class J 611, one of the most powerful and technologically advanced steam locomotives ever built and the only surviving Class J locomotive in existence. Restored to operating service in 2015, the 611 continues to educate and inspire new generations while preserving an important piece of our nation’s railroad history.
Awarded Winter 2025
American Veterans Center
Virginia
The mission of the American Veterans Center (AVC) is to guard the legacy and honor the sacrifice of all veterans. This important work is accomplished through oral history preservation, Emmy-winning media, television projects, National Memorial Day Parade, Annual Veterans Conference, and other educational programs. The American Veterans Center was awarded with a grant to support their educational programs.
Bello Machre
Bello Machre offers people with developmental disabilities the services, opportunities, and support they need to live full, independent, rich lives. Residential services, including approximately 50 group homes, community-based services, and much more are offered. Keeping up with the general maintenance costs of their many homes is a significant cost each year. A grant was awarded to start the Phillips Home Maintenance Fund. This fund will be used for regular maintenance expenses of Bello Machre’s community homes.
Best Buddies Maryland
Maryland
Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization committed to ending the social, physical and economic isolation that 200 million individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often experience. For those within the IDD community, Best Buddies represents a pathway to forging lifelong friendships, securing gainful employment, achieving independent living, and gaining the skills and confidence to advocate for themselves. They have chapters in all 50 states as well as 46 other countries. Their Maryland office supports programs in over 120 Maryland schools and colleges. We awarded Best Buddies Maryland with an operational grant.
Blue Ribbon Project
Maryland
The mission at Blue Ribbon Project is to prevent all forms of child abuse and provide critical support to victims of abuse and neglect. They pack and deliver filled backpacks for children entering foster care. They also have “Mirah’s Closet” which is a free resource for children and teens entering foster care, providing them with clothing, shoes, and personal items tailored to their age, size, and needs. Support groups, a program to help youth aging out of the foster care system, a college support fund, and more are also offered. The Blue Ribbon Project was awarded with an operational grant.
Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding
South Carolina
CATR empowers people and transforms lives through therapeutic connections with horses. Therapeutic riding lessons, a public school program, a program for veterans, one-time group experiences, and much more are offered. Their PATH International certified instructors work together with 150 volunteers to serve over 160 children and adults with disabilities each year. We awarded CATR with an operational grant.
City Life Charleston - The Haven
South Carolina
The Haven Resource Center, a ministry of City Life Charleston, provides free, tangible resources to children and families within the foster care, adoption, and kinship community. These needs are met through a free boutique. They are also working towards providing advocacy, additional resources, and education for those they serve. An operational grant was awarded to City Life Charleston for The Haven Resource Center.
Family House
Pennsylvania
Family House’s mission is to provide a safe, comfortable, and affordable “home away from home” for all patients, families, and caregivers traveling to Pittsburgh for its world-class medical care. In FY24, Family House welcomed patients and caregivers from all 50 states and 14 countries, providing discounted room rates and essential support to every one of its guests during their medical crises. Family House established the Family Assistance (FA) program in 1986 to provide additional financial support to guests with the greatest need. A grant was awarded for the Family Assistance Endowment.
Fisher House
Pennsylvania
Fisher House Foundation has a network of 98 homes, providing free lodging, meals, and social support for veterans and their families who travel 50 miles or more for medical treatment. The first Fisher House in Pittsburgh was established in 2012. It is now over capacity and unable to meet the demands for services. They plan to build a 2nd Fisher House in Pittsburgh, with groundbreaking in 2025. We awarded a grant towards the capital campaign to build the second Pittsburgh Fisher House.
Hero Dogs
Maryland
Hero Dogs works to improve the quality of life of our nation’s heroes and enhance the services of community organizations. They raise and train service dogs, skilled home companion dogs, facility dogs, and therapy dogs, serving veterans of the U.S. military and first responders with disabilities. A grant was awarded to cover the three-year cost of raising and training a service dog.
Hope For All
Maryland
Hope For All’s mission is to provide furniture, household items, and clothing to people in the community who are without the financial means to meet their basic needs. When people transition from homelessness to affordable housing, they are often met with empty rooms and no way to furnish them. Hope for All turns houses into homes with help from community donations of furniture, clothing, kitchen supplies, and household goods. We awarded Hope For All with an operational grant.
Hope to Home
South Carolina
Hope to Home delivers essential home furnishings to individuals and families coming out of distressed situations and striving toward a new life. They source, warehouse, and repair all basic home furnishings. Research shows that making a new house or apartment a new “home” for someone in need cuts the chance of their slipping back into poverty and depression to below 10%. That is the goal for the Hope to Home team. We awarded Hope to Home with an operational grant.
Ionic Lodge
Maryland
Ionic Lodge #145 is a Freemasonry chapter with a philosophy that teaches and empowers members to treat all humanity with compassion and fairness. They support many charitable causes including a college scholarship program for local students. We awarded the Ionic Lodge with a grant for their scholarship program.
Life'sWork of Western PA
Pennsylvania
Life’sWork partners with people with disabilities, people with other barriers, young adults, children, and families to pursue their hopes and dreams through strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and developing meaningful relationships. In short, they empower people to live the life they choose. We awarded Life’sWork with a grant to help upgrade their technology infrastructure.
Little Orchestra Society
New York
The Little Orchestra Society is a community music education organization and a performing arts ensemble for all children and families across the greater New York City area. They focus on the process of music composition, collaboration, the power of creativity, and the potential of the arts to shape the developing mind. Little Orchestra Society was awarded with an operational grant.
Light House Shelter
Maryland
The Light House provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, homelessness prevention, and related support services to people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Their mission is to rebuild lives with compassion by providing shelter and services to prevent homelessness and empower people as they transition toward employment, housing and self-sufficiency. An operational grant was awarded to help with growing needs in Anne Arundel County.
Paws Crossed Animal Rescue
New York
The mission at Paws Crossed is to rescue one by one until there are none. Paws Crossed works towards this through rescue, rehabilitation, rehoming, advocacy, collaboration and education. They are committed to saving as many lives as they can, while also providing the best possible environment for the pets in their care. Paws Crossed was awarded with an operational grant.
Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) Annapolis
Maryland
STAIR-Annapolis is an educator-approved tutoring program that provides one-on-one support to Anne Arundel County first and second graders. Their goals are to increase the reading levels of first and second graders reading below grade level, improve each student’s self-esteem and confidence, and provide a nurturing environment where reading is fun. STAIR was awarded with an operational grant.
The Watson Institute
Pennsylvania
The Watson Institute provides educational programs and resources for children with special needs ages 3 to 21. Their mission is to help children reach their fullest potential in all aspects of their lives. Children with special needs and their families receive support through individualized special education school programming, resources, transition services, and mental and behavioral health services. A grant was awarded to support their Skills for Life program, which emphasizes building vocational skills and fostering independence to support a successful transition to adulthood.
Xavier Society for the Blind
New York
Xavier Society provides free religious, spiritual, and inspirational reading materials in braille, large print and audio to blind and visually impaired individuals worldwide. A grant was awarded to help expand the production of accessible reading materials.