Daily 3 Foundations - 10/24/25
10/24/2025
Here are today’s daily 3 foundations. The Heinz Endowments, El Pomar Foundation, and Surdna Foundation.
The Heinz Endowments
Website: https://www.heinz.org/
Mission & Purpose: To help the Southwestern Pennsylvania region thrive as a whole and just community, focusing on areas that are critical to creating a thriving future, including environmental health, community and economic development, and the arts.
Broad Funding Guidelines: Grantmaking is almost exclusively focused on Southwestern Pennsylvania (the Pittsburgh region). The foundation is organized into three main program areas: Arts & Culture, Community & Economic Development, and Climate, Environment & Health. They also have special initiatives for veterans and food systems. They have an open application process that begins with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) for new grantseekers.
Featured Opportunity: The foundation has a deep and long-standing commitment to environmental conservation and health. This includes a major focus on improving air and water quality in the region, promoting clean technology, and supporting organizations that advocate for environmental justice, making it a primary funder for green initiatives in Pennsylvania.
El Pomar Foundation
Website: https://www.elpomar.org/
Mission & Purpose: To enhance, encourage, and promote the current and future well-being of the people of Colorado. Founded by the builders of The Broadmoor hotel, it is one of the state's largest and oldest foundations.
Broad Funding Guidelines: Grantmaking is focused exclusively on the state of Colorado. It is a general-purpose foundation, funding a wide array of causes including arts & culture, civic, education, health, and human services. It accepts applications on a rolling basis for general operating, program, and capital support.
Featured Opportunity: A unique aspect of El Pomar is its Regional Partnerships program. The foundation divides Colorado into 11 distinct regions and empowers a local advisory council in each one. These councils make grant recommendations for their own communities, ensuring that funding is directed by local leaders who understand regional needs.
Surdna Foundation
Website: https://surdna.org/
Mission & Purpose: To foster sustainable communities in the United States—communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. The foundation is governed by descendants of its founder, John E. Andrus.
Broad Funding Guidelines: This is a national foundation (U.S.-based) that does not accept unsolicited proposals; grantmaking is by invitation only. Their funding is highly focused on achieving systemic change through three core programs: Inclusive Economies, Sustainable Environments, and Thriving Cultures. All of their work is explicitly driven by a commitment to racial and social justice.
Featured Opportunity: The Thriving Cultures program is a key initiative that supports artists and culture-bearers of color. A signature strategy within this program is "Artist Regranting," where Surdna provides large grants to intermediary organizations (like NDN Collective or Threewalls) who then distribute the funds directly to individual artists and small collectives working to build racially just systems in their local communities.
