Mary Gourlay Charitable Trust: Grants for Philadelphia
/OVERVIEW: The Mary Gourlay Charitable Trust supports people who are blind through arts and culture, education, health and human services grants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
FUNDING AREAS: Arts and culture, education, health, human services, the blind
IP TAKE: This Philadelphia-focused funder is fairly new on the local giving scene, but we expect it to contribute mostly to well-established organizations that address the blind within its city limits.
PROFILE: Established in 2017, the Mary Gourlay Charitable Trust is a private foundation managed by Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services, which serves as the trustee for the foundation. Mary’s son, Charles F. Gourlay, created this foundation in his will to preserve his mother’s memory. The foundation aims to "provide grants to institutions that provide assistance to the blind in Pennsylvania, particularly in Philadelphia.” It funds local efforts for arts and culture, education, health and human services.
The Mary Gourlay Charitable Trust has a single population group that it serves: the blind. However, funding only goes to institutions that provide assistance to blind people rather than direct assistance to the individuals who are blind. Grantees are well-known institutions in the city. The trust does not typically give funds for salaries within organizations that serve the blind.
Grants are approximately $5,000 each, on average. The funder typically gives out just a couple grants per year totaling around $10,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, the funder may also consider supporting organizations in other parts of Pennsylvania as well to a lesser extent. This relatively new foundation maintains a low profile and does not typically publish details about its past local grantees.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. The annual grant application deadline is May 1, but the funder accepts new requests all throughout the year. Grantseekers should submit their requests electronically through the Wells Fargo online grants system. The funder usually communicates its grant decisions by the end of the calendar year. Direct general questions to the staff at grantadministration@wellsfargo.com or 888-235-4351.
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