Erie Community Foundation
86% goes to programs $5 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Erie Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Erie, Pennsylvania, registered in 1959, with $39,773,154 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 86% of spending to programs.
459 W 6th St, Erie, PA, 16507 EIN 25-6032032 Since 1959
Revenue (FY2024)
$39.8M
▲ 17.9% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$31.9M
Net assets
$381.6M
Employees
27
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating86% to programs · $5 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Erie Community Foundation: 86% to programs · $5 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating144 mo reserves · +20% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Erie Community Foundation: 144 mo reserves · +20% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Erie Community Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Erie Community Foundation: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
The erie community foundation works to improve the quality of life for all in our region by evaluating and addressing community issues, building permanent charitable endowments, and by promoting philanthropic and community leadership.
Contact & location
- Address
- 459 W 6th St, Erie, PA, 16507
- City
- Erie
- State
- Pennsylvania
- Subcategory
- Public Foundations
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $27.9M (FY2013) to $39.8M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $4.1MNet assets $381.6M
Operating margin
19.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$385.7M
Total liabilities
$4.1M
Net assets
$381.6M
Salaries & benefits
$2.0M
6% of expenses
Board members
12
12 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $39,773,154▲17.9% | $31,907,860▲18.5% | $381,616,587▲6.1% | $385,719,844▲5.9% | 990 |
| 2023 | $33,733,321▼50.9% | $26,936,616▲15.7% | $359,526,956▲9.8% | $364,098,561▲9.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $68,689,242▲64.9% | $23,282,333▼24.5% | $327,347,841▼0.1% | $332,655,192▼0.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $41,657,029▲55.8% | $30,855,195▲53.8% | $327,700,233▲14.4% | $335,610,816▲15.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $26,731,197▼3.8% | $20,059,941▼21.0% | $286,537,144▲13.7% | $290,579,169▲12.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $27,775,400▼19.2% | $25,390,617▲4.2% | $251,914,027▲15.7% | $259,123,488▲15.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $34,368,773▼12.8% | $24,364,344▲16.0% | $217,740,782▼6.2% | $223,922,588▼5.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $39,420,872▲200% | $20,998,824▲9.6% | $232,206,227▲19.4% | $236,091,159▲17.2% | 990 |
| 2016 | $13,123,972▼51.3% | $19,163,427▲25.3% | $194,405,926▲3.9% | $201,418,849▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $26,946,308▲33.8% | $15,293,939▲6.6% | $187,076,851▲1.3% | $191,032,913▲1.1% | 990 |
| 2014 | $20,140,407▼27.9% | $14,350,125▲27.0% | $184,597,350▲0.2% | $189,018,835▲0.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $27,935,762 | $11,300,816▲14.4% | $184,281,115▲10.8% | $188,878,680▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $9,880,006▲0.7% | $166,273,678▲15.3% | $170,507,370▲15.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $9,815,465▲15.9% | $144,191,258▼5.6% | $148,324,453▼5.4% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $8,468,680 | $152,753,214 | $156,856,448 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Karen Bilowith — $292,225 (0.92% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Bilowith | President | 50 | $292,225 |
| Barbara Sambroak | Former Cfo | 50 | $123,953 |
| Erin D Fessler | Vp of Marketing & Communit | 40 | $112,561 |
| Patrick Herr Msw | Vp of Community Impact | 40 | $106,090 |
| Suzanne Hauber | Cfo | 50 | $76,910 |
| Anne L Dipillo | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Charles Knight CPA | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Tullio | Chair | 5 | — |
| Deborah Murphy | Immediate Past Chair | 5 | — |
| James Walczak | Secretary | 5 | — |
| Karinna Vernaza Phd | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Marcus Atkinson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Robin Scheppner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah Hagen Mcwilliams | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Timothy Necastro | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tom Tupitza | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| William Hilbert Jr | Trustee | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kidder Jefferys Construction LLC | 453 W. 6th Building Renovation | $1,423,626 |
| Cambridge Associates LLC | Investment Consulting | $647,883 |
Grants received · $1.3M total
40 grants to Erie Community Foundation totaling $1.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Endowment Foundation | Philanthropy | 2024 | $65,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $11,490 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $9,790 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Community & human services | 2024 | $5,250 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $82,500 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $51,575 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $24,775 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $13,825 |
| Community Foundation For Southeast Michigan | Philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking foundations | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | Various programs | 2022 | $300,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2022 | $40,050 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $20,100 |
| The Community Foundation For Greater Atlanta Inc | Philanthropy/voluntarism | 2022 | $10,000 |
| Erie Community Foundation | Various projects | 2022 | $10,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Philanthropy | 2022 | $10,000 |
Grants made · $24.4M in FY2024
373 grants totaling $24.4M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Erie Community Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City Mission of the Evangelical Churches of Erie PA | Various projects | $2,298,713 |
| Hamot Health Foundation | Various projects | $1,285,678 |
| United Way of Erie County | Various projects | $1,222,047 |
| Nonprofit Partnership | Various projects | $609,966 |
| Erie Philharmonic | Various projects | $574,921 |
| Erie Downtown Development Corporation | Various projects | $550,859 |
| Minority Community Investment Coalition | Various projects | $500,000 |
| East Side Renaissance Inc | Various projects | $451,356 |
| Erie Zoological Society | Various projects | $382,336 |
| Foundation For Free Enterprise Education | Various projects | $354,554 |
| Erie Independence House Inc | Various projects | $340,303 |
| Mercyhurst Preparatory School | Various projects | $337,123 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania | Various projects | $301,366 |
| New Hope Presbyterian Church | Various projects | $290,276 |
| Julia Hospice and Palliative Care | Various projects | $276,695 |
Similar organizations in Philanthropy
Philanthropy
Feeding Pennsylvania
Lemoyne, PA
$39.3M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, PA
$38.5M
Bannual revenue
- Philanthropy
The American Electric Power System Retiree Medical Benefit Trust For
Pittsburgh, PA
$41.1M
Cannual revenue
Philanthropy
Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
$47.8M
Aannual revenue
Philanthropy
Anabaptist Foundation
Lewisburg, PA
$49.6M
A+annual revenue
Philanthropy
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Allentown, PA
$28.5M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio
Sharon, PA
$27.7M
Bannual revenue
Philanthropy
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
Philadeplhia, PA
$27.0M
Aannual revenue
- Philanthropy
The Lenfest Inst For Journalism Spe Asset Fund of the Phl Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
$26.1M
C+annual revenue
Philanthropy
The M S Hershey Foundation
Hershey, PA
$25.7M
Bannual revenue
Compare Erie Community Foundation
Frequently asked questions
- Is Erie Community Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Erie Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 25-6032032, based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Erie Community Foundation's EIN?
- Erie Community Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 25-6032032.
- How much revenue does Erie Community Foundation report?
- Erie Community Foundation reported $39,773,154 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Erie Community Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- Erie Community Foundation spends about 86% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Erie Community Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades Erie Community Foundation A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Erie Community Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Erie Community Foundation's latest Form 990 is $292,225, paid to Karen Bilowith (President).
More nonprofits in Erie
Explore more
Data for Erie Community Foundation (EIN 25-6032032) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.