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The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1948.[1][2][3]

Established

January 1948 (1948-01)

Christopher Jones

Susan K. Urahn

11 (board of directors)

969

$374 million

$6.7 billion

2005 Market Street,
Suite 1700
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7077

Pew's stated mission is to serve the public interest by "improving public policy, informing the public, and invigorating civic life".[4] Pew operates projects and conducts research across five main areas: communities, conservation, finance and economy, governing, and health.[5] In addition, the Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan public polling and think tank that operates as a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.[6]

History[edit]

20th century[edit]

Pew was established by the merging of several charitable trusts that had been established between 1948 and 1979. The original trusts were created by J. Howard Pew, Mary Ethel Pew, Joseph N. Pew Jr., and Mabel Pew Myrin, the adult sons and daughters of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew and his wife, Mary Anderson Pew.[7] Honoring their parents' religious conviction that good works should be done quietly, the original Pew Memorial Foundation[8] was a grantmaking organization that made donations anonymously.[9]


In 1956, the foundation became the Pew Memorial Trust, based in Philadelphia, the donors' hometown. Between 1957 and 1979, six other trusts were created, representing the personal and complementary philanthropic interests of the four siblings.[10][11][12] Assets held by the seven trusts totaled $6 billion as of 2020.[13] The Trusts continues to be based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with offices in Washington, D.C., London, and Brussels.[14]


Although The Pew Charitable Trusts is non-partisan and non-ideological, Joseph Pew and his sons were politically conservative. The modern day organization works to encourage responsive government and support scientific research on a wide range of issues, including global marine conservation, correction reform, and biomedical research. Pew also conducts research and supports civic and cultural projects in Philadelphia.[15][16]


Early priorities of the Pew Memorial Trust included cancer research, the American Red Cross, and a pioneering project to assist historically black colleges. Later beneficiaries included American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, American Liberty League, John Birch Society, Oceana, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.[17][18]


In 2004, Pew applied to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to change its status from a private foundation to a public charity in order to operate its own programs more efficiently.[19][20][21] Since that change it can now raise funds freely and devote up to 5% of its budget to lobbying the public sector.


In 2011, the Pew family was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of its support for The Pew Charitable Trusts.[22][23]


According to the Pew Trusts' website as of 2024, four of the eleven Directors serving on the Board are named Pew.[24]

Finances[edit]

According to the 2019 Consolidated Financial Statements, as of 30 June 2019, the Trusts owned over US$6.7 billion in assets. For the 12 months ending on that date, total revenues were about US$374 million and total expenses were about $341 million, of which about $6.6 million were for fundraising expenses.[48]


According to IRS Form 990, filed for 2019 by Pew Charitable Trusts, the organization distributed $142,114,349 in grants in 2019; an increase from 2018, when it distributed $136,947,523 in grants.[49]

Controversy[edit]

Barnes Art Collection[edit]

The Trusts have supported the relocation of the famed Barnes Art Collection from its longtime home in Lower Merion, PA, to Center City. This has been controversial in the art world. The Barnes Foundation was established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to "promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture."[50]


According to the Barnes Foundation:[51]

Official web site

Listing of Pew projects