About Us

The BridgeBuilders Foundation was first established in 1957 as the Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works Charitable Trust, a corporate giving program. In 1986 the organization became a family foundation with a new name.

The intent of the foundation is to support small, community-based organizations working to build bridges between groups of people that differ with respect to age, race, gender, economic resources, and physical or mental ability. A further objective is to fund projects that actively promote social, economic and environmental justice.

In recent years, the foundation has made it a top priority to support programs that encourage young people to broaden their experience and contribute to society. Projects that are initiated by young people and those that address the needs of minority and low-income youth are of particular interest to BridgeBuilders.

The foundation funds projects throughout the United States; however, it has historically concentrated its giving in Western Pennsylvania, where Pittsburgh Bridge & Iron Works operated from 1905 to 1985.

BridgeBuilders does not make grants to individuals, colleges and universities, hospitals, endowments, or capital campaigns.

Average annual distributions range from $40,000 to $50,000. Individual grants are typically $2,000 to $5,000.