The Fine Foundation is guided by the Hebrew phrase “tikkun olam,” meaning “repairing the world,” a reference to the Foundation’s commitment to making the world a better place through its philanthropy.

In May 2022, the Board of the Foundation voted to distribute the whole of its corpus to the non-profit community in the Pittsburgh region by 2031/2033 in order to have an enduring legacy in the region. This means that the Foundation will be seeking larger investment opportunities through means that will include the support of existing projects and testing new projects on a smaller scale before making a more significant investment.

Throughout this process, The Fine Foundation will identify and partner with visionary leaders and organizations both large and small, new and established. These organizations will have a demonstrated ability to execute programs that favorably impact the Pittsburgh region.

During this time the Foundation will remain receptive to changing community needs and responsive to emergent trends in the region’s nonprofit sector. To this end, the Foundation will reserve a portion of its annual grantmaking for unanticipated contemporary issues and general support to organizations.

The Fine Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Grant submissions are by invitation only. However, we welcome informational inquiries and opportunities to learn about ideas that fit within our grantmaking goals. These goals are mainly in the areas of Arts & Culture and Jewish Life.

In Arts & Culture, The Fine Foundation will support organizations in making a difference in our community through challenging, celebratory, and relevant cultural initiatives and programs. As a reflection of Milt and Sheila Fines’ passion for contemporary visual art, projects in this arena remain of particular interest to the Foundation.

Within the area of Jewish Life, The Fine Foundation will support programs that educate about and honor Judaism and the Jewish people.  This includes a focus on challenging the re-emergence of antisemitism and hate through the work of regional organizations.

Grants in Science and Medicine, an area of interest that was suspended in 2019, will be considered only if funding for the above two areas permits and if the project is of compelling interest to the Foundation.The Fine Foundation’s grantmaking will support projects in various stages of their development, including but not limited to seed funding for new and experimental projects, endowed funding for new or existing programs. and capital funds to develop, expand, or sustain facilities. As one model, the Foundation may choose to support a pilot program before funding a more permanent or larger version of it.

Further inquiries can be sent to info@thefinefoundation.org.