Ryan House Receives its Largest Single Cash Gift in its History!

Trustees of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust just awarded a total of $123 million in surprise grants to 71 Arizona nonprofits—the largest single-day grant initiative in Arizona’s history – including local nonprofit Ryan House who received $675,000 – its largest single cash gift in its history.

Ryan House, whose mission is to provide world-class care and programs for children with medically complex needs and their families as they navigate life-limiting or end-of-life journeys, was one of the Maricopa County nonprofits to receive The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Now is the Moment Grant for its extraordinary impact on the community and in an effort that this grant will help broaden Ryan House’s impact well into the future.

The grants were provided to 71 Maricopa County nonprofits within the six core areas of Piper Trust’s grantmaking including Arts & Culture, Children, Education, Healthcare & Medical Research, Older Adults, and Religious Organizations.

Despite a tumultuous year due to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19 and economic uncertainty across all sectors, many individuals, and institutions with large investments in the stock market experienced extraordinary growth in the value of their holdings. Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s endowment grew by $123 million in the 15 months following the start of the pandemic. With these two opposing forces at work, and as stewards of the Trust’s founder, Virginia Galvin Piper, Trustees felt compelled to share all the earnings in one swift move with the community.

“COVID-19 continues to have an impact on our families as they try to manage to keep their children with complex medical needs safe while facing financial pressures and caregiver burnout due to the 24-hour-per-day care needs of their children,” said Executive Director Tracy Leonard-Warner.

“We are so grateful to the Piper Trustees, as this historic gift allows us to do all that we can to meet these needs while bridging the gap that has been created by decreases in funding and donations we have seen from some sectors of our supporters.”

Grantee selection was shaped by each organization’s respective mission and impact in the community. The grants range in size and were determined by a variety of factors such as an organization’s overall need, budget size, and populations served. Some selections were based on Virginia Piper’s history of giving to organizations as well as her personal values.

The $123 million Now is the Moment Grants Commemoration is a single-day investment in Maricopa County’s nonprofit community. Piper Trust’s annual grantmaking averaging $22 million will continue as usual. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has awarded more than $517 million in grants to the community—and with today’s announcement, the Trust’s total grantmaking since its inception exceeds $644 million.

“Maricopa County, along with the rest of the country, has suffered dramatically in so many different and unexpected ways,” said Trustee Sharon Harper. “Piper Trust cares deeply about our community and is proud of how community members have stepped up. However, we are still in a desperate situation…those who serve the underserved really have suffered. We must ensure its fortification for the long-term vitality of the community and state,” said Harper.