Ainslie Foundation
Ainslie Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in social services, community outreach, environmental preservation and wildlife conservation, biomedical research, and other areas.
Ainslie Foundation at a glance
In short: Ainslie Foundation gave $15.5M across 107 grants in 2024 (avg $145K), mostly in New York. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,549,700
- +3.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 107
- +25.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $145,324
- -17.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $456,141,302
- +29.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (20 of 98, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ainslie Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1900 N Pearl Street 20Th Floor, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 880-4000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ainslie Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Robin Hood Foundation ($4.5M). Together the top 10 received $13.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
461 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 323 grants of 461 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, New York recipients received 70% of grant dollars, Florida recipients 16%, Texas recipients 6%, and Massachusetts and Virginia recipients 2% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 107 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ainslie Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 98 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $194K. How we count
Medians: $24K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $11.8M (2020) to $17.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 107 grants totaling $15.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Robin Hood Foundation New York, NY | Social Services | $4,550,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County Inc Hobe Sound, FL | Community Outreach | $2,000,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | Environmental Preservation & Wildlife Conservation | $2,000,000 |
| Boys' Club of New York New York, NY | Community Outreach | $1,667,000 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Biomedical Research | $1,100,000 |
| Maverick Capital Foundation Dallas, TX | Philanthropy, Voluntarism, and Grantmaking | $1,000,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County Inc Hobe Sound, FL | Community Outreach | $250,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Medical Research - Neutrophil Grant | $150,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | Environmental Preservation & Wildlife Conservation | $150,000 |
| Northwell Health (Glen Cove Hospital) New Hyde Park, NY | Medical Center | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ainslie Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $456,141,302 | $1,191,840 | $17,660,835 | $15,549,700 | 107 | $15,720,987 | $73,345,553 | $17,968,011 |
| 2023 | $352,293,992 | $87,691 | $15,627,319 | $14,999,000 | 85 | $15,008,411 | $44,343,719 | $15,388,695 |
| 2022 | $283,097,764 | $594 | $17,957,357 | $17,949,750 | 82 | $17,951,641 | $406,572 | $15,212,348 |
| 2021 | $393,841,302 | $79 | $15,630,504 | $13,907,000 | 88 | $13,910,283 | $9,757,453 | $17,743,366 |
| 2020 | $350,305,543 | $1,864 | $12,065,292 | $11,764,450 | 99 | — | $14,231,775 | $15,185,304 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ainslie Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for social services, community outreach, environmental preservation and wildlife conservation, biomedical and medical research, and medical education.
Among its grantees, the Wildlife Conservation Society says it works to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, and education. The Boys’ Club of New York describes its work as empowering boys and young men through programs and a supportive community. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory says it conducts biological sciences research, particularly in molecular biology and genetics. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 107 grants totaling $15,549,700. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $4,550,000, with a median of $25,000.
Among the largest grants were $4,550,000 to Robin Hood Foundation for social services; $2,000,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County for community outreach; $2,000,000 to Wildlife Conservation Society for environmental preservation and wildlife conservation; and $1,667,000 to The Boys’ Club of New York for community outreach. Other large grants included $1,100,000 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for biomedical research and $1,000,000 to Maverick Capital Foundation for philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lee S Ainslie III as President & Co-Chair, Elizabeth M Ainslie as Co-Chair, Alex Rafal as Secretary, and W Keith Hennington as Treasurer.
Ainslie Foundation is led by Lee S. Ainslie III, President & Co-Chair on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lee S. Ainslie III
President & Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex Rafal
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth M. Ainslie
Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
W. Keith Hennington
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Ainslie Foundation
How much does Ainslie Foundation give each year?
Ainslie Foundation gave $15.5M across 107 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $15.0M across 85 grants.
What is Ainslie Foundation's typical grant size?
Ainslie Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $145,324, across 107 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ainslie Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Ainslie Foundation give grants?
Ainslie Foundation gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (16%) and Texas (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (25 grants), Nantucket, MA (9 grants), Hobe Sound, FL (7 grants) and Lynchburg, VA (4 grants).
Does Ainslie Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 107 grants with a stated purpose on Ainslie Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (22 grants), "Environmental Preservation" (14 grants) and "Community Outreach" (11 grants).
Who are Ainslie Foundation's largest grantees?
Ainslie Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Robin Hood Foundation ($4,550,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County Inc ($2,250,000 across 2 grants) and Wildlife Conservation Society ($2,150,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ainslie Foundation?
Ainslie Foundation reported $456.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $15.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ainslie Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for social services, community outreach, environmental preservation and wildlife conservation, biomedical and medical research, and medical education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ainslie Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ainslie Foundation's EIN?
Ainslie Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4732333. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ainslie Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ainslie Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Texas
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
Communities Foundation of Texas Inc
Dallas, TX
Communities Foundation of Texas funds a broad range of community needs, including health, education, housing, and community development, primarily in North Texas and across Texas. Its 2025 grants had a median of about $18,800, though amounts varied widely; nearly all opportunities are by invitation, with some specific programs open for applications.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
2,209
Total Given
$209.2M
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Houston, TX
The Foundation makes grants through donor-advised and other donor-established funds for public benefit, human services, education, and health, including initiatives addressing economic mobility and poverty in Harris County. In 2024, its median grant was $25,000; it serves Greater Houston, while grants also go to recipients elsewhere in Texas and beyond. It does not accept proposals for the upcoming High-Impact Grantmaking cycle and plans to invite selected organizations or collaboratives to apply.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,724
Total Given
$232.3M
BNSF Railway Foundation
Fort Worth, TX
The BNSF Railway Foundation funds civic, cultural, education, health and human services, environmental, and youth programs, including operating costs and specific projects. Its 2025 median grant was $2,500, though awards ranged from $100 to $500,000; it supports eligible organizations serving communities near BNSF rail lines across its 28 operating states. The foundation provides an online application process, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$23.0M
Grants
993
Total Given
$7.0M
Baker Hughes Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$2.2M
Grants
990
Total Given
$3.2M
Community Foundation of North Texas (Tax
Fort Worth, TX
The foundation supports nonprofits and community projects in areas including animal welfare, nonprofit capacity building, first responders, land conservation, neighborhood development, opportunity and access, and scholarships. In 2024, grants ranged from $5,100 to $1.5 million, with a median of $14,250; its service area covers 11 North Texas counties. It accepts applications for some competitive grant programs through its online portal, but donor-advised grants are not open to nonprofit applications.
Assets
$544.9M
Grants
872
Total Given
$41.3M
More similar funders
More Funders in Texas
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ainslie Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ainslie-foundation-morg_9ae3b7c1c80c48f496b46ae148e80126
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814732333_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ainslie Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ainslie-foundation-morg_9ae3b7c1c80c48f496b46ae148e80126},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Ainslie Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Ainslie Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?