Aronson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Rhinecliff, NY EIN: 43-1616967

Aronson Foundation is a private foundation based in Rhinecliff, New York. In 2024, it gave 38 grants totaling $252,700 to charitable organizations in several states and Washington, DC.

Aronson Foundation at a glance

In short: Aronson Foundation gave $253K across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), top state New York. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$252,700
+22.1% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
38
-7.3% vs 2023
Average grant
$6,650
+31.7% vs 2023
Median grant
$1,000
Total assets
$3,142,941
-4.7% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (4 of 38, 2024)
Primary geography
New York (35% 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 Aronson Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 62, Rhinecliff, NY 12574
Phone: (314) 290-3300

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Aronson Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Harmony Project Hudson: $76KHarmony Project Hudson$76KEcohealth Network at Missouri Botanical Garden: $70KEcohealth Network at MissouriBotanical Garden$70KUSC: $17KUSC$17KThe Jefferson Institute: $15KThe Jefferson Institute$15KCalifornia Institute of Arts: $10KCalifornia Institute of Arts$10KLaumeier Sculpture Park: $10KLaumeier Sculpture Park$10KMissouri Botanical Garden: $8KMissouri Botanical Garden$8K18TH Street Arts Center: $8K18TH Street Arts Center$8KJonas Salk Foundation: $8KJonas Salk Foundation$8KLa Senora Research Institute: $5KLa Senora Research Institute$5K

The largest 2024 recipient was Harmony Project Hudson ($76K). Together the top 10 received $226K.

Grant Size Distribution

196 grants across all recorded years

189<$50K7$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 189 grants of 196 (96%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (35%), Missouri (35%), California (20%), Washington, DC (8%), and Oregon (1%).

Grant Distribution by State

14states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkWashingtonLos AngelesSaint LouisSanta MonicaSan FranciscoBoulderEast SetauketLa JollaPortlandValenciaBrooklynGarrisonHudson FallsJupiterLaguna NiguelTellurideTorringtonDenverMorton

Is Aronson Foundation open to new grantees?

11%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 4 of 38 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count

Medians: $750 first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 37% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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

$0$100K$200K$300K49 grants2020 38 grants2021 30 grants2022 41 grants2023 38 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $185K (2021) to $253K (2024). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $253K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Harmony Project Hudson New York, NYGeneral Support$76,200
Ecohealth Network at Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, MOGeneral Support$70,000
USC Los Angeles, CAGeneral Support$16,500
The Jefferson Institute Washington, DCGeneral Support$15,000
California Institute of Arts Valencia, CAGeneral Support$10,000
Laumeier Sculpture Park Saint Louis, MOGeneral Support$10,000
Missouri Botanical Garden Saint Louis, MOGeneral Support$8,000
18TH Street Arts Center Santa Monica, CAGeneral Support$7,500
Jonas Salk Foundation La Jolla, CAGeneral Support$7,500
La Senora Research Institute Santa Monica, CAGeneral Support$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$3,142,941$151,463$301,585$252,70038$258,700$122,333$229,790
2023$3,297,389$218,419$240,176$207,00041$207,000$194,936$205,716
2022$3,314,614$230,839$236,505$200,00030$202,967$201,501$210,173
2021$3,306,974$164,305$216,093$185,00038$188,265$137,934$226,395
2020$3,375,846$52,840$219,364$190,65049—$56,894$188,979

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Aronson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $230K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Harmony Project Hudson describes its work as using music to help underserved youth become healthier and more positive people and citizens. Laumeier Sculpture Park says its mission is to engage the community in art and nature. Wise Tropics says it supports programs to save lemurs, safeguard nature, plant rainforests, and educate people about climate change.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $252,700. Awards ranged from $200 to $76,200, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest grants included $76,200 to Harmony Project Hudson, $70,000 to EcoHealth Network at Missouri Botanical Garden, $16,500 to USC, and $15,000 to The Jefferson Institute. Each of these grants was designated for general support.

Other 2024 general-support grants included $10,000 each to California Institute of Arts and Laumeier Sculpture Park, and $8,000 to Missouri Botanical Garden.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Josh Aronson and Jonathan Aronson as trustees.

Aronson Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Jonathan Aronson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Josh Aronson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/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 Aronson Foundation

How much does Aronson Foundation give each year?

Aronson Foundation gave $253K across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $207K across 41 grants.

What is Aronson Foundation's typical grant size?

Aronson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $6,650, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Aronson Foundation that year got $4K on average.

Where does Aronson Foundation give grants?

Aronson Foundation's top state is New York, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (35%) and California (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), St. Louis, MO (3 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (3 grants).

Does Aronson Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Aronson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Aronson Foundation's largest grantees?

Aronson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Harmony Project Hudson ($76,200), Ecohealth Network at Missouri Botanical Garden ($70,000) and USC ($16,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Aronson Foundation?

Aronson Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $259K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $230K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Aronson Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Harmony Project Hudson describes its work as using music to help underserved youth become healthier and more positive people and citizens. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Aronson Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Aronson Foundation's EIN?

Aronson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1616967. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Aronson 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 September 2026.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Aronson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/aronson-foundation-morg_5a04b2bc1d0742f6be196eca7eafda2a

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431616967_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Aronson Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/aronson-foundation-morg_5a04b2bc1d0742f6be196eca7eafda2a},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Aronson 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.

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