Axe-Houghton Foundation
The Axe-Houghton Foundation is a private foundation based in Fairfield, Connecticut. Funded in 1965 through bequests from Emerson and Ruth Axe, it operates for charitable and educational purposes and focuses on fostering appreciation of the English language, particularly spoken language.
Axe-Houghton Foundation at a glance
In short: Axe-Houghton Foundation gave $425K across 50 grants in 2026 (avg $9K), mostly in New York. 2% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $425,230
- +3.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 50
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $8,505
- +3.7% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $8,500
- Total assets
- $8,228,926
- +2.5% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (1 of 49, 2026)
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Axe-Houghton Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It invites organizations to submit proposals by email; submission instructions are provided in the invitation. Invited applicants may submit proposals from July 1 to approximately September 1 of the grant cycle.
- Review Cycle
- August 31, 2026, at 6 p.m. for the next grant cycle.
- Deadline
- August 31, 2026, at 6 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 55 Walls Dr 250, Fairfield, CT 06824
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Website: https://axe-houghtonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Axe-Houghton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Justice Resource Center ($26K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $122K.
Grant Size Distribution
277 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 277 grants of 277 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation states that grants are rarely made to organizations outside the New York City metropolitan area. It also does not fund organizations whose work is produced outside the United States. All grant dollars listed for 2026 went to recipients in New York State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Axe-Houghton Foundation open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 1 of 49 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 98% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+7%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 99% 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 (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $327K (2020) to $425K (2026). In 2026 it made 50 grants totaling $425K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| De La Salle Academy New York, NY | Axe-Houghton Speech and Debate Program | $14,000 |
| Justice Resource Center New York, NY | Oral Debate - We The People | $13,000 |
| Justice Resource Center New York, NY | The Constitution Works | $13,000 |
| Stuttering Association for the Young Inc New York, NY | Confident Voices | $12,000 |
| New York City Urban Debate League Inc New York, NY | New York City Urban Debate League Tournament #5 | $11,000 |
| CSC Repertory Ltd New York, NY | The Emporium a play by Thornton Wilder | $10,000 |
| Red Bull Theater Inc New York, NY | Red Bull Theater's 2025/26 Revelation Reading Series and Short New Play Festival | $10,000 |
| Symphony Space Inc New York, NY | Selected Shorts | $10,000 |
| Epic Theatre Center Inc Astoria, NY | Epic's Beyond-School REMIX at 5 Sites | $9,500 |
| Girl Be Heard Institute Brooklyn, NY | Girl Empowerment Weekend Workshops | $9,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Axe-Houghton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $8,228,926 | $720,266 | $517,888 | $425,230 | 50 | $472,923 | $682,717 | $477,169 |
| 2025 | $8,026,548 | $756,678 | $503,080 | $410,000 | 50 | $456,834 | $720,569 | $442,414 |
| 2024 | $7,772,950 | $1,403,808 | $516,587 | $418,000 | 59 | $463,851 | $1,369,584 | $396,195 |
| 2023 | $6,885,729 | $307,952 | $488,395 | $397,500 | 57 | $443,923 | $274,225 | $407,643 |
| 2022 | $7,066,172 | $1,047,004 | $500,111 | $402,500 | 61 | $453,712 | $1,010,397 | $457,443 |
| 2021 | $6,519,279 | $680,742 | $451,317 | $361,000 | 60 | — | $646,880 | $409,015 |
| 2020 | $6,289,854 | $525,698 | $411,727 | $327,121 | 61 | — | $491,992 | $393,291 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Axe-Houghton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $477K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s principal mission is to foster and encourage appreciation of the English language, with major emphasis on spoken language. It gives priority to specific projects in theater, arts-in-education, poetry and spoken word, and debate; projects must include a significant phase subject to audience observation.
Its 2026 grants illustrate support for speech, debate, theater, and youth-focused performance projects. For example, the Stuttering Association for the Young describes its work as empowering and supporting young people who stutter through camps, speech therapy, and creative expression. The New York City Urban Debate League says it uses debate to help public school students develop as informed, compassionate, and courageous leaders. Red Bull Theater describes itself as a New York theater company specializing in plays of heightened language.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the Foundation gave $425,230 through 50 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $14,000, with a median of $8,500. Its guidelines state that awards rarely exceed $10,000, though several 2026 grants were above that amount.
Among the larger 2026 grants were $14,000 to De La Salle Academy for its Axe-Houghton Speech and Debate Program; $13,000 each to Justice Resource Center for “Oral Debate - We The People” and “The Constitution Works”; and $12,000 to the Stuttering Association for the Young for “Confident Voices.” Other grants included $11,000 to the New York City Urban Debate League for a tournament, and $10,000 each to CSC Repertory for a play and Red Bull Theater for its Revelation Reading Series and Short New Play Festival.
The Foundation makes grants only to invited organizations. Requests must be for a specific project or program; it does not fund general or capital support, scholarships, or fellowships. Eligible applicants must be qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations that are not private foundations, governmental units, or agencies or instrumentalities of governmental units. Organizations with annual budgets over $10 million are ineligible. Grants are not made to individuals, private foundations, or organizations whose work is produced outside the United States.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Lynn F Angelson, Bruce D Haims, Katrina E McCann, and Warner Shook as directors. Bruce D Haims is also listed as treasurer and secretary; Jeffrey Steinman is listed as director and president.
Axe-Houghton Foundation is led by Jeffrey Steinman, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Jeffrey Steinman
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce D Haims
Director, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn F Angelson
Director
Director & Vice President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Warner Shook
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katrina E McCann
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carolyn Weber (2020–2023) — Director & Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 Axe-Houghton Foundation
How much does Axe-Houghton Foundation give each year?
Axe-Houghton Foundation gave $425K across 50 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $410K across 50 grants.
What is Axe-Houghton Foundation's typical grant size?
Axe-Houghton Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $8,500, and its average grant was $8,505, across 50 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Axe-Houghton Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Axe-Houghton Foundation give grants?
Axe-Houghton Foundation gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (37 grants), Brooklyn, NY (8 grants) and Bronx, NY (2 grants).
Does Axe-Houghton Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on Axe-Houghton Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Axe-Houghton Foundation's largest grantees?
Axe-Houghton Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Justice Resource Center ($26,000 across 2 grants), De La Salle Academy ($14,000) and Stuttering Association for the Young Inc ($12,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Axe-Houghton Foundation?
Axe-Houghton Foundation reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $473K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $477K (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 Axe-Houghton Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s principal mission is to foster and encourage appreciation of the English language, with major emphasis on spoken language. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Axe-Houghton Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Axe-Houghton Foundation's EIN?
Axe-Houghton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6200200. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Axe-Houghton 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 8, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Axe-Houghton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/axe-houghton-foundation-morg_fdc4b156eeba4ea199db387608e3b892
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136200200_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Axe-Houghton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/axe-houghton-foundation-morg_fdc4b156eeba4ea199db387608e3b892},
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 Axe-Houghton 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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