The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust is a private family foundation established in August 2001. Located at 555 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor in New York City, the trust operates as a progressive grantmaking foundation dedicated to supporting advocacy for social change.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$326.7M
-19.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$55.6M
+39.6% YoY
Grant Count
213
+23.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$261K
+12.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bernard and Anne Spitzer reported a distributable amount of $32.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to support advocacy for social change that promotes human dignity and contributes to a more just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable world.
As of 2017, the trust makes grants primarily in three program areas:
- Democracy
- Environment
- Equitable Growth
Grantmaking
The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust is an active grantmaker. In 2024, the foundation made 167 grants totaling approximately $34.95 million. Recent notable grants include:
Review Cycle
are specified; prospective grantees are advised to contact the foundation directly.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation provides funding geographically in Connecticut and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $326,694,856
- Total Revenues: $7,549,481
- Total Expenses: $73,996,877
Prior Year Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $403,894,894
- Total Giving: $39,802,900
Prior Year Data (2022):
- Revenue: $11,619,208
- Expenses: $57,405,401
- Assets: $445,765,691
The foundation is ranked 2,135 among the top 10,000 U.S. foundations by assets.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $326,694,856 | $403,894,894 | $445,765,691 |
| Revenue | $7,549,481 | $29,922,110 | $11,619,208 |
| Expenses | $73,996,877 | $58,528,656 | $57,405,401 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $57,879,658 | $42,184,338 | $44,011,704 |
| Net Investment Income | — | $14,307,996 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $32,820,544 | $33,275,848 | $33,221,276 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Clean Air Task Force ($2,750,000), American Museum of Natural History ($1,650,000), The Public Theater ($1,100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NEW YORK, NY | ANNE & BERNARD SPITZER ENDOWMENT FUND | $1,650,000 |
| FRESH AIR FUND NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $3,000 |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $20,000 |
| SCENIC HUDSON POUGHKEEPSIE, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| GRAND STREET SETTLEMENT NEW YORK, NY | SECOND CENTURY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN | $200,000 |
| THE PUBLIC THEATER NEW YORK, NY | FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK | $1,100,000 |
| PASSTHRU CONTRIBUTIONS FROM K-1 NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $247 |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $20,000 |
| US-AFRICA CHILDREN'S FELLOWSHIP BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| BROOKLYN COMMUNITY SERVICES BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $3,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel at the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust include:
- Emily Spitzer – Trustee
- Anne Spitzer – Trustee
- Daniel Evan Spitzer – Trustee
- Bernard Spitzer – Trustee
- Maya Jakubowicz – Chief Operating Officer (announced July 2023)
- Hannah Furstenberg-Beckman – Program Officer for Democracy (announced August 2022)
- Ian Philp – Program Officer for Environment (announced June 2021)
- Jean Ross – Senior Program Officer (joined April 2019)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMILY SPITZER | Trustee | 1 | — |
| DANIEL EVAN SPITZER | Trustee | 1 | — |
| ELIOT L SPITZER | Trustee | 1 | — |
| SARA C KAY | CEO | 35 | $550,412 |
| MAYA YAEL JAKUBOWICZ | COO | 35 | $225,750 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bernard and Anne Spitzer fund?
The foundation's mission is to support advocacy for social change that promotes human dignity and contributes to a more just, democratic, and environmentally sustainable world. As of 2017, the trust makes grants primarily in three program areas: • **Democracy** • **Environment** • **Equitable Growth**
How do I apply for a grant from Bernard and Anne Spitzer?
The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust is an active grantmaker. In 2024, the foundation made 167 grants totaling approximately $34.95 million. Recent notable grants include: • Clean Air Task Force: $2,750,000 (for clean industrial technology campaign and state climate policy) • Breakthrough T1D (JDRF): $1,700,000 (general purpose) • American Museum of Natural History: $1,650,000 (Anne & Bernard Spitzer Endowment Fund) The foundation provides support for program funding and operating fund…
Where does Bernard and Anne Spitzer make grants?
The foundation provides funding geographically in Connecticut and New York.
What size grants does Bernard and Anne Spitzer award?
In 2024, Bernard and Anne Spitzer awarded 213 grants totaling $55.6M — an average of about $261K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Bernard and Anne Spitzer required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bernard and Anne Spitzer reported a distributable amount of $32.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Bernard and Anne Spitzer's EIN?
Bernard and Anne Spitzer's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7298842. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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