Betty Wold Johnson Foundation
The Betty Wold Johnson Foundation is a private foundation based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Its 2024 filing reports 19 grants totaling $28,886,000 to charitable organizations.
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation at a glance
In short: Betty Wold Johnson Foundation gave $28.9M across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $1.5M), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $28,886,000
- +9339.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +850.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,520,316
- +893.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $300,000
- Total assets
- $874,835,806
- +13.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (56% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Betty Wold Johnson 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: 180 Lakeview Ave Suite 2400, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (212) 332-7500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Betty Wold Johnson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Success Academy ($10.0M). Together the top 10 received $27.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 5 grants of 22 (23%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that recipients in New York received 56% of grant dollars, Massachusetts 18%, New Jersey 17%, Wisconsin 3%, and Texas 3%. These are the states accounting for the reported shares; the filing also lists grants to organizations in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Betty Wold Johnson Foundation gives
- In 2024 it paid out 73% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $306K (2023) to $28.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $28.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Success Academy New York, NY | General Support | $10,000,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy New York, NY | General Support | $5,000,000 |
| Deerfield Academy Deerfield, MA | General Support | $5,000,000 |
| National Philanthropic Trust Princeton, NJ | General Support | $2,525,000 |
| Grounds for Sculpture Hamilton, NJ | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| MKE 2024 Host Committee Milwaukee, WI | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| NRDC New York, NY | General Support | $830,000 |
| Johnson Center for Child Health and Development Austin, TX | General Support | $800,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Bethesda, MD | General Support | $300,000 |
| UNICEF USA New York, NY | General Support | $300,000 |
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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 | $874,835,806 | $129,171,070 | $29,532,560 | $28,886,000 | 19 | $29,138,881 | $22,860,965 | $40,166,682 |
| 2023 | $774,402,982 | $304,352,055 | $978,650 | $306,000 | 2 | $659,198 | $18,557,239 | $28,165,080 |
| 2022 | $471,029,577 | $492,098,181 | $21,068,604 | $20,000,000 | 1 | $20,630,880 | $13,758,996 | $21,286,969 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Betty Wold Johnson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $40.2M 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 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Grounds For Sculpture describes its mission as combining art and welcoming spaces to engage visitors with artists’ work. Yonkers Partners in Education says it partners with students to help them prepare for, enroll in, and complete college. The Doe Fund describes its work as providing services to help people break cycles of homelessness, substance use, and criminal justice involvement. The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey says its mission is to save children’s lives and build healthy families through social services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $28,886,000. Grant amounts ranged from $11,000 to $10,000,000, with a median grant of $300,000.
Its largest 2024 grants included $10,000,000 to Success Academy, $5,000,000 each to Central Park Conservancy and Deerfield Academy, $2,525,000 to National Philanthropic Trust, and $2,000,000 to Grounds For Sculpture. The listed grants were for general support. Other reported 2024 grants included $50,000 to Yonkers Partners in Education, $20,000 to The Doe Fund, and $11,000 to The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ira Akselrad as president; Christopher W Johnson and Robert W Johnson IV as co-presidents; Theresa Altobelli as treasurer; and Lauren Howard as secretary.
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation is led by Christopher W. Johnson, Co-President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher W. Johnson
Co-President
President → Co-President, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ira Akselrad
President
Secretary → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert W. Johnson IV
Co-President
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Howard
Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theresa Altobelli
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kenneth J. Drummond (2020) — Treasurer
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 Betty Wold Johnson Foundation
How much does Betty Wold Johnson Foundation give each year?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation gave $28.9M across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $306K across 2 grants.
What is Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's typical grant size?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $300,000, and its average grant was $1,520,316, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Betty Wold Johnson Foundation give grants?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation gives mostly in New York: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (18%) and New Jersey (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Trenton, NJ (2 grants).
Does Betty Wold Johnson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's largest grantees?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Success Academy ($10,000,000), Central Park Conservancy ($5,000,000) and Deerfield Academy ($5,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Betty Wold Johnson Foundation?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation reported $874.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $40.2M (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 Betty Wold Johnson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Grounds For Sculpture describes its mission as combining art and welcoming spaces to engage visitors with artists’ work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Betty Wold Johnson 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 Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's EIN?
Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-4428102. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Betty Wold Johnson 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
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Betty Wold Johnson Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Betty Wold Johnson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Betty Wold Johnson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/betty-wold-johnson-foundation-morg_b4eed5b481d04e72be01270f00039308
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_834428102_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Betty Wold Johnson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/betty-wold-johnson-foundation-morg_b4eed5b481d04e72be01270f00039308},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Betty Wold Johnson 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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