Carnegie Corporation of New York is one of America's oldest grantmaking foundations, established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie. The foundation is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in New York City with both national and international grantmaking scope. The Corporation was created to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding, and today focuses on reducing political polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.5B
+10.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$148.9M
+0.6% YoY
Grant Count
528
-8.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$282K
+9.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Andrew Carnegie endowed the Corporation with the bulk of his fortune—$135 million at its establishment. The foundation's mission centers on issues Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.
The Corporation currently supports four key program areas:
- Education
- Democracy
- International Peace and Security
- Higher Education and Research in Africa
Additional focus areas include children and youth, immigrants and migrants, academics, graduate and professional education, teacher education, reading promotion, information and communications, libraries, elections, voter education and registration, national security, international human rights, antidiscrimination, immigrant and refugee rights, international relations, and arms control and nuclear non-proliferation.
Grantmaking
During fiscal year 2023–2024, the Corporation awarded 353 grants totaling $174 million. Typical grant awards range from $500 to $3,200,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Corporation's grantmaking is both national and international in scope. Funding reaches numerous cities across the United States, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, with particular concentration in the District of Columbia, New York, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of September 30, 2024:
- Total Assets: $4.54 billion
- Total Revenue: $330 million (fiscal year 2024)
- Total Expenses: $240 million (fiscal year 2024)
- Total Liabilities: $183 million (fiscal year 2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,536,407,530 | $4,098,600,165 | $4,065,280,317 |
| Revenue | $330,095,125 | $548,723,411 | $553,681,783 |
| Expenses | $239,728,496 | $221,107,939 | $225,206,147 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $176,957,660 | $176,099,135 | $189,316,890 |
| Net Investment Income | $181,730,686 | $405,931,350 | $518,100,030 |
| Distributable Amount | $207,304,214 | $195,226,232 | $209,946,858 |
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
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Carnegie Corporation of New York
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Louise Richardson joined the Corporation as the 13th president in January 2023. She previously served as vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford and the University of St Andrews, and as executive dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Janet Robinson serves as chair of the Board of Trustees.
Louise Richardson's predecessor, Vartan Gregorian, served as president for nearly 24 years.
The Corporation is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and employs 97 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Corporation has announced multiple grant rounds supporting its priority areas. Recent collaborations include work with the YMCA of the USA to strengthen youth civic engagement nationwide. The foundation continues active grantmaking across education, democracy, international peace and security, and higher education and research in Africa.
Carnegie Corporation of New York Board Approves 50 Grants ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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