Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 grants supported arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, and other organizations, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $454,400.
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson at a glance
In short: Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson gave $687K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $36K), mostly in Massachusetts. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $686,900
- +133.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -17.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $36,153
- +182.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,359,045
- -9.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson
- How to Apply
-
No form is specified. The filing lists no award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: The Cecelia Joyce And Seward Johnso
Mailing address: PO Box 778, New York, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 485-5400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Artists Association of Nantucket ($454K). Together the top 10 received $648K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 107 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 12% to Florida, and 4% each to New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The listed largest grants also included recipients in Colorado and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 17 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 128% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 271% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $279K (2019) to $997K (2020). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $687K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Artists Association of Nantucket Nantucket, MA | General Operating Support | $454,400 |
| Key West Literary Society Key West, FL | Elizabeth Bishop House | $33,000 |
| Theatre Workshop of Nantucket Inc Nantucket, MA | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Key West Literary Society Key West, FL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Shippensburg University Foundation Shippensburg, PA | Ada Horton Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Florida Atlantic University Foundation Inc Boca Raton, FL | 2025 Elaine Wold Memorial | $21,000 |
| Sakyong Potrang Boulder, CO | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Waterford, CT | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| George Street Playhouse New Brunswick, NJ | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Hopewell Valley Arts Council Pennington, NJ | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,359,045 | $267,444 | $726,525 | $686,900 | 19 | $697,752 | $238,671 | $257,428 |
| 2024 | $4,818,126 | $332,271 | $343,490 | $293,900 | 23 | $314,585 | $303,366 | $249,895 |
| 2023 | $4,829,345 | $168,119 | $426,558 | $394,150 | 23 | $399,550 | $141,111 | $235,742 |
| 2022 | $5,087,784 | $83,122 | $339,986 | $300,925 | 19 | $311,902 | $55,038 | $247,804 |
| 2021 | $5,344,648 | $287,051 | $492,529 | $341,500 | 23 | $390,775 | $253,297 | $292,727 |
| 2020 | $5,550,126 | $4,522,560 | $1,068,504 | $997,000 | 29 | — | $4,516,144 | $230,581 |
| 2019 | $2,096,070 | $248,088 | $326,542 | $279,250 | 22 | — | $247,088 | $284,500 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson reported a distributable amount of $257K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, including theater companies, literary organizations, and an arts organization focused on visual arts.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Artists Association of Nantucket says it fosters visual arts on the island and supports local artists through education and community-building. George Street Playhouse describes its mission as producing theater and providing theater education. Shippensburg University Foundation says it secures funds for university students and programs, including scholarships and research.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $686,900. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $454,400, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable awards included $454,400 to Artists Association of Nantucket for general operating support; $33,000 to Key West Literary Society for Elizabeth Bishop House; $30,000 to Theatre Workshop of Nantucket for general operating support; $25,000 to Shippensburg University Foundation for the Ada Horton Scholarship; and $21,000 to Florida Atlantic University Foundation for the 2025 Elaine Wold Memorial.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It specifies no application form, no award restrictions, and no deadlines.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joyce H. Johnson as president and secretary, with a notation that she died on September 30, 2025. Michael Greenleaf began as trustee and treasurer on October 1, 2025; John S. Johnson began as president on that date; and India Blake began as secretary on that date.
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson is led by Joyce H. Johnson, President & Secretary since 2021 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joyce H. Johnson
President & Secretary
Vice President & Secretary → President & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John S. Johnson
President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Greenleaf
Trustee & Treasurer
Trustee → Trustee & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
India Blake
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: J. Seward Johnson Jr. (2019–2020) — President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson
How much does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson give each year?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson gave $687K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $294K across 23 grants.
What is Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's typical grant size?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $36,153, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson that year got $11K on average.
Where does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson give grants?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson gives mostly in Massachusetts: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (3 grants), Key West, FL (3 grants), Brooklyn, NY (2 grants) and Barnet, VT (2 grants).
Does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's largest grantees?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's largest 2025 grantees include Artists Association of Nantucket ($454,400), Key West Literary Society ($58,000 across 2 grants) and Theatre Workshop of Nantucket Inc ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $698K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $257K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, including theater companies, literary organizations, and an arts organization focused on visual arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson?
No form is specified. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's EIN?
Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3048720. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cecelia-joyce-and-seward-johnson-morg_24a6b4189d8f4132b50468cfec7b1a84
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223048720_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cecelia-joyce-and-seward-johnson-morg_24a6b4189d8f4132b50468cfec7b1a84},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson'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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