Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 22-3048720

The Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY, established in 1990. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a focus on supporting education, the arts, and human services.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.8M

-0.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$294K

-25.4% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$13K

-25.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson reported a distributable amount of $250K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
The Arts
Health care, including hospitals
Children and youth services

Grantmaking

The foundation also supports general operating support, membership dues, and specific scholarships such as the Ada Horton Scholarship in memory of Larry Breakiron.

Average Grant

activity: 19 grants made in 2024

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

New York
Massachusetts
Vermont

Grant Distribution by State

New York $735K (32%)

Massachusetts $470K (20%)

New Jersey $373K (16%)

Connecticut $272K (12%)

Florida $194K (8%)

Vermont $98K (4%)

Pennsylvania $86K (4%)

Colorado $80K (3%)

+2 more states

States

Colorado Connecticut Florida Massachusetts Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Texas Vermont

Cities

AustinBarneBarnetBoulderBrooklynColumbiaFlorenceGlassboroHamiltonHopewellIthacaKey WestLitchfieldNantucketNew BrunswickNew YorkPhiladelphiaPrincetonShippensburgTivoli

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $4,818,126
Total Revenues: $332,271
Total Expenses: $343,490
Total Giving: $293,900

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $4,830,000
Total Revenue: $168,000
Total Expenses: $427,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,818,126	$4,829,345	$5,087,784
Revenue	$332,271	$168,119	$83,122
Expenses	$343,490	$426,558	$339,986
Qualifying Distributions	$314,585	$399,550	$311,902
Net Investment Income	$303,366	$141,111	$55,038
Distributable Amount	$249,895	$235,742	$247,804

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

117 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Grounds for Sculpture ($50,000), Theatre Workshop of Nantucket Inc ($30,000), Key West Literary Society ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARTISTS ASSOCIATION OF NANTUCKET NANTUCKET, MA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$7,500
ARTISTS ASSOCIATION OF NANTUCKET NANTUCKET, MA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$10,000
EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER WATERFORD, CT	MONTE CRISTO AWARDS	$21,500
FRACTURED ATLAS NEW YORK, NY	SCREEN PLAY SUPPORT	$1,500
FRACTURED ATLAS NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$6,000
GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$10,000
GROUNDS FOR SCULPTURE HAMILTON, NJ	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$50,000
KEY WEST LITERARY SOCIETY KEY WEST, FL	ELIZABETH BISHOP HOUSE	$8,000
KEY WEST LITERARY SOCIETY KEY WEST, FL	ELIZABETH BISHOP HOUSE	$25,000
KEY WEST PLAYERS KEY WEST, FL	WATERFRONT PLAYHOUSE	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JOYCE H JOHNSON	PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY	1	—
MICHAEL GREENLEAF	TRUSTEE	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2019

In April 2019, George Street Playhouse held a gala honoring Seward and Cecelia Joyce Johnson, recognizing their support and contributions to the arts community.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy Foundations

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson fund?

The foundation's giving priorities include: • **Education** • **Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking** • **Human Services** • **The Arts** • **Health care, including hospitals** • **Children and youth services**

How do I apply for a grant from Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $1,000–$75,000 • Average grant activity: 19 grants made in 2024 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Grounds For Sculpture: $50,000 (General Operating Support) • Theatre Workshop of Nantucket: $30,000 (General Operating Support) • Shippensburg University Foundation: $25,000 (Ada Horton Scholarship) The foundation also supports general operating support, membership dues, and specific scholarships such as the Ada Horton Scholarship in memory of Larry Break…

Where does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • Massachusetts • Vermont

What size grants does Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson award?

In 2024, Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson awarded 23 grants totaling $294K — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Cecelia Joyce and Seward Johnson reported a distributable amount of $250K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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 2020–2024.