The Lawrence B. and Elyse Benenson Charitarian Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. The organization operates from 10 Grand Central Tower in New York City and focuses on promoting good thinking and direct action through philanthropic giving.
Financial Overview
From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.9M
-30.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
-17.5% YoY
Grant Count
33
-40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
+37.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Charitarian reported a distributable amount of $156K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is grounded in the belief that people who have more ought to help people who have less. The Charitarian Foundation promotes, engenders, and spreads good thinking and direct action by giving money to organizations working in the following areas:
- Education
- Environmental causes
- Arts and creative endeavors
- Community empowerment
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
The foundation specifically targets organizations that actually help people and demonstrate meaningful impact.
Grantmaking
The foundation accepts applications from prospective grantees.
Grant Range
$1,000 to $200,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Washington, and Texas, with a particular emphasis on New York-based initiatives.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total assets: $2,898,151
- Total revenues: $178,861
- Total expenses: $1,436,184
- Giving rate: 47.7% of assets
- Number of employees: 0
Prior Year (2022):
- Total assets: $2,547,995
| Metric | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,898,151 | $4,155,474 | $4,290,492 |
| Revenue | $178,861 | $1,611,303 | $2,307,537 |
| Expenses | $1,436,184 | $1,746,321 | $1,197,178 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,393,203 | $1,686,378 | $1,154,770 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,614 | $89,443 | $390,129 |
| Distributable Amount | $156,325 | $229,652 | $196,086 |
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 2023
Grant Size Distribution
176 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include United Jewish Appeal of ($200,000), Patriotic Millionaires Research ($150,000), Museum of Modern Art ($107,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 92NY NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $46,450 |
| AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSUEM NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $35,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| AVENUES FOR JUSTICE NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $4,500 |
| CHABAD OF CHAPEL HILLDURHAM CHAPEL HILL, NC | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $26,000 |
| CHAMAH INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $106,624 |
| FRACTURED ATLAS INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $2,700 |
| FRICK COLLECTION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $50,000 |
| HUNTER COLLEGE FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $25,000 |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION | $107,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Lawrence B. Benenson serves as trustee of the foundation.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
From 2023 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWRENCE B BENENSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 10 Grand Central Tower New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 716-9004
Email: info@charitarian.com
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Charitarian fund?
The foundation's mission is grounded in the belief that people who have more ought to help people who have less. The Charitarian Foundation promotes, engenders, and spreads good thinking and direct action by giving money to organizations working in the following areas: • Education • Environmental causes • Arts and creative endeavors • Community empowerment • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism The foundation specifically targets organizations that actually help people and demonstrate …
How do I apply for a grant from Charitarian?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 53 grants in 2023 • Total giving: $930,139 to $1,381,718 annually (depending on fiscal year) • Grant range: $1,000 to $200,000 • Median grant size: $25,000 **Recent Grants (2023):** • UJA-Federation of New York: $200,000 • Patriotic Millionaires Research Center: $150,000 • Museum of Modern Art: $107,500 **Application Policy:** The foundation accepts applications from prospective grantees.
Where does Charitarian make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Washington, and Texas, with a particular emphasis on New York-based initiatives.
What size grants does Charitarian award?
In 2023, Charitarian awarded 33 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $42K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Charitarian required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, Charitarian reported a distributable amount of $156K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Charitarian's EIN?
Charitarian's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-7079333. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Charitarian's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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