Denise Lefrak Foundation
The Denise Lefrak Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It made 12 grants totaling $218,050 in 2024, with listed recipients including research, health, community, and educational organizations.
Denise Lefrak Foundation at a glance
In short: Denise Lefrak Foundation gave $218K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in New York. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $218,050
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $18,171
- -13.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $5,180,174
- -1.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (62% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Denise Lefrak Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 820 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 867-4157
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Denise Lefrak Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New York STEM Cell Foundation Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $216K.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 62 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% each to California and Pennsylvania, 9% to Massachusetts, and 6% to Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Denise Lefrak Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 69% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 80% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $184K (2020) to $711K (2021). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $218K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York STEM Cell Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $25,550 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| NYU Langone Health New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Race to Erase MS Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Richard J Caron Foundation Wernersville, PA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Harvard Universty Cambridge, MA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Congregation of Emanu-El of the City of New York New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County Inc West Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $6,000 |
| Palm Beach Country Club Foundation Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $4,000 |
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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 | $5,180,174 | $220,019 | $294,020 | $218,050 | 12 | $231,091 | $169,171 | $289,181 |
| 2023 | $5,247,173 | $1,129,107 | $250,884 | $188,500 | 9 | $189,351 | $1,067,574 | $259,833 |
| 2022 | $4,373,632 | $1,699,171 | $404,123 | $361,442 | 5 | $361,998 | $656,039 | $234,366 |
| 2021 | $3,450,074 | $1,318,896 | $761,778 | $711,425 | 18 | $711,425 | $236,361 | $211,980 |
| 2020 | $3,113,557 | $1,786,102 | $203,547 | $183,950 | 18 | — | $756,921 | $142,306 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Denise Lefrak Foundation reported a distributable amount of $289K 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 2024 grants went to organizations with varied activities. Race to Erase MS says its mission is to fund research and promote awareness for the treatment and ultimate cure of multiple sclerosis. The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County says it works to strengthen Jewish identity, build relationships with Israel, and meet human needs in the Jewish community. The Palm Beach Country Club Foundation says it provides financial assistance to individuals and Palm Beach County charities. The Town of Palm Beach United Way says it invests in programs focused on education, income, and health.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 12 grants totaling $218,050. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, and the median grant was $22,500. Each listed grant was for general support.
The largest grants included $50,000 to New York Stem Cell Foundation Inc; $25,550 to Breast Cancer Research Foundation; $25,000 each to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, Race to Erase MS, and Richard J Caron Foundation; and $20,000 to Harvard Universty.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Denise Lefrak as president and Jennifer Bandier and Allison B Koffman as directors.
Denise Lefrak Foundation is led by Denise Lefrak, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Denise Lefrak
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison B. Koffman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Bandier
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Denise Lefrak Foundation
How much does Denise Lefrak Foundation give each year?
Denise Lefrak Foundation gave $218K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $189K across 9 grants.
What is Denise Lefrak Foundation's typical grant size?
Denise Lefrak Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $18,171, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Denise Lefrak Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Denise Lefrak Foundation give grants?
Denise Lefrak Foundation gives mostly in New York: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (11%) and Pennsylvania (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Palm Beach, FL (2 grants).
Does Denise Lefrak Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Denise Lefrak Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Denise Lefrak Foundation's largest grantees?
Denise Lefrak Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include New York STEM Cell Foundation Inc ($50,000), Breast Cancer Research Foundation ($25,550) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Denise Lefrak Foundation?
Denise Lefrak Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $231K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $289K (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 Denise Lefrak Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied activities. Race to Erase MS says its mission is to fund research and promote awareness for the treatment and ultimate cure of multiple sclerosis. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Denise Lefrak Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Denise Lefrak Foundation's EIN?
Denise Lefrak Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-5393182. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Denise Lefrak 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 Denise Lefrak Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Denise Lefrak Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/denise-lefrak-foundation-morg_e73cc47bcd41419a9ead397966eaff4a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_815393182_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Denise Lefrak Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/denise-lefrak-foundation-morg_e73cc47bcd41419a9ead397966eaff4a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Denise Lefrak 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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