Ember Foundation
Ember Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In its 2025 filing, it reported 20 grants totaling $19,100. Its grants that year went primarily to organizations in New York, with 5% of grant dollars going to Washington, DC.
Ember Foundation at a glance
In short: Ember Foundation gave $19K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $955), mostly in New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $19,100
- -15.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $955
- -32.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $293,840
- -2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (4 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ember 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: 760 West End Ave 16E, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (914) 949-2990
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ember Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Central Synagogue ($3K). Together the top 10 received $12K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 5% to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ember Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 20 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $944. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $975 repeat.
- 35% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $16K (2020) to $29K (2021). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $19K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central Synagogue New York, NY | General Support | $2,950 |
| Congregation Beit Simchat Torah New York, NY | General Support | $1,500 |
| City Harvest New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| City Meals on Wheels New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Coalition for the Homeless New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Food Bank for New York City New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Gods Love We Deliver New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Share Our Strength Washington, DC | General Support | $1,000 |
| Hunger Free NY City New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Hunger Solutions New York New York, NY | General Support | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $293,840 | $24,320 | $32,559 | $19,100 | 20 | $25,983 | $18,444 | $25,737 |
| 2024 | $302,079 | $30,631 | $35,470 | $22,505 | 16 | $28,995 | $24,950 | $24,411 |
| 2023 | $306,918 | $3,870 | $38,086 | $26,325 | 21 | $32,625 | $4,929 | $23,504 |
| 2022 | $412,234 | $24,641 | $32,766 | $19,184 | 18 | $19,184 | $19,198 | $27,393 |
| 2021 | $420,359 | $34,508 | $45,120 | $29,436 | 32 | $36,636 | $28,433 | $28,380 |
| 2020 | $430,971 | $17,070 | $23,092 | $16,319 | 41 | — | $12,049 | $27,531 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ember Foundation reported a distributable amount of $26K 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 included support for organizations addressing hunger and homelessness, as well as arts organizations. For example, Coalition for the Homeless describes its work as providing direct services and advocacy for homeless individuals and families. Food Bank For New York City says it works to help New Yorkers achieve food security, while the Metropolitan Museum of Art describes its work as collecting, studying, conserving, and presenting art.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $19,100 across 20 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $2,950, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest listed awards were $2,950 to Central Synagogue and $1,500 to Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, both for general support. Other listed $1,000 grants included awards to City Harvest, City Meals on Wheels, Coalition for the Homeless, Food Bank for New York City, God’s Love We Deliver, Share Our Strength, Hunger Free NYC, Hunger Solutions New York, Westside Campaign Against Hunger, and WhyHunger.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Max Ember as trustee and Richard Ember as president.
Ember Foundation is led by Richard Ember, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Richard Ember
President
Trustee → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Max Ember
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Muller (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Peter Ember (2020–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Ember Foundation
How much does Ember Foundation give each year?
Ember Foundation gave $19K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $23K across 16 grants.
What is Ember Foundation's typical grant size?
Ember Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $955, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ember Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Ember Foundation give grants?
Ember Foundation gives mostly in New York: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (19 grants).
Does Ember Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ember Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ember Foundation's largest grantees?
Ember Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Central Synagogue ($2,950), Congregation Beit Simchat Torah ($1,500) and City Harvest ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ember Foundation?
Ember Foundation reported $294K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $26K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ember Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations addressing hunger and homelessness, as well as arts organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ember 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 Ember Foundation's EIN?
Ember Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3799925. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Ember 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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