Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. It primarily supports literacy programs throughout the United States by giving to libraries, school systems, and other nonprofit organizations; it also supports museums and other public charities.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc gave $183K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $182,845
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,095
- +0.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,550,292
- +3.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (45% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 450 14Th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (718) 965-1266
Website: HTTP://WWW.EZRA-JACK-KEATS.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Southern Mississippi ($36K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 84 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated support for literacy programs is nationwide. In 2024, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were New York 45%, Mississippi 22%, Washington, DC 9%, California 5%, and Minnesota 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc gives
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 176% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $123K (2020) to $183K (2024). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $183K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $36,000 |
| Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn, NY | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $21,400 |
| Fund for the Public Schools New York, NY | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $12,600 |
| University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $8,000 |
| Maryland Institute of College Art Baltimore, MD | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,500 |
| American Ciliv Liberties Union New York, NY | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,000 |
| Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CA | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Washington DC, DC | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,000 |
| National Center for Children's Illustrate Abilene, TX | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,000 |
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | The grants are gived to support literary programs throughout the united states in libraries and public shcools. | $6,000 |
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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 | $4,550,292 | $804,358 | $536,959 | $182,845 | 30 | $353,178 | $21,507 | $200,549 |
| 2023 | $4,401,922 | $800,543 | $515,161 | $163,816 | 27 | $323,811 | — | $198,771 |
| 2022 | $4,192,332 | $760,948 | $527,739 | $138,995 | 24 | $376,640 | — | $206,472 |
| 2021 | $4,868,655 | $529,403 | $504,048 | $135,261 | 1 | $319,652 | $58,209 | — |
| 2020 | $5,068,891 | $491,006 | $504,747 | $122,570 | 2 | — | $15,290 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $201K 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
The foundation states that it primarily supports literacy programs across the United States through donations to libraries, school systems, and other nonprofits. It also supports museums and other public charities.
Among its 2024 grantees, Brooklyn Public Library describes its mission as preserving and sharing society’s knowledge, history, and culture and providing Brooklyn residents free access to information. The Jewish Museum describes its mission as collecting, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting art and Jewish culture. Direct Relief describes its mission as improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. The University of Southern Mississippi’s Alumni Association describes its mission as benefiting the university, its students, and alumni through traditions, activities, events, and publications.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $182,845. Individual grants ranged from $750 to $36,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest awards included $36,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, $21,400 to Brooklyn Public Library, $12,600 to Fund for the Public Schools, and $8,000 to the University of Minnesota. The stated purpose for these awards was to support literary programs in libraries and public schools throughout the United States.
Other listed 2024 grants included $6,000 each to Direct Relief, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Planned Parenthood, School Art League, and NARALNY PAC, as well as $2,000 to the Jewish Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Deborah Pope as president, Miriam Pope as secretary, and Eileen Bayer, Reynold Ruffins, and David Epstein as directors.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc is led by Deborah Pope, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Deborah Pope
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$89K (2020) → $114K (2024)
David Epstein
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eileen Bayer
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reynold Ruffins
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Miriam Pope
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Martin Pope (2020) — President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $114K, to Deborah Pope (President).
Frequently asked questions about Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc
How much does Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc give each year?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc gave $183K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $164K across 27 grants.
What is Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,095, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc give grants?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Mississippi (22%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (13 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants), Hattiesburg, MS (2 grants) and Washington DC, DC (2 grants).
Does Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include University of Southern Mississippi ($36,000), Brooklyn Public Library ($21,400) and Fund for the Public Schools ($12,600), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $353K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $201K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation states that it primarily supports literacy programs across the United States through donations to libraries, school systems, and other nonprofits. It also supports museums and other public charities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's EIN?
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7072750. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 20, 2022)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ezra-jack-keats-foundation-inc-morg_40c3705a3f0649d4b4f8daab1b818f43
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237072750_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ezra-jack-keats-foundation-inc-morg_40c3705a3f0649d4b4f8daab1b818f43},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Inc'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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