First Hungarian Literary Society Inc
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports $600,000 in grants to 11 organizations, with stated grant purposes of supporting Hungarian culture, literature, and art among immigrants.
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc at a glance
In short: First Hungarian Literary Society Inc gave $600K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $55K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $600,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $54,545
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $11,627,154
- -3.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to First Hungarian Literary Society Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The society states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 20503, New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 873-3097
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who First Hungarian Literary Society Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Ballet Theater ($100K). Together the top 10 received $585K.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 5 grants of 11 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The society is based in New York, NY. In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 7% to recipients in Massachusetts, and 2% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How First Hungarian Literary Society Inc gives
- In 2025 it paid out 258% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $600K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Ballet Theater New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $100,000 |
| The Yivo Institute New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $100,000 |
| The Leo Baeck Institute New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $100,000 |
| The Carnegie Hall Corporation New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $50,000 |
| The Metropolitan Opera Association New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $50,000 |
| The Museum Jewish Hertiage New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $50,000 |
| The New Stage Theater Company Inc New York, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $40,000 |
| Close Encounters with Music Inc Great Barrington, MA | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $40,000 |
| Symphony Pops of Long Island Wantagh, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $40,000 |
| Hungarian Parent Teacher Assoc of N New York City, NY | to provide funds to Hungarian culture, literature and art among immigrants | $15,000 |
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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 | $11,627,154 | $434,115 | $976,456 | $600,000 | 11 | $670,428 | $127,398 | $259,927 |
| 2024 | $12,102,085 | $184,063 | $187,903 | — | — | $117,769 | $109,149 | $253,179 |
| 2023 | $12,059,341 | $173,164 | $180,190 | — | — | — | $170,871 | — |
| 2022 | $12,037,838 | $19,362 | $146,718 | — | — | — | $17,563 | — |
| 2021 | $12,229,653 | $8,361 | $37,961 | — | — | — | $7,688 | — |
| 2020 | $12,286,239 | $44,060 | $102,215 | — | — | — | $41,375 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, First Hungarian Literary Society Inc reported a distributable amount of $260K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The society states that it aims to foster culture among its members; cultivate literature, the arts, and sciences; and promote better understanding among members. Its stated activities also include providing regular members with cemetery plots, when available, and financial aid in certain circumstances of need, as determined by the society.
The 2025 grants went to cultural, arts, historical, and community organizations. Carnegie Hall Corporation, which received $50,000, describes its own mission as presenting music and musicians, bringing music’s transformative power to a wide audience, and using the three stages of its hall.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the society reported 11 grants totaling $600,000. Grants ranged from $15,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The stated purpose for each listed grant was to provide funds for Hungarian culture, literature, and art among immigrants.
Notable grants included $100,000 each to American Ballet Theater, the YIVO Institute, and the Leo Baeck Institute; and $50,000 each to Carnegie Hall Corporation, the Metropolitan Opera Association, and the Museum Jewish Heritage.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Fred Levine and Susan Levine as Secretaries; Alex Ferenczi as Executive Director; Juliet Gluck as Treasurer; Edina Zsarnai as President; and Vera Loewy, Veronica Havas, and Liz Sugar as Chairmen.
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc is led by Edina Zsarnai, President since 2025 (on filings since 2024); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edina Zsarnai
President
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex Ferenczi
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Liz Sugar
Chairman
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vera Loewy
Chairman
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Veronica Havas
Chairman
Trustee → Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Juliet Gluck
Treasurer
CFO → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fred Levine
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Levine
Secretary
On filings since 2024
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Louis Allan (2020–2024) — President
- Former: Agnes Chese (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David Gluck (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Karl Bardosh (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Sol Graf (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Suzan Haynal (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Tibor Varganyi (2020) — Vice President
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 First Hungarian Literary Society Inc
How much does First Hungarian Literary Society Inc give each year?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc gave $600K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's typical grant size?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $54,545, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does First Hungarian Literary Society Inc give grants?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc gives mostly in New York: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Does First Hungarian Literary Society Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's largest grantees?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's largest 2025 grantees include American Ballet Theater ($100,000), The Yivo Institute ($100,000) and The Leo Baeck Institute ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is First Hungarian Literary Society Inc?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc reported $11.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $670K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $260K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does First Hungarian Literary Society Inc fund?
The society states that it aims to foster culture among its members; cultivate literature, the arts, and sciences; and promote better understanding among members. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Hungarian Literary Society Inc?
The society 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 First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's EIN?
First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3844615. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does First Hungarian Literary Society Inc 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 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in First Hungarian Literary Society Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). First Hungarian Literary Society Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/first-hungarian-literary-society-inc-morg_c4c85a59f8404a51a2b1ad2ae35116bf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133844615_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{First Hungarian Literary Society Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/first-hungarian-literary-society-inc-morg_c4c85a59f8404a51a2b1ad2ae35116bf},
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 First Hungarian Literary Society 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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