Foundations & Grantmakers in New York
15,789 grantmakers in New York reported grants on their latest 990s. The 6,645 that made at least 5 grants gave $19.8B. The largest by giving are The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc, The Ford Foundation and The Andrew W Mellon Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse New York grants
Foundation giving in New York at a glance
Active grantmakers
15,789
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$19.8B
from the 6,645 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$93K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in New York by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | New York | $1.0B | 203 |
| 2 | The Ford Foundation | New York | $844.7M | 4,007 |
| 3 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $555.0M | 848 |
| 4 | Blue Meridian Partners Inc | New York | $484.2M | 99 |
| 5 | Foundation to Promote Open Society | New York | $481.5M | 738 |
| 6 | Freedom Together Foundation | New York | $470.0M | 595 |
| 7 | The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley | New York | $440.9M | 570 |
| 8 | The Jewish Federations of North America Inc | New York | $432.7M | 204 |
| 9 | Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc | New York | $326.0M | 1,101 |
| 10 | The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation | New York | $293.6M | 8 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Education 570 · 21%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 323 · 12%
- Human Services 319 · 12%
- Health 208 · 8%
- Religion Related 191 · 7%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 159 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in New York
- Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Inc $33.4M · 562 grants
- Central New York Community Foundation Inc $23.6M · 436 grants
- Rochester Area Community Foundation $22.9M · 554 grants
- The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties Inc $7.1M · 190 grants
- The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region Inc $5.3M · 286 grants
- Brooklyn Community Foundation $4.7M · 93 grants
- Fund for the City of New York Inc $3.7M · 35 grants
- Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Inc $3.7M · 102 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 31 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in New York
Foundations based in New York whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Leary Firefighters Foundation | 95% (56) | 59 in 2024 | $15K |
| 2 | Goodnation Foundation Inc | 94% (48) | 51 in 2024 | $187K |
| 3 | Schoengold Foundation Inc | 93% (40) | 43 in 2025 | $3K |
| 4 | The Sparkplug Foundation | 93% (40) | 43 in 2024 | $15K |
| 5 | Foundation for Orthopedic Trauma | 92% (73) | 79 in 2024 | $2K |
| 6 | City Harvest Inc | 89% (49) | 55 in 2025 | $11K |
| 7 | Gannett Foundation Inc | 88% (28) | 32 in 2025 | $2K |
| 8 | Chamber Music America Inc | 86% (31) | 36 in 2025 | $16K |
| 9 | Stephen & Tabitha King Foundation Inc | 85% (184) | 216 in 2024 | $29K |
| 10 | Yardeni Family Foundation | 84% (21) | 25 in 2024 | $11K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 6,645 grantmakers in New York with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$12.1B
Grants
203
Total Given
$1.0B
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The Andrew W Mellon Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
848
Total Given
$555.0M
Blue Meridian Partners Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$2.4B
Grants
99
Total Given
$484.2M
Foundation to Promote Open Society
New York, NY
Assets
$10.8B
Grants
738
Total Given
$481.5M
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
New York, NY
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
570
Total Given
$440.9M
The Jewish Federations of North America Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$429.8M
Grants
204
Total Given
$432.7M
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$134.4M
Grants
1,101
Total Given
$326.0M
The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$293.6M
United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
306
Total Given
$275.5M
The Simons Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,727
Total Given
$272.0M
The Rockefeller Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$6.4B
Grants
381
Total Given
$233.2M
Novo Foundation
Hurley, NY
Assets
$937.8M
Grants
508
Total Given
$214.1M
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
New York, NY
Assets
$639.2M
Grants
149
Total Given
$201.5M
The Paul E Singer Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$172.4M
Grants
54
Total Given
$200.0M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
11,076
Total Given
$193.0M
The Mental Health Association of New York City Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$171.8M
Grants
29
Total Given
$189.7M
Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy
West Point, NY
Assets
$784.4M
Grants
7
Total Given
$184.3M
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$456.2M
Grants
102
Total Given
$180.3M
Carnegie Corporation of New York
New York, NY
Assets
$4.8B
Grants
591
Total Given
$174.4M
Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
601
Total Given
$172.6M
Open Society Institute
New York, NY
Assets
$5.4B
Grants
559
Total Given
$146.9M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
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at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in New York
What are the largest foundations in New York?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc ($1.0B across 203 grants), The Ford Foundation ($844.7M) and The Andrew W Mellon Foundation ($555.0M). Together the top 10 account for 27% of the $19.8B given by the 6,645 grantmakers in New York that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in New York?
The typical grant is about $20K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $93K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in New York?
Yes. We found 31 community foundations in New York with grant activity. The largest by giving are Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Inc, Central New York Community Foundation Inc and Rochester Area Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find New York foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in New York from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.