Four Friends Foundation
Four Friends Foundation is a private foundation based in Albany, New York. It supports nonprofits that nurture, inspire, and activate young creators through artistic expression, with a focus on creative youth development and communications capacity.
Four Friends Foundation at a glance
In short: Four Friends Foundation gave $1.2M across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $32K), mostly in New York. 63% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,226,229
- +18.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- +81.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $32,269
- -34.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $35,948,394
- -3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 63% first-time grantees (24 of 38, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (60% 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 Four Friends Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 10879, Albany, NY 12207
Phone: (310) 492-8035
Website: https://fourfriendsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Four Friends Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cedars Sinai Women's Guild ($110K). Together the top 10 received $733K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 113 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (60%), California (19%), Michigan (16%), Massachusetts (4%), and Connecticut (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Four Friends Foundation open to new grantees?
63%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 38 grantees (63%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 26% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 73% 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 $553K (2022) to $1.3M (2020). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars Sinai Women's Guild West Hollywood, CA | Unrestricted | $110,000 |
| Inside Out Literary Arts Detroit, MI | Restricted to Capacity Building | $104,400 |
| Urban Arts Partnership New York, NY | Capacity Building | $103,200 |
| Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls Brooklyn, NY | Capacity Building | $100,600 |
| L a County Museum of Art Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $65,000 |
| Bronx Documentary Center Bronx, NY | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Brooklyn, NY | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| City Meals on Wheels New York, NY | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network West Bloomfield Townsh, MI | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| The Arts Connection Inc Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Four Friends Foundation?
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 | $35,948,394 | $10,172,507 | $1,803,694 | $1,226,229 | 38 | $1,500,816 | $1,949,995 | $2,053,293 |
| 2023 | $37,163,929 | $250,234 | $1,415,386 | $1,034,500 | 21 | $1,134,649 | $8,228,811 | $1,752,704 |
| 2022 | $38,242,758 | $13,469,454 | $769,925 | $553,173 | 22 | $603,221 | $3,294,027 | $1,264,027 |
| 2021 | $25,530,699 | $6,599,053 | $1,395,326 | $1,202,673 | 16 | $1,257,403 | $1,516,225 | $1,252,723 |
| 2020 | $20,334,550 | $1,076,488 | $1,463,341 | $1,293,500 | 16 | — | $310,447 | $1,066,397 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Four Friends Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M 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’s mission is to “energize young people and communities through creativity, storytelling and artistic expression.” It says it believes creativity unlocks potential and good ideas come from everywhere.
Its website describes support for creative youth development organizations that offer young people trajectory-changing opportunities through the arts. In 2024, grantees included organizations with varied missions: Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls says it empowers girls and gender-expansive youth through music education and mentorship; Urban Arts Partnership says it uses game development to teach computer science, creativity, collaboration, and leadership; and UpBeat NYC says it builds equity, opportunity, and community through free music education and ensemble performance.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $1,226,229. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $110,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest grants included $110,000 to Cedars Sinai Women’s Guild, $104,400 to InsideOut Literary Arts (restricted to capacity building), $103,200 to Urban Arts Partnership (capacity building), and $100,600 to Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls (capacity building). Other notable grants included $65,000 to L A County Museum of Art and $50,000 each to Bronx Documentary Center, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, City Meals on Wheels, Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, The Arts Connection, The Noel Pointer Foundation, and UpBeat NYC.
The foundation describes its 4Youth support as including strategic storytelling funding, general operating support, and communications consulting to help partners scope projects and source vendors.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Shaye, Eva Shaye, and Katja Shaye as trustees.
Four Friends Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Katja Shaye
Trustee
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $159K (2024)
Eva Shaye
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Shaye
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $159K, to Katja Shaye (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Four Friends Foundation
How much does Four Friends Foundation give each year?
Four Friends Foundation gave $1.2M across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 21 grants.
What is Four Friends Foundation's typical grant size?
Four Friends Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $32,269, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Four Friends Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Four Friends Foundation give grants?
Four Friends Foundation gives mostly in New York: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (19%) and Michigan (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (13 grants), Brooklyn, NY (8 grants), Detroit, MI (4 grants) and Bronx, NY (3 grants).
Does Four Friends Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 84% of Four Friends Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Building" (4 grants).
Who are Four Friends Foundation's largest grantees?
Four Friends Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cedars Sinai Women's Guild ($110,000), Inside Out Literary Arts ($104,400) and Urban Arts Partnership ($103,200), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Four Friends Foundation?
Four Friends Foundation reported $35.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (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 Four Friends Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to “energize young people and communities through creativity, storytelling and artistic expression.” It says it believes creativity unlocks potential and good ideas come from everywhere. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Four Friends Foundation?
The foundation 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 Four Friends Foundation's EIN?
Four Friends Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4292739. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Four Friends 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Four Friends Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/four-friends-foundation-morg_3c5cdf96118d4bf999dd65b5b9a9ee8a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954292739_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Four Friends Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/four-friends-foundation-morg_3c5cdf96118d4bf999dd65b5b9a9ee8a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Four Friends 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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