Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation
The Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation is a private foundation based in Falls Church, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in areas including public broadcasting, education, civil liberties, advocacy, and humanitarian aid.
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation at a glance
In short: Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation gave $239K across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state New York. 49% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $238,750
- +516.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- +142.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,190
- +154.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $2,779,179
- +259.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 49% first-time grantees (22 of 45, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (32% 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 Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says to send a written letter to Derek Smith. It states that gifts are made on a rolling basis and that awards have no restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None; gifts are made on a rolling basis, according to the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None; gifts are made on a rolling basis, according to the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Derek Smith
Mailing address: 6541 Brooks Place, Falls Church, VA 22044
Phone: (571) 278-1422
Email: dsmith@7cornersgroup.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Public Radio ($26K). Together the top 10 received $131K.
Grant Size Distribution
155 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 155 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed primarily to recipients in New York (32%), the District of Columbia (24%), Virginia (19%), and Maryland (11%). Alabama received 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation open to new grantees?
49%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 45 grantees (49%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 180% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 109% 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 $39K (2024) to $239K (2025). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $239K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Public Radio Baltimore, MD | General Support | $25,500 |
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Fresh Air Fund New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Washington, DC | General Support | $10,000 |
| Doctors without Borders New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Common Cause Education Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $10,000 |
| Prep for Prep New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Care Washington, DC | General Support | $10,000 |
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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 | $2,779,179 | $2,294,057 | $308 | $238,750 | 46 | $243,750 | $171,478 | $224,259 |
| 2024 | $773,209 | $65,514 | $40,641 | $38,750 | 19 | $38,750 | — | $114,552 |
| 2023 | $785,444 | $83,509 | $9,566 | $111,250 | 31 | $111,250 | $63,104 | $98,116 |
| 2022 | $1,027,629 | $361,244 | $95,895 | $85,250 | 27 | $87,650 | $139,016 | $104,208 |
| 2021 | $959,490 | $530,497 | $110,111 | $95,100 | 32 | — | $353,271 | $88,764 |
| 2020 | $667,677 | $297,225 | $99,484 | $97,400 | 31 | — | $74,845 | $64,941 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation reported a distributable amount of $224K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, PBS Foundation says it raises philanthropic support to promote public broadcasting, while Prep for Prep describes its work as expanding educational access and opportunity for New York City students. The American Civil Liberties Union describes its mission as advancing civil liberties, and the Southern Poverty Law Center says it works to advance racial justice and human rights.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 46 grants totaling $238,750. Grants ranged from $300 to $25,500, with a median of $3,000. The largest reported grants included $25,500 to National Public Radio and $25,000 to PBS Foundation, both for general support. Other grants of $10,000 each went to Fresh Air Fund, Planned Parenthood, Doctors without Borders, Southern Poverty Law Center, Common Cause Education Fund, Prep for Prep, Vassar College, CARE, and the American Civil Liberties Union. The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund received $9,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Derek P. Smith as President and Treasurer and Maria P. Smith as Secretary.
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation is led by Derek P. Smith, President & Treasurer since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Derek P. Smith
President & Treasurer
Treasurer → President Treasurer, 2023
President Treasurer → President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Maria P. Smith
Secretary
Vice President & Secretary → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Elisabeth De Picciotto (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Philip De Picciotto (2020–2022) — Director & Board Member
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 Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation
How much does Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation give each year?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation gave $239K across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 19 grants.
What is Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's typical grant size?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,190, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation give grants?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's top state is New York, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (24%) and Virginia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (13 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Arlington, VA (2 grants) and Falls Church, VA (2 grants).
Does Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's largest grantees?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Public Radio ($25,500), PBS Foundation ($25,000) and Fresh Air Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $244K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $224K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation?
The 2024 filing says to send a written letter to Derek Smith. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's EIN?
Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6062709. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frank-and-janina-petschek-foundation-morg_c10eb7a0615c4dd2ba5965da94a60dad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136062709_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frank and Janina Petschek Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frank-and-janina-petschek-foundation-morg_c10eb7a0615c4dd2ba5965da94a60dad},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Frank and Janina Petschek 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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