Gray Foundation is a private philanthropic organization based in Albany, New York, established in 2014. Operating as a 501(c)(3) private independent foundation, Gray Foundation accomplishes its charitable mission exclusively through grant payments to qualified charitable organizations rather than direct charitable activities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$45.5M

+1.2% YoY

Grant Count

146

-18.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$312K

+24.0% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Gray Foundation operates with a dual mission:

  1. BRCA & Cancer Research: Accelerate research, raise awareness, and improve treatment for individuals and families with inherited BRCA mutations and related cancers.

  2. NYC Youth Access & Opportunity: Expand access to education, healthcare, and opportunity for NYC youth from low-income communities, with particular emphasis on youth mental health and supporting NYC public school students.

Primary funding areas include:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy and Grantmaking
  • Human Services
  • Mental Health
  • Youth Development
  • Arts and Culture
  • Community Development
  • Health and Well-Being
  • Diversity and Inclusion

Grantmaking

No specific application process information is available in verified sources.

Grant Range

$500 to $13.9 million

Average Grant

amount: $312,000

How to Apply

**

Ready to take the next step with Gray Foundation?

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Gray Foundation primarily funds organizations in:

  • New York (84 grants to New York City; 10 to Bronx; 3 to Brooklyn; 6 to Long Island City)
  • Massachusetts (6 grants to Boston; 2 to Cambridge)
  • District of Columbia (5 grants)
  • Additional funding in California, Connecticut, Illinois, and other states

Grant Distribution by State

18states
+10 more states

Cities

ALEXANDRIAANNANDALEONHUDSONATLANTABALTIMOREBARRINGTONBOSTONBRAINTREEBRIDGTONBRONXBROOKLINEBROOKLYNCAMBRIDGECHICAGOCOLD SPRING HARBORCOS COBCohoesDALLASDENVEREVANSTONFOREST HILLS

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024

  • Total Assets: $83.4 million
  • Total Revenue: $82.0 million
  • Total Expenses: $49.3 million
  • Total Liabilities: $0

Historical Data (2023)

  • Total Assets: $81.5 million
  • Total Revenue: $64 million
  • Total Expenses: $48.4 million

Gray Foundation ranks in the top 1% of U.S. foundations by asset size (Rank #549 of 159,550).

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$11M$23M$34M$45M1 grants20201 grants2021183 grants2022179 grants2023146 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTI…$2.1MASPHALT GREEN INC$800KBARD COLLEGE$500KEXPANDED SCHOOLS INC$250KBRONX CHILDREN'S MUSEUM$226KBROOKLYN COLLEGE FOUNDAT…$200KEAST HARLEM TUTORIAL PRO…$200KBREAST CANCER RESEARCH F…$175KBRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSP…$154KCENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY…$126K

Grant Size Distribution

152 grants across all recorded years

70<$50K34$50–100K29$100–250K8$250–500K7$500K–1M2$1–5M2$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Name Title Compensation
Jonathan Gray President $0 (1 hour/week)
Mindy Gray Secretary & Treasurer $0 (1 hour/week)
Dana Zucker Chief Executive Officer $630,000 (40 hours/week)
Charissa Fernandez President $400,000 (40 hours/week)
Margaret McConville Office Manager $200,000 (40 hours/week)
Charlotte Baynard Program Officer $108,000 (40 hours/week)
Chi Van Dang Chief Science Officer $125,000 (10 hours/week)
Brandon Acevedo Program Associate $60,000 (40 hours/week)

The foundation employs 6-7 staff members.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

DANA ZUCKERCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER$630KCHARISSA FERNANDEZPRESIDENT$400K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
JONATHAN GRAYPRESIDENT1
MINDY GRAYSECRETARY & TREASURER1
DANA ZUCKERCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER40$630,000
CHARISSA FERNANDEZPRESIDENT40$400,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

**NYC Kids Rise Program**: The foundation has supported NYC Kids Rise, a scholarship and savings program for public school students. The program has surpassed $57 million invested for students, with over 342,000 participating students citywide.

Stony Brook University announces $1 million grant from The Gray Foundation

**Stony Brook University**: Gray Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to Stony Brook University for student scholarships.

Stony Brook University Announces $1M Grant From The Gray Foundation - SBU

**Media Coverage**: The foundation has received coverage in major publications including the New York Times, Daily News, and The TODAY Show, with features on topics including genetic testing for breast cancer awareness and college savings initiatives for NYC public school students.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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