Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation
The Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In 2024, it reported nine grants totaling $690,900 to organizations including medical colleges, Jewish community organizations, and other charitable organizations.
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation at a glance
In short: Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation gave $691K across 9 grants in 2024 (avg $77K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $690,900
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 9
- -10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $76,767
- +6.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $7,675,523
- +2.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: A Lesk-Fried Frank1 New York Pza, New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212) 859-8070
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Weill Cornell Medical College ($250K). Together the top 9 received $691K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 45 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 4% to recipients in California, and 1% to recipients in the District of Columbia, as reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
Cities
How Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $580K (2020) to $718K (2023). In 2024 it made 9 grants totaling $691K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Weill Cornell Medical College New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $250,000 |
| NYU Medical School New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $141,200 |
| UJA Federation of New York New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $94,500 |
| Hiasinc New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $64,700 |
| Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $50,000 |
| Selfhelp Community Services New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $50,000 |
| Direct Relief for Ukraine Santa Barbara, CA | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $25,000 |
| UJA Israel Emergency Fund New York, NY | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $10,500 |
| US Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | Provide 501c3 org funds to carry out charitable purpose | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,675,523 | $925,921 | $777,823 | $690,900 | 9 | $690,900 | $838,998 | $711,968 |
| 2023 | $7,527,425 | $751,399 | $811,463 | $718,425 | 10 | $718,425 | $658,361 | $656,542 |
| 2022 | $7,587,489 | $167,030 | $835,765 | $718,425 | 9 | $718,425 | $142,161 | $722,719 |
| 2021 | $8,256,224 | $1,707,775 | $717,182 | $610,000 | 9 | — | $1,600,593 | $717,512 |
| 2020 | $7,265,631 | $860,296 | $711,971 | $580,000 | 8 | — | $726,225 | $607,299 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation reported a distributable amount of $712K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations including Weill Cornell Medical College, NYU Medical School, UJA Federation of New York, HIAS Inc., and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Selfhelp Community Services, a 2024 grantee, describes its mission as maintaining the independence and dignity of seniors and at-risk populations through housing, home health care, and social services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported nine grants totaling $690,900. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $250,000 to Weill Cornell Medical College, $141,200 to NYU Medical School, $94,500 to UJA Federation of New York, and $64,700 to HIAS Inc. Selfhelp Community Services and Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty each received $50,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ann B. Lesk as president, Emily Johnson as vice president, and Howard Lubcher as secretary and treasurer.
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation is led by Ann B. Lesk, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ann B. Lesk
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Johnson
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Howard Lubcher
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frederick Lubcher (2020–2021) — Sec-Treasurer · Filing note: Deceased 112920
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.
Frequently asked questions about Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation
How much does Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation give each year?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation gave $691K across 9 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $718K across 10 grants.
What is Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's typical grant size?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $76,767, across 9 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation give grants?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation gives mostly in New York: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Who are Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's largest grantees?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Weill Cornell Medical College ($250,000), NYU Medical School ($141,200) and UJA Federation of New York ($94,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $691K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $712K (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 Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations including Weill Cornell Medical College, NYU Medical School, UJA Federation of New York, HIAS Inc., and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation?
The foundation 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 Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's EIN?
Helen & Rita Lurie Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3316656. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Helen & Rita Lurie 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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