Henry Peterson Foundation
The Henry Peterson Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2026 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including museums, an animal sanctuary, a cancer center, and disaster-relief and animal-welfare organizations.
Henry Peterson Foundation at a glance
In short: Henry Peterson Foundation gave $99K across 10 grants in 2026 (avg $10K), top state California. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $98,500
- +97.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $9,850
- +57.6% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $7,750
- Total assets
- $1,389,194
- -8.9% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- California (43% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Henry Peterson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Cbiz Advisors Llc 685 Third Ave, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (917) 817-0422
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Henry Peterson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was American Museum of Natural History ($25K). Together the top 10 received $99K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 52 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2026 grants went to recipients in California, New York, Texas, Kentucky, and Connecticut. By grant dollars, the filing reports 43% to California, 41% to New York, 13% to Texas, 3% to Kentucky, and 1% to Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Henry Peterson Foundation gives
- 70% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving fell 37% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 99% 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 (2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2021) to $157K (2024). In 2026 it made 10 grants totaling $99K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Moxi the Wolf Museum of Exploration Santa Barbara, CA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Ridley Tree Cancer Center Santa Barbara, CA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $15,000 |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind Yorktown Heights, NY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $10,500 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Houston, TX | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $10,500 |
| Best Friends Animal Sanctuary New York, NY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Thoroughbred Aftercare Lexington, KY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $2,500 |
| SOI Dog Houston, TX | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $2,000 |
| Shelter Box Pasadena, CA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $2,000 |
| Florence Griswold Museum Old Lyme, CT | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,389,194 | $89,532 | $225,458 | $98,500 | 10 | $146,858 | $10,932 | $148,407 |
| 2025 | $1,525,120 | $202,263 | $183,348 | $50,000 | 8 | $97,825 | $122,899 | $140,271 |
| 2024 | $1,506,205 | $306,528 | $294,660 | $156,500 | 14 | $209,666 | $221,534 | $128,017 |
| 2023 | $1,494,337 | $47,425 | $273,578 | $156,000 | 14 | $198,207 | — | $131,402 |
| 2022 | $1,720,490 | $264,694 | $163,132 | $33,000 | 6 | $79,956 | $181,518 | $146,451 |
| 2021 | $1,618,928 | $40,601 | $139,611 | $6,000 | 2 | — | — | $123,030 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Henry Peterson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $148K for 2026 — 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 2026 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. The American Museum of Natural History describes its mission as discovering, interpreting, and sharing knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through research and education. The Florence Griswold Museum says it seeks to promote understanding of Connecticut’s contribution to American art and history through exhibitions and educational programs.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation gave $98,500 across 10 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $7,750.
The largest reported grants were $25,000 each to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, New York, and MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration in Santa Barbara, California. Other grants included $15,000 to Ridley Tree Cancer Center; $10,500 each to Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; $5,000 to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary; $2,500 to Thoroughbred Aftercare; $2,000 each to Soi Dog and Shelter Box; and $1,000 to the Florence Griswold Museum. The stated purpose for each was “to further donee’s exempt purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2026 filing are Maxine Prisyon, president and treasurer; Kevin Palmer, assistant secretary; Kenneth Palmer, assistant secretary; and James Palmer, assistant secretary.
Henry Peterson Foundation is led by Maxine Prisyon, President & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2026 is compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Maxine Prisyon
President & Treasurer
Vice President & Secretary → President & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$56K (2021) → $75K (2026)
James Palmer
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Palmer
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Palmer
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Milton Warshaw (2021) — President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $75K, to Maxine Prisyon (President and Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Henry Peterson Foundation
How much does Henry Peterson Foundation give each year?
Henry Peterson Foundation gave $99K across 10 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $50K across 8 grants.
What is Henry Peterson Foundation's typical grant size?
Henry Peterson Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $7,750, and its average grant was $9,850, across 10 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Henry Peterson Foundation give grants?
Henry Peterson Foundation's top state is California, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (41%) and Texas (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Who are Henry Peterson Foundation's largest grantees?
Henry Peterson Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include American Museum of Natural History ($25,000), Moxi the Wolf Museum of Exploration ($25,000) and Ridley Tree Cancer Center ($15,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Henry Peterson Foundation?
Henry Peterson Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $147K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $148K (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 Henry Peterson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Henry Peterson Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Henry Peterson Foundation's EIN?
Henry Peterson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161002. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Henry Peterson 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Henry Peterson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/henry-peterson-foundation-morg_9dfaf320e5fd4c508062815401e5621f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161002_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Henry Peterson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/henry-peterson-foundation-morg_9dfaf320e5fd4c508062815401e5621f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Henry Peterson 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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