Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation
The Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports 88 grants totaling $258,660, with recipients including organizations working in education, Jewish community life and security, hunger relief, and other areas.
Key facts about Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation
In short: Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation gave $259K across 88 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-3087378
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $258,660
- Grants made (2025)
- 88
- Average grant
- $2,939
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (16 of 79, 2025)
- Total assets
- $5,998,013
- Primary geography
- New York (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.0M
-0.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$259K
+27.1% YoY
Grant Count
88
+2.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+24.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $388K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 79 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 232% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to a range of organizations. For example, Brooklyn Book Bodega says its mission is to increase the number of homes in New York City with 100 or more books for children ages 0–18. 70 Faces Media describes itself as serving as a digital connection point for the Jewish community, while the Anti-Defamation League says it works to stop the defamation of Jewish people and secure fair treatment for all. Long Island Cares says it works to address hunger and food insecurity on Long Island; Island Harvest says its mission is to end hunger and reduce food waste there. Eli and Bessie Cohen Camps says its programs promote personal growth, social skills, and appreciation of Jewish life and Israel. Community Security Service says it trains volunteers and provides physical security for Jewish organizations and events.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 88 grants totaling $258,660. Grants ranged from $360 to $31,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest reported grant was $31,000 to Brooklyn Book Bodega. Other large grants included $12,000 to 70 Faces Media and $10,000 each to the Anti-Defamation League and North Shore Jewish Center. Additional grants included $8,000 to the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and $5,500 to HIAS.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 78% of grant dollars, followed by Massachusetts (9%), California (5%), Connecticut (3%), and the District of Columbia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 88 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $34K (2019) to $259K (2025). In 2025 it made 88 grants totaling $259K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brooklyn Book Bodega Inc ($31K). Together the top 10 received $123K.
Grant Size Distribution
368 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 368 grants of 368 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Book Bodega Inc Brooklyn, NY | General & Unrestricted | $31,000 |
| 70 Faces Media Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| North Shore Jewish Center Port Jefferson Station, NY | to the Security Upgrade Fund, the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund, and the Synagogue General Fund | $10,000 |
| Harold Grinspoon Foundation Agawam, MA | to the general PJ Library Fund & the PJ Library Grandparent Division | $8,000 |
| Laguardia High School Parents Association Inc New York, NY | Music Studio fund | $8,000 |
| Special Music School PTA New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $6,500 |
| Hias Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $5,500 |
| American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Center for Jewish History Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,998,013 | $503,853 | $505,017 | $258,660 | 88 |
| 2024 | $5,999,177 | $466,714 | $433,778 | $203,500 | 86 |
| 2023 | $5,964,941 | $691,612 | $356,029 | $158,000 | 86 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,998,013 | $5,999,177 | $5,964,941 |
| Revenue | $503,853 | $466,714 | $691,612 |
| Expenses | $505,017 | $433,778 | $356,029 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $364,418 | $305,236 | $251,113 |
| Net Investment Income | $448,788 | $288,724 | $149,597 |
| Distributable Amount | $388,213 | $360,632 | $301,424 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Jill Cohen is listed as director, secretary, treasurer, and president on the 2025 filing.
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation is led by Jill Cohen, Director, Secretary, Treasurer & President on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jill Cohen
Director, Secretary, Treasurer & President
On filings since 2019
25 hrs/week
$45K (2019) → $69K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $69K, to Jill Cohen (Dir, Sec, Treas, Pres).
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Frequently asked questions about Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation
How much does Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation give each year?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation gave $259K across 88 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $204K across 86 grants.
What is Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,939, across 88 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation give grants?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (9%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (32 grants), Brooklyn, NY (12 grants), Wellesley, MA (4 grants) and Port Jefferson Station, NY (3 grants).
Does Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (73 of 88) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Brooklyn Book Bodega Inc ($31,000), North Shore Jewish Center ($20,000 across 3 grants) and 70 Faces Media Inc ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $364K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $388K (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 Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to a range of organizations. For example, Brooklyn Book Bodega says its mission is to increase the number of homes in New York City with 100 or more books for children ages 0–18. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family 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 Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's EIN?
Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3087378. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Herbert and Lillian Heilpern Family 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.
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