Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard is a private foundation based in Syracuse, New York. Its 2025 filing lists charitable organizations serving areas including education, medicine, social welfare, the arts, historic preservation, religion, and the environment as eligible for support.
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard at a glance
In short: Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard gave $37K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in New York. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $37,400
- +40.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,781
- +40.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $878,413
- -0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (8 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (85% 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 Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists James E Mackin at Bond Schoeneck King as the contact and says to submit a letter. It lists no deadline. Awards are restricted to charitable organizations whose purposes are devoted to education, medicine, social welfare, the arts, historic preservation, religion, and the environment.
- Contact
Application contact: James E Mackin Bond Schoeneck King
Mailing address: One Lincoln Center, Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 218-8133
Email: jmackin@bsk.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Keys Program ($10K). Together the top 10 received $34K.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 111 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant-dollar distribution by recipient state was reported as 85% to New York, 14% to Indiana, and 1% to Florida. The listed grants include awards to organizations in New York and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 21 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $375 first-time, $700 repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 78% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% 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 (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 $21K (2022) to $2.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $37K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Keys Program Oneida, NY | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Order of St Thomas More (Notre Dame) Notre Dame, IN | General Purposes | $5,400 |
| Immaculate Conception Fayetteville, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Cazcares Inc Cazenovia, NY | Assistance to Families | $2,500 |
| Francis House Syracuse, NY | General Purposes | $2,500 |
| St Lucy Catholic Church Syracuse, NY | General Purposes | $2,500 |
| Syracuse Jewish Family Service Syracuse, NY | General Purposes | $2,500 |
| United Way of Central New York Inc Syracuse, NY | General Purposes | $1,500 |
| Cazenovia Preservation Foundation Cazenovia, NY | General Purposes | $1,000 |
| Cazenovia Public Library Cazenovia, NY | General Purposes | $700 |
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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 | $878,413 | $37,563 | $40,768 | $37,400 | 21 | $38,526 | $36,438 | $42,922 |
| 2024 | $881,617 | $39,206 | $29,456 | $26,550 | 21 | $27,746 | $38,009 | $42,664 |
| 2023 | $871,867 | $37,474 | $35,031 | $32,600 | 24 | $33,741 | $36,333 | $42,452 |
| 2022 | $869,424 | $11,842 | $23,417 | $21,050 | 20 | $22,183 | $10,710 | $43,375 |
| 2021 | $880,995 | $8,839 | $2,077,352 | $2,074,167 | 25 | $2,075,642 | $7,364 | $92,339 |
| 2020 | $2,861,235 | $686,787 | $185,327 | $166,404 | 24 | — | $684,835 | $151,415 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard reported a distributable amount of $43K 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
No separate mission statement is provided. The foundation’s filing names education, medicine, social welfare, the arts, historic preservation, religion, and the environment among the charitable purposes of organizations eligible for awards.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of services and activities. Francis House describes its work as providing a home and extended family to people with terminal illnesses. Syracuse Jewish Family Service says it provides social and human services to Central New York residents without regard to race or creed. CazCares describes itself as an emergency food pantry and clothing closet that also provides referrals to social services. Other supported organizations describe work in historic preservation, legal aid, hospice care, and public engagement with a zoo.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $37,400. Awards ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median of $500. Its largest reported grants included $10,000 to The Keys Program in Oneida, New York; $5,400 to Order of St Thomas More in Notre Dame, Indiana; and $5,000 to Immaculate Conception in Fayetteville, New York. Other grants included $2,500 each to CazCares, Francis House, St Lucy Catholic Church, and Syracuse Jewish Family Service.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
James E Mackin is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James E. Mackin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trustee Fees Are Paid To
N & A
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard
How much does Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard give each year?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard gave $37K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $27K across 21 grants.
What is Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's typical grant size?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,781, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard that year got $2K on average.
Where does Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard give grants?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard gives mostly in New York: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Syracuse, NY (8 grants), Cazenovia, NY (5 grants) and Oneida, NY (2 grants).
Does Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's largest grantees?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's largest 2025 grantees include The Keys Program ($10,000), Order of St Thomas More (Notre Dame) ($5,400) and Immaculate Conception ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard reported $878K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $43K (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 S and Eleanore L Howard fund?
No separate mission statement is provided. The foundation’s filing names education, medicine, social welfare, the arts, historic preservation, religion, and the environment among the charitable purposes of organizations eligible for awards. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard?
The filing lists James E Mackin at Bond Schoeneck King as the contact and says to submit a letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's EIN?
Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-6177361. 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
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Browse active grant opportunities in Herbert S and Eleanore L Howard's focus areas in our free grants database
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