Hess Philanthropic Fund
Hess Philanthropic Fund is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 filing reports 72 grants totaling $14,881,927, primarily to New York organizations, including institutions in biomedical research, the arts, health care, education, and media.
Hess Philanthropic Fund at a glance
In short: Hess Philanthropic Fund gave $14.9M across 72 grants in 2025 (avg $207K), mostly in New York. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $14,881,927
- -30.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 72
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $206,693
- -33.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $239,860,766
- +0.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (15 of 72, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (97% 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 Hess Philanthropic Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Tag 810 Seventh Ave, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 275-1573
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hess Philanthropic Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rockefeller University ($5.1M). Together the top 10 received $12.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
325 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 201 grants of 325 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 2% to Massachusetts, and 1% to West Virginia. Rhode Island and the District of Columbia each accounted for 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 72 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Hess Philanthropic Fund open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 72 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $257K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14.2M (2021) to $21.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 72 grants totaling $14.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller University New York, NY | Charitable | $5,125,000 |
| Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | Charitable | $2,550,000 |
| Museum of Modern Art New York, NY | Charitable | $1,424,425 |
| New York Presbyterian Hospital New York, NY | Charitable | $1,200,000 |
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | Charitable | $600,000 |
| Lincoln Center Theater New York, NY | Charitable | $540,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering New York, NY | Charitable | $500,000 |
| Trinity School New York, NY | Charitable | $350,000 |
| Asia Society New York, NY | Charitable | $275,000 |
| Harvard College Cambridge, MA | Charitable | $225,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $239,860,766 | $21,800,580 | $20,834,954 | $14,881,927 | 72 | $14,881,927 | $17,149,141 | $16,387,655 |
| 2024 | $239,238,118 | $32,857,825 | $28,196,148 | $21,330,591 | 69 | $21,330,591 | $13,265,769 | $15,861,402 |
| 2023 | $234,142,935 | $24,091,549 | $20,335,458 | $14,516,092 | 62 | $14,516,092 | $9,309,612 | $14,472,605 |
| 2022 | $231,447,732 | $32,591,174 | $20,882,334 | $15,780,993 | 65 | $15,780,993 | $18,405,349 | $14,409,359 |
| 2021 | $219,007,229 | $25,066,225 | $19,344,642 | $14,246,200 | 57 | — | $10,843,673 | $14,660,275 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hess Philanthropic Fund reported a distributable amount of $16.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for a biomedical research university, museums and performing arts organizations, hospitals, a school, and public media.
The Rockefeller University describes its work as research and graduate education in biomedical sciences and related fields, with a mission to improve understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. The Museum of Modern Art says it fosters public awareness of modern and contemporary art. WNET describes its mission as delivering lifelong learning and meaningful experiences through public-service media. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 72 grants totaling $14,881,927. Individual grants ranged from $1 to $5,125,000, with a median of $20,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $5,125,000 to Rockefeller University, $2,550,000 to the Metropolitan Opera, $1,424,425 to the Museum of Modern Art, $1,200,000 to New York Presbyterian Hospital, and $600,000 to the American Museum of Natural History. The stated purpose for each was “charitable.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marlene Hess, Peter Hess Friedland, and Margaret Hess Chi as directors.
Hess Philanthropic Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret Hess Chi
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Marlene Hess
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Peter Hess Friedland
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Hess Philanthropic Fund
How much does Hess Philanthropic Fund give each year?
Hess Philanthropic Fund gave $14.9M across 72 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $21.3M across 69 grants.
What is Hess Philanthropic Fund's typical grant size?
Hess Philanthropic Fund's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $206,693, across 72 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hess Philanthropic Fund that year got $16K on average.
Where does Hess Philanthropic Fund give grants?
Hess Philanthropic Fund gives mostly in New York: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (52 grants), East Hampton, NY (3 grants), Brooklyn, NY (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Hess Philanthropic Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 72 grants with a stated purpose on Hess Philanthropic Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (66 grants) and "Chartiable" (6 grants).
Who are Hess Philanthropic Fund's largest grantees?
Hess Philanthropic Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Rockefeller University ($5,125,000), Metropolitan Opera ($2,550,000) and Museum of Modern Art ($1,424,425), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hess Philanthropic Fund?
Hess Philanthropic Fund reported $239.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $14.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16.4M (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 Hess Philanthropic Fund fund?
No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for a biomedical research university, museums and performing arts organizations, hospitals, a school, and public media. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hess Philanthropic Fund?
The foundation 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 Hess Philanthropic Fund's EIN?
Hess Philanthropic Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3520745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Hess Philanthropic Fund 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 October 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 July 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hess Philanthropic Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hess-philanthropic-fund-morg_2b87cc59391f40b0a9a8ad67b5e73a46
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813520745_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hess Philanthropic Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hess-philanthropic-fund-morg_2b87cc59391f40b0a9a8ad67b5e73a46},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Hess Philanthropic Fund'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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