The Holly Peterson Foundation is a private family foundation based in New York City. Established in 2008, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a focus on discretionary grantmaking to pre-selected charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.3M
-19.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+32.4% YoY
Grant Count
31
-29.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$47K
+87.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Holly Peterson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $352K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on an invite-only basis with no public application process. All grants are made through trustee discretion and pre-qualified relationships.
Grant Range
$500 to $355,309
Average Grant
$25,000-$34,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- New York
- Florida
- Rhode Island
- California
- Texas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (as of 2023):
- Total assets: $5.3-$6.5 million
- Total annual giving: $1.1 million (2023)
- Total revenues: $844,314 (2023)
- Total expenses: $1,135,054 (2023)
Historical Growth: Total assets have grown from $4.1 million in 2010 to $5.3 million in 2023.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,261,445 | $6,521,711 | $6,812,451 |
| Revenue | $217,339 | $844,314 | $518,913 |
| Expenses | $1,477,605 | $1,135,054 | $1,465,609 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,461,605 | $1,113,728 | $1,449,585 |
| Net Investment Income | $217,339 | $833,988 | $502,898 |
| Distributable Amount | $351,582 | $341,726 | $408,541 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Studio Museum in Harlem ($355,309), Brown University ($175,000), Metropolitan Museum of Art ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BROADWAY FOR ALL NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT THE NEXTGEN TICKETING INITIATIVE. | $10,000 |
| BROOKLYN CHILDREN'S THEATER BROOKLYN, NY | TO SUPPORT THE 2024 GALA. | $25,000 |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY PROVIDENCE, RI | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY'S ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP. | $175,000 |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY PROVIDENCE, RI | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY'S BROWN ANNUAL FUND SCHOLARSHIP. | $25,000 |
| ENDEAVOR THERAPEUTIC HORSEMANSHIP INC BEDFORD CORNERS, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY'S CORE ACTIVITIES. | $5,000 |
| EQUALITY FLORIDA INSTITUTE INC ST PETERSBURG, FL | TO SUPPORT THE EVENT HONORING FRED HOCHBERG. | $2,500 |
| FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY'S ANNUAL OPERATIONS. | $50,000 |
| GRACE CHURCH SCHOOL NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT TEACHERS' SALARIES. | $40,000 |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITY'S CORE ACTIVITIES. | $100,000 |
| NEW MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT THE 2024 GALA. | $35,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Holly Peterson serves as president and chairwoman of the foundation. She is a New York Times bestselling author and former ABC News producer who serves on numerous prestigious boards including The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and The High Line.
The foundation is governed by 3 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOLLY PETERSON | DIRECTOR, CHAIRWOMAN,PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL A PETERSON | DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 0.1 | — |
| MICHAEL SHANKMAN | TREASURER | 2 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 399 Park Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10022-4614
Phone: 212-542-9243
Website: No public website available
Email: Not publicly available
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Holly Peterson Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services
How do I apply for a grant from Holly Peterson Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: approximately $1.1 million (2023) • Makes approximately 40-44 grants per year • Grant range: $500 to $355,309 • Median grant: $11,000 • Average grant: $25,000-$34,000 **Application Process:** The foundation operates on an invite-only basis with no public application process. All grants are made through trustee discretion and pre-qualified relationships. **Recent Grants (2023):** • Brown University: $175,000 (to support endowed scholarship) • Studio Museum in…
Where does Holly Peterson Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • Florida • Rhode Island • California • Texas • Colorado • Connecticut
What size grants does Holly Peterson Foundation award?
In 2024, Holly Peterson Foundation awarded 31 grants totaling $1.5M — an average of about $47K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Holly Peterson Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Holly Peterson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $352K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Holly Peterson Foundation's EIN?
Holly Peterson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1607014. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Holly Peterson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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