James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc
JAMES AND ELIZABETH is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2023 filing reports 13 grants totaling $2,259,787 to charitable organizations. The foundation’s 2022 filing is marked as a final return and states that the James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation was dissolved on October 25, 2023, with all assets donated to charitable organizations; it therefore appears to have wound down.
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2023 (avg $174K), mostly in Massachusetts. 46% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $2,259,787
- +4123.9% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 13
- +160.0% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $173,830
- +1524.6% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $23,954
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (6 of 13, 2023; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (51% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 322 Central Park West Apt 6B, New York, NY 10025
Phone: (516) 992-5900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was Princeton University ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 40 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Massachusetts (51%), New Jersey (44%), and New York (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 6 of 13 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $199K; repeat grants $152K. How we count
Medians: $32K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 23% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
- Giving grew 786% from 2020 to 2023. Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2023). 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 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $54K (2022) to $2.3M (2023). In 2023 it made 13 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton University Princeton, NJ | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000,000 |
| Smith College Northhampton, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000,000 |
| Queens Public Library Foundation Jamaica, NY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Island Grown Initiative West Tisbury, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $33,333 |
| Martha's Vineyard Hospital Oak Bluffs, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $30,000 |
| Martha's Vineyard Community Services Oak Bluffs, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| MV Youth Inc Chilmark, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $23,954 |
| Martha's Vineyard Museum Vineyard Haven, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $17,500 |
| Aquinnah Cultural Center Aquinnah, MA | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation Brooklyn, NY | To Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | $99,952 | $2,276,987 | $2,259,787 | 13 | $2,268,387 | $91,352 | $39,636 |
| 2022 | $1,454,219 | $52,150 | $53,650 | $53,500 | 5 | $53,575 | $52,075 | $119,974 |
| 2021 | $1,455,719 | $231,509 | $3,380 | — | — | — | $27,280 | $114,659 |
| 2020 | $1,227,590 | $20,338 | $262,234 | $255,000 | 13 | — | $25,442 | $93,979 |
| 2019 | $1,469,486 | $515,221 | $103,282 | $95,000 | 9 | — | $187,694 | $75,595 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $40K for 2023 — 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 2023 grants went to organizations including Princeton University and Smith College, as well as organizations serving Martha’s Vineyard and Brooklyn. The grantees describe their own work in varied terms: Island Grown Initiative says it works to build a regenerative and equitable food system on Martha’s Vineyard; MV Youth says it supports youth-based capital projects and scholarships for local youth; and the Martha’s Vineyard Museum says it helps people explore the island and its diverse heritage. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $2,259,787. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $23,954. The largest reported grants were $1,000,000 each to Princeton University and Smith College, and $100,000 to Queens Public Library Foundation. Other grants included $33,333 to Island Grown Initiative, $30,000 to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and $23,954 to MV Youth.
The foundation’s 2022 filing states that it made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and did not accept unsolicited requests. This describes the policy in that filing and should not be treated as a current application process.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing lists James Pickman as president and treasurer, Elizabeth Pickman as vice president and secretary, and Joshua Reisner as director.
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc is led by James Pickman, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.
Officers on the 2023 filing
James Pickman
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joshua Reisner
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Pickman
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2023. "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 James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc
How much does James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc give each year?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $54K across 5 grants.
What is James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's median grant in 2023 was $23,954, and its average grant was $173,830, across 13 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc that year got $199K on average.
Where does James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc give grants?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (44%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chilmark, MA (3 grants), Oak Bluffs, MA (2 grants) and Vineyard Haven, MA (2 grants).
Who are James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's largest 2023 grantees include Princeton University ($1,000,000), Smith College ($1,000,000) and Queens Public Library Foundation ($100,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.
What does James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 grants went to organizations including Princeton University and Smith College, as well as organizations serving Martha’s Vineyard and Brooklyn. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
How much is James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $40K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's EIN?
James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5967534. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2023.
Data last updated September 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 2019 (received by the IRS March 2, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
Live grants for the work James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc funds
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from James and Elizabeth Pickman Foundation Inc'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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