The Jerome Levy Foundation is a private foundation established as a trust in 1955 in New York and granted tax-exempt status in 1958. Founded by the late Leon Levy, co-founder of the mutual fund manager Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., the foundation reflects its founder's passion for expanding knowledge and belief in the power of ideas and a just and equitable society. The foundation is based in New York City and administers support across six program areas ranging from the arts and humanities to neuroscience research.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$43.6M
-4.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
+11.3% YoY
Grant Count
11
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$240K
+11.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on broad humanism and the advancement of knowledge. Its primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Museums
- Education and higher education
- Environment and natural resources
- Health and medical care
- International human rights
- Philanthropy and nonprofit support
- Human services
Grantmaking
The foundation awards project support, endowment support, and general operating support to eligible organizations.
Average Grant
amount: $825
Grant Types
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports organizations across multiple U.S. locations and states, including:
- New York
- Connecticut
- Texas
- Washington, D.C.
- Dallas
- Washington
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $43,643,825
- Total revenue: $1,166,137
- Total expenses: $3,010,945
- Net income: -$1,844,808
Annual Giving:
- Total awarded in 2024: approximately $2.4 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $43,643,825 | $45,499,646 | $47,703,767 |
| Revenue | $1,166,137 | $738,847 | $10,364,814 |
| Expenses | $3,010,945 | $2,938,670 | $3,232,408 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,658,947 | $2,375,863 | $2,790,058 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,380,481 | $982,925 | $9,981,953 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,128,376 | $2,218,088 | $2,324,728 |
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
60 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Shelby White – Trustee (serves without compensation)
- David Levy – Trustee (serves without compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHELBY WHITE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DAVID LEVY | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded a $300,000 grant to the Authors Guild Foundation to preserve over 100 years of literary advocacy archives, demonstrating its commitment to supporting cultural and historical preservation efforts.
Leon Levy Foundation Awards $300,000 Grant to the Authors Guild FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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