Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation
The Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation is a private foundation based in Edison, New Jersey. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including environmental protection, wildlife conservation, music, education, humanitarian relief, and services for older adults.
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation at a glance
In short: Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation gave $475K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in New York. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $475,050
- -30.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- -24.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,972
- -7.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,075
- Total assets
- $581,804
- -42.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (76% 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 Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Leotax 379 Thornall St Fl9 9, Edison, NJ 08837
Phone: (732) 903-2600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Audubon Society Inc ($150K). Together the top 10 received $403K.
Grant Size Distribution
275 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 254 grants of 275 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 76% of grant dollars and recipients in Connecticut received 16%. California received 4%, while the District of Columbia and Mississippi each received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 34 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $475K (2025) to $2.1M (2019). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $475K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Audubon Society Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $150,000 |
| Friends of Birdlife International Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| The Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music Brooklyn, NY | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| American Jewish World Service Inc New York, CT | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| United Jewish Appeal - Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Barnard College New York, NY | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| International Rescue Committee Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Cornwall Conservation Trust Inc West Cornwall, CT | General Purpose | $18,000 |
| Dorot Inc New York, NY | General Purpose | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation?
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 | $581,804 | $38,915 | $475,450 | $475,050 | 34 | $475,050 | $1,289 | $41,319 |
| 2024 | $1,018,339 | $49,139 | $680,225 | $679,800 | 45 | $679,800 | $2,065 | $69,543 |
| 2023 | $1,629,901 | $113,785 | $526,407 | $525,932 | 60 | $525,932 | $46,732 | $90,356 |
| 2022 | $2,042,523 | $236,560 | $1,098,599 | $1,097,824 | 66 | $1,097,824 | $131,560 | $113,303 |
| 2021 | $2,929,415 | $1,373,004 | $1,399,999 | $1,399,774 | 70 | — | $142,779 | $151,388 |
| 2020 | $2,954,442 | $667,628 | $957,094 | $956,969 | 56 | — | $210,503 | $157,798 |
| 2019 | $3,240,546 | $1,310,530 | $2,127,160 | $2,102,500 | 71 | — | $129,795 | $162,096 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $41K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants have supported a range of organizations. For example, Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, places, and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. The Housatonic Valley Association says it works to preserve the Housatonic River watershed through environmental education and conservation. The Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music is among the foundation’s largest 2025 grantees, and DOROT, which received a 2025 grant, says it works to alleviate isolation among older adults and support independent living.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $475,050. Grants ranged from $100 to $150,000, with a median grant of $3,075. The largest awards included $150,000 to the National Audubon Society, $50,000 to Friends of BirdLife International, $40,000 to the Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music, and $35,000 each to American Jewish World Service and the United Jewish Appeal–Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York.
Other 2025 grants included $20,000 each to Barnard College, Earthjustice, and the International Rescue Committee; $18,000 to Cornwall Conservation Trust; and $15,000 each to DOROT and the Housatonic Valley Association. In 2024, the foundation gave $50,000 to Earthjustice and Massachusetts Audubon Society, $45,000 to DOROT, and $35,000 to American Jewish World Service.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph Ellis and Barbara Ellis as trustees.
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Ellis
Trustee
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Ellis
Trustee
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation
How much does Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation give each year?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation gave $475K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $680K across 45 grants.
What is Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's typical grant size?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,075, and its average grant was $13,972, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation give grants?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation gives mostly in New York: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (14 grants), West Cornwall, CT (6 grants), Guntown, MS (2 grants) and Cornwall, CT (2 grants).
Does Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's largest grantees?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Audubon Society Inc ($150,000), Friends of Birdlife International Inc ($50,000) and The Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Music ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation reported $582K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $475K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $41K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants have supported a range of organizations. For example, Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, places, and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's EIN?
Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3437916. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 24, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-barbara-ellis-foundation-morg_0902f6a22252446fbbaf457c7c1aeeb2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133437916_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-barbara-ellis-foundation-morg_0902f6a22252446fbbaf457c7c1aeeb2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Joseph and Barbara Ellis Foundation'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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