Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 grants supported conservation, environmental, scientific, and natural-history organizations, including organizations working in the Adirondacks and elsewhere.
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation at a glance
In short: Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation gave $337K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), top state New York. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $337,000
- +79.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +125.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,481
- -20.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,720,006
- +74.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (14 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (49% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation
- 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was World Wildlife Fund Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 79 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (49%), the District of Columbia (23%), Maine (13%), Massachusetts (10%), and Connecticut (3%). New York recipients included organizations in the Adirondacks, such as the Adirondack Land Trust, The Wild Center, and the Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 26 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $188K (2023) to $354K (2020). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $337K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| World Wildlife Fund Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Atlantic Salmon Federation Inc Calais, ME | General & Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC | JFC 3rd Library of Natural History | $25,000 |
| The Wild Center Tupper Lake, NY | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Adirondack Council Inc Elizabethtown, NY | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Sciences Paul Smiths, NY | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Adirondack Land Trust Inc Keene, NY | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | Center for Biodiversity | $15,000 |
| Atlantic Salmon Federation Inc Calais, ME | Charitable Event | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,720,006 | $3,715,470 | $423,303 | $337,000 | 27 | $353,195 | $3,733,039 | $357,325 |
| 2023 | $4,427,839 | $194,226 | $290,913 | $188,000 | 12 | $203,830 | $109,943 | $338,643 |
| 2022 | $4,524,526 | $270,066 | $391,181 | $301,000 | 12 | $316,150 | $196,871 | $337,641 |
| 2021 | $4,645,641 | $458,181 | $381,370 | $289,000 | 12 | $304,150 | $307,647 | $376,898 |
| 2020 | $4,568,830 | $92,273 | $426,038 | $354,000 | 16 | — | $40,271 | $309,109 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation reported a distributable amount of $357K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes nature conservation, natural-history research and education, land conservation, and ecological studies. For example, the World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to life on Earth; the Adirondack Land Trust says it works to conserve forests, farmland, waters, and wild places in the Adirondacks. The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies describes its work as generating scientific knowledge about ecological systems and their importance to human well-being.
Other recipients include the Smithsonian Institution, which says its mission is to preserve heritage, discover knowledge, and share resources; the American Museum of Natural History, whose mission includes research and education about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe; and the New York Botanical Garden, which describes itself as a plant museum and scientific research center.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $337,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest awards were $50,000 to World Wildlife Fund Inc.; $30,000 to Atlantic Salmon Federation Inc.; $25,000 each to the Smithsonian Institution and The Wild Center; and $20,000 each to Adirondack Council Inc., Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., and Paul Smiths College of Arts and Sciences. Most listed grants had a purpose of “General & Unrestricted”; specified purposes included a Smithsonian grant for the “JFC 3rd Library of Natural History” and an American Museum of Natural History grant for its “Center for Biodiversity.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joel Treisman as President and Michael Cardozo as Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President.
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation is led by Joel Treisman, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joel Treisman
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Cardozo
Secretary, Treasurer & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Georgina Cullman (2020–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Joan Cullman Conservation
How much does Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation give each year?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation gave $337K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $188K across 12 grants.
What is Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's typical grant size?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,481, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation give grants?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's top state is New York, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (23%) and Maine (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (6 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Calais, ME (2 grants).
Does Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's largest grantees?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's largest 2024 grantees include World Wildlife Fund Inc ($50,000), Atlantic Salmon Federation Inc ($45,000 across 2 grants) and Smithsonian Institution ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $353K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $357K (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 Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes nature conservation, natural-history research and education, land conservation, and ecological studies. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation?
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 Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's EIN?
Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1499645. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-joan-cullman-conservation-morg_e1e382d3e01443bbb808f75fcf0f02b6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201499645_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joseph and Joan Cullman Conservation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-and-joan-cullman-conservation-morg_e1e382d3e01443bbb808f75fcf0f02b6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Joan Cullman Conservation'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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