Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, including arts, education, cultural, community-service, and health-related organizations.
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc gave $269K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $269,000
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,214
- +16.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $368,529
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc
- 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: 150 East 52Nd Street Suite 21001, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 575-5159
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City Meals on Wheels ($65K). Together the top 10 received $229K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 73 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 9% to Connecticut, and 4% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc gives
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 44% 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 (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $125K (2020) to $485K (2022). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $269K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City Meals on Wheels New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $65,000 |
| Media Cares Foundation New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $30,000 |
| The Jackson Laboratory Farming, CT | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $25,000 |
| Chamber Music Society New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $25,000 |
| New York Philharmonic New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $25,000 |
| The New York Public Library New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $15,000 |
| Central Synagogue New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $14,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | To aid donee organizations in their tax exempt function | $10,000 |
| The Birch Wathen Lenox School New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $10,000 |
| Tisch MSR New York New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $368,529 | $264,685 | $273,093 | $269,000 | 14 | $270,340 | $247,175 | $6,817 |
| 2024 | $376,937 | $16,024 | $275,022 | $264,000 | 16 | $264,100 | $16,024 | $21,091 |
| 2023 | $635,935 | $768,486 | $235,937 | $226,000 | 11 | $227,880 | $756,332 | $9,671 |
| 2022 | $103,386 | $326,535 | $487,015 | $484,500 | 24 | $484,600 | $536,814 | — |
| 2021 | $263,866 | $410,133 | $151,660 | $150,000 | 8 | — | $169,964 | $169 |
| 2020 | $5,393 | $263 | $131,926 | $124,800 | 1 | — | — | $959 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $7K 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
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations such as schools, museums, a library, a philharmonic, a chamber music organization, a synagogue, and a volunteer ambulance service. The grantee Media Cares Foundation describes its mission as promoting public health and biomedical and scientific advances through public programs, volunteer assistance and advice to 501(c)(3) organizations, and cash grants to 501(c)(3) organizations. The Whitney Museum of American Art says it presents and collects art of the United States and fosters creativity, community, and the exchange of ideas. The Birch Wathen Lenox School describes its work as providing educational programs for children from kindergarten through 12th grade; The Chapin School describes itself as an independent K–12 day school for young women.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $269,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $65,000, with a median grant of $12,000. Notable grants included $65,000 to City Meals on Wheels, $30,000 to Media Cares Foundation, and $25,000 each to The Jackson Laboratory, Chamber Music Society, and New York Philharmonic. Other recipients included The New York Public Library ($15,000), Central Synagogue ($14,000), and the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Birch Wathen Lenox School, and The Chapin School ($10,000 each).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph M Cohen as president, Raymond Merritt Esq as treasurer, and Jarrod Cohen as secretary.
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc is led by Joseph M. Cohen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph M. Cohen
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jarrod Cohen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raymond Merritt Esq.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc
How much does Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc give each year?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc gave $269K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $264K across 16 grants.
What is Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $19,214, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc give grants?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants).
Who are Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include City Meals on Wheels ($65,000), Media Cares Foundation ($30,000) and The Jackson Laboratory ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc reported $369K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $270K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations such as schools, museums, a library, a philharmonic, a chamber music organization, a synagogue, and a volunteer ambulance service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc?
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 M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's EIN?
Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3636511. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joseph M & Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-m-and-barbara-cohen-foundation-inc-morg_bb53e9ad908b42a0901cec175088bfc4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133636511_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joseph M \& Barbara Cohen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joseph-m-and-barbara-cohen-foundation-inc-morg_bb53e9ad908b42a0901cec175088bfc4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 M & Barbara Cohen 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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