Joyce & George Wein Foundation Inc

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 26-1445446

The Joyce & George Wein Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2009 to honor the legacy of jazz impresario George Wein and his wife Joyce Alexander Wein. Based in New York, the foundation continues the couple's lifelong commitment to supporting African American arts, jazz education, cultural preservation, and educational equity. The foundation operates by making strategic grants to preselected organizations that align with the Weins' philanthropic values.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$26.0M

+493.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$958K

+42.9% YoY

Grant Count

14

+7.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$68K

+32.7% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's funding priorities reflect the Weins' cultural and educational legacy:

  • Jazz Programming and Arts Education: Supporting general purpose jazz programming and arts education
  • African American Arts: Advancing African American artists and cultural institutions
  • Cultural Preservation: Maintaining and promoting jazz heritage and cultural traditions
  • Educational Equity: Supporting educational initiatives aligned with the founders' values
  • Arts Advocacy: Funding organizations dedicated to arts access and cultural programming

The foundation administers the Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize through the Studio Museum in Harlem, an annual $50,000 award recognizing African American artists.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

**: Typical awards range from $2,500 to $500,000

Invitation Only

**: The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not accept unsolicited applications. Grantmaking is by invitation only to preselected organizations.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations nationally, with primary focus on:

  • Northeast United States
  • New Orleans, Louisiana
  • California
  • Specific cities include: New York, Bronx, Newark, Montclair, Essex, New Jersey communities, and Rhode Island

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Cities

BostonBronxBrooklynCoronaDobbs FerryEssexMiddletownMontclairNew OrleansNew YorkNewarkNewportNorwalkPittsburghSanta CruizVan NuysW Hartford

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $25,976,357 (2024)

Total Giving: $957,500 to $1,069,322 annually (2024)

Revenue: $23.8 million (2024)

Expenses: $1.12 million (2024)

Total Liabilities: $0 (2024)

Employees: 1

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$7M$13M$20M$26M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$25,976,357$4,374,029$5,125,640
Revenue$23,807,166$26,504$2,287,377
Expenses$1,122,581$777,221$347,191
Qualifying Distributions$1,069,322$766,991$340,232
Net Investment Income$972,714$124,763$14,856
Distributable Amount$889,784$239,672$234,107

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$239K$479K$718K$958K24 grants202018 grants202111 grants202213 grants202314 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

NEWPORT FESTIVALS FOUNDA…$500KCOMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER O…$150KNEW JERSEY PERFORMING AR…$63KSTUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM$50KLOUIS ARMSTRONG HOUSE MU…$30KNEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM$30KAPOLLO THEATER$25KBIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS$25KTHE JAZZ GALLERY$25KJAZZMOBILE$15K

Grant Size Distribution

80 grants across all recorded years

68<$50K6$50–100K4$100–250K$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Deborah Ross: Secretary and Executive Director
  • Bruce S. Gordon: President

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

DEBORAH ROSSSECRETARY/EXEC. DIR.$85K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
DEBORAH ROSSSECRETARY/EXEC. DIR.25$85,000
BRUCE S GORDONPRESIDENT1
NICOLAS PELLTREASURER1

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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