JW Heller Foundation
JW Heller Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In 2024, it reported 21 grants totaling $255,804 to charitable organizations.
JW Heller Foundation at a glance
In short: JW Heller Foundation gave $256K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in New York. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $255,804
- +18.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +31.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,181
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,899,817
- -0.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (8 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (73% 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 JW Heller Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 15 Maiden Lane 1300, New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 964-3180
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who JW Heller Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was NYP Weill Cornell Medical Center ($100K). Together the top 10 received $236K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 68 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 21% to recipients in California, and 6% to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is JW Heller Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 21 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 83% 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 $123K (2022) to $256K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $256K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NYP Weill Cornell Medical Center New York, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $100,000 |
| USC School of Cinematic Arts Los Angeles, CA | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $50,000 |
| Sag Harbor Cinema Art Center Sag Harbor, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $19,100 |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Washington, DC | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $15,825 |
| Columbia Grammar School New York, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $15,000 |
| New York Presbyterian New York, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $10,000 |
| Hamptons International FIM Festival East Hampton, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $10,000 |
| Robin Hood New York, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $6,000 |
| Barrow Street Nursery School New York, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $5,000 |
| Southampton Bath & Tennis Charitable Fund Southampton, NY | For Operating Expenses of Recipient Charity | $5,000 |
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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 | $2,899,817 | $306,139 | $322,397 | $255,804 | 21 | $257,294 | $242,109 | $310,552 |
| 2023 | $2,916,075 | $128,315 | $274,143 | $215,731 | 16 | $216,996 | $76,465 | $250,991 |
| 2022 | $3,061,903 | $259,538 | $169,502 | $122,530 | 7 | $123,510 | $152,586 | $248,520 |
| 2021 | $2,971,867 | $316,203 | $228,765 | $179,290 | 13 | — | $179,063 | $264,491 |
| 2020 | $2,884,429 | $112,823 | $205,724 | $169,240 | 11 | — | $22,667 | $197,398 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, JW Heller Foundation reported a distributable amount of $311K 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
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for medical centers, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and other charities. The Whitney Museum of American Art, which received $140, describes its mission as presenting, collecting, and inspiring dialogue around art of the United States from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $255,804. Grant amounts ranged from $140 to $100,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included $100,000 to NYP Weill Cornell Medical Center, $50,000 to USC School of Cinematic Arts, $19,100 to Sag Harbor Cinema Art Center, and $15,825 to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The grants were reported for the operating expenses of the recipient charities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jack Propp Heller as president and treasurer, and Melvin S Heller as vice president and secretary.
JW Heller Foundation is led by Jack Propp Heller, President & Treasurer since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jack Propp Heller
President & Treasurer
Co-President & Treasurer → President & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melvin S. Heller
Vice President & Secretary
Vice President → Vice President & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Helen Heller (2020–2023) — Co-President & Secretary
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 JW Heller Foundation
How much does JW Heller Foundation give each year?
JW Heller Foundation gave $256K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $216K across 16 grants.
What is JW Heller Foundation's typical grant size?
JW Heller Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,181, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from JW Heller Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does JW Heller Foundation give grants?
JW Heller Foundation gives mostly in New York: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (21%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (14 grants) and Southampton, NY (2 grants).
Does JW Heller Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of JW Heller Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are JW Heller Foundation's largest grantees?
JW Heller Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include NYP Weill Cornell Medical Center ($100,000), USC School of Cinematic Arts ($50,000) and Sag Harbor Cinema Art Center ($19,100), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is JW Heller Foundation?
JW Heller Foundation reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $257K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $311K (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 JW Heller Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for medical centers, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and other charities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JW Heller Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is JW Heller Foundation's EIN?
JW Heller Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7003624. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does JW Heller 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
(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). JW Heller Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jw-heller-foundation-morg_787750ff0ddc4f0698dac37d9eff71d7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237003624_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{JW Heller Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jw-heller-foundation-morg_787750ff0ddc4f0698dac37d9eff71d7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 JW Heller 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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