Make Great Things Happen Foundation
Make Great Things Happen Foundation is a private foundation based in Clifton Park, New York. Its 2025 grants supported educational programming and student support, woodworking education, children’s programs, food assistance, medical research, and humanitarian food efforts.
Make Great Things Happen Foundation at a glance
In short: Make Great Things Happen Foundation gave $35K across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $899.154), mostly in New York. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $35,067
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $899
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $129,736
- -8.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (4 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (59% 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 Make Great Things Happen 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: 3 Timber Ter, Clifton Park, NY 12065-2314
Phone: (518) 573-8827
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Make Great Things Happen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ithaca College ($5K). Together the top 10 received $21K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($4,318), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 175 grants of 175 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 59% of grant dollars, followed by Connecticut at 11%, Arizona at 8%, Massachusetts at 5%, and Washington, DC, at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Make Great Things Happen Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 37 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $925; repeat grants $951. How we count
Medians: $850 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 149% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $35K (2025) to $38K (2024). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $35K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ithaca College Ithaca, NY | Educational programming at Ithaca College School of Communication | $5,000 |
| 518 Elevated Albany, NY | Educational support of academically talented economically challenged students | $4,000 |
| Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Falls Village, CT | Support of their educational programming. | $4,000 |
| 3 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $4,318 |
| PJ Library org Agawam, MA | Support PJ Library programs efforts to provide childrens books to families. | $1,500 |
| St Marys Food Bank Phoenix, AZ | Support of Food bank. | $1,500 |
| Captain Community Human Services Clifton Park, NY | Support Captains community service and outreach | $1,100 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Support St. Judes research of deadly diseases. | $1,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Supports of humanitarian food program in response to world wide crisis. | $1,000 |
| Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY | Support Hudson Valley Community Colleges educational programming | $1,000 |
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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 | $129,736 | $23,088 | $35,625 | $35,067 | 39 | $35,625 | $16,327 | $23,944 |
| 2024 | $142,273 | $22,017 | $38,969 | $38,320 | 39 | $38,969 | $20,713 | $22,508 |
| 2023 | $159,225 | $47,592 | $39,090 | $38,140 | 32 | $39,090 | $46,642 | $19,801 |
| 2022 | $150,723 | $21,296 | $38,696 | $37,925 | 35 | $38,696 | $20,525 | $21,266 |
| 2021 | $168,123 | $28,562 | $38,133 | $37,879 | 30 | $38,133 | $28,308 | $22,659 |
| 2020 | $177,695 | $5,981 | $38,463 | $37,813 | 32 | — | $18,266 | $17,134 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Make Great Things Happen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants included educational support for academically talented, economically challenged students; educational programming; woodworking instruction; children’s books; food-bank services; medical research; and humanitarian food programs.
The grantee 518 Elevated describes its work as providing mentoring, professional guidance, and academic and financial support to qualifying high school students in the Capital Region. Saratoga Joinery describes its work as offering community access to a woodworking shop and classes in safety, skill development, and project design. An individual recipient describes itself as an educational institution teaching woodworking and furniture-making skills to students of all levels.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $35,067 across 39 grants. Grants ranged from $100 to $5,000, with a median grant of $500. Notable grants included $5,000 to Ithaca College for educational programming at its School of Communication; $4,000 each to 518 Elevated for student support and Berkshire Woodworkers Guild for educational programming; and $2,568 to an individual recipient for educational support of academically talented, economically challenged students. Other grants included $1,500 each to PJ Library and St. Mary’s Food Bank, and $1,100 to Captain Community Human Services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sharon Schoenberg and Steve Schoenberg as trustees.
Make Great Things Happen Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sharon Schoenberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Schoenberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Make Great Things Happen Foundation
How much does Make Great Things Happen Foundation give each year?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation gave $35K across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $38K across 39 grants.
What is Make Great Things Happen Foundation's typical grant size?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $899, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Make Great Things Happen Foundation that year got $925 on average.
Where does Make Great Things Happen Foundation give grants?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation gives mostly in New York: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (11%) and Arizona (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Albany, NY (6 grants), Clifton Park, NY (4 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (2 grants).
Does Make Great Things Happen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on Make Great Things Happen Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Make Great Things Happen Foundation's largest grantees?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ithaca College ($5,000), 518 Elevated ($4,000) and Berkshire Woodworkers Guild ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($4,318), which are not listed by name. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Make Great Things Happen Foundation?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation reported $130K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $36K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Make Great Things Happen Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Make Great Things Happen 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 Make Great Things Happen Foundation's EIN?
Make Great Things Happen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6740756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Make Great Things Happen 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 October 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 May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Make Great Things Happen Foundation funds
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