Mariposa Foundation Inc

FORT LEE, NJ EIN: 51-0170409 Website

Mariposa Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation located in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Established in 1976, it operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a focus on supporting organizations aligned with its vision of transformation and social impact.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$77.4M

+6.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$5.2M

+18.5% YoY

Grant Count

+17.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$127K

+1.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mariposa Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation was founded to be a pillar of support for organizations with the vision to recognize opportunities for transformation, providing resources to nurture, protect, and support the emergence of beauty and hope.

Primary funding areas include:

Social services
The arts
Education

Grantmaking

The foundation offers a separate grant program for individual applicants seeking education and training support:

Grant Range

s:**

Review Cycle

May 31st

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds organizations and programs across multiple states, with notable activity in California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $22.3M (89%)

District of Columbia $2.2M (9%)

California $295K (1%)

Rhode Island $175K (1%)

New Jersey $100K (0%)

Colorado $25K (0%)

Oregon $20K (0%)

States

California Colorado District of Columbia New Jersey New York Oregon Rhode Island Utah

Cities

BedfordBronxBrooklynCoronaJamaicaJersey CityLong Island CityLongmontLos AlamitosNew YorkOaklandPortlandProvidenceRichmondRiverdaleSalt Lake CitySan FranciscoSaratoga SpringsWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending December 2023:

Total assets: $72.9 million
Total revenue: $6.98 million
Total expenses: $5.77 million
Investment income and dividends: $1.12 million
Total liabilities: $0
Giving rate: 6.7%

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$77,352,879	$72,860,326	$71,654,455
Revenue	$10,854,895	$6,975,875	$6,661,260
Expenses	$6,362,342	$5,769,004	$6,373,659
Qualifying Distributions	$5,646,670	$4,823,408	$5,396,740
Net Investment Income	$8,135,322	$6,301,355	$6,065,804
Distributable Amount	$4,664,731	$4,435,665	$4,623,691

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

205 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Museum Natural History ($600,000), American Civil Liberties Union ($500,000), Propublica ($500,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION NEW YORK, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$500,000
AMERICAN MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY NEW YORK, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$600,000
BRADY CTR PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE WASHINGTON, DC	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$100,000
BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE NEW YORK, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$50,000
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BROOKLYN, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$10,000
BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY BROOKLYN, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$75,000
BROWN UNIVERSITY PROVIDENCE, RI	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$100,000
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION NEW YORK, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$100,000
CENTER FOR HUMANE TECHNOLOGY SAN FRANCISCO, CA	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$100,000
CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY BROOKLYN, NY	FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE	$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Claire Bernard - President (30 hours/week)
Lewis W Bernard - Chairman (15 hours/week)
Adam T Bernard - Treasurer (1 hour/week)
Jill V Bernard - Vice President/Secretary (1 hour/week)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LEWIS W BERNARD	CHAIRMAN	15	—
JILL V BERNARD	VP/SECRETARY	1	—
CLAIRE BERNARD	PRESIDENT	30	—
ADAM T BERNARD	TREASURER	1	—

Contact Information

Website: www.mariposafoundation.org
Phone: 201-725-4647
Address: C Tomeo, 522 North Ave, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Grant inquiries email: Grants@Mariposa.Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mariposa Foundation Inc fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Mariposa Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 36-45 grants in the most recent fiscal year (2023) • Total distributions: approximately $4.8-$5.2 million annually **Grant Sizes:** • Grant range: $5,000 to $1,000,000 • Median grant amount: approximately $100,000-$136,304 **Recent Grantees (2023):** • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - $300,000 • Planned Parenthood Federation of America - $200,000 • Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) - $150,000 • Natural Resources Defense Council **Application Process:** The found…

Where does Mariposa Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation funds organizations and programs across multiple states, with notable activity in California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland.

What size grants does Mariposa Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Mariposa Foundation Inc awarded 41 grants totaling $5.2M — an average of about $127K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Mariposa Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Mariposa Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.