Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus
The Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus Foundation Inc is a private foundation incorporated in 1949 and based in Stamford, Connecticut. It operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Key facts about Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus
- EIN
- 56-0645526
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $704,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 65
- Average grant
- $10,831
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (2 of 65, 2024)
- Total assets
- $842,202
- Primary geography
- New York (43% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus's 65 itemized 2024 grants were New York (43%), District of Columbia (15%) and Maryland (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants), Washington, DC (12 grants), Potomac, MD (3 grants) and Bronx, NY (2 grants). None of its 65 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Outreach" (28 grants), "Medical Research" (15 grants) and "Education" (13 grants).
Is Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 65 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 97% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$842K
+28.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$704K
+6.8% YoY
Grant Count
65
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+6.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus reported a distributable amount of $694K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities include:
- Health: Medical research, education, hospitals, and health associations
- Education
- Religious institutions: Roman Catholic and Jewish religious organizations
- Social services: Support for persons with disabilities and federated giving programs
- Philanthropy and voluntarism: Grantmaking and related activities
Grantmaking
Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- New York
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 65 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Most Recent Filing (2024):
- Total assets: $842,202
- Total giving: $704,000
- Total revenues: $899,533
- Total expenses: $714,992
Previous Year (2023):
- Total distributions: $659,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $842,202 | $657,661 | $727,259 |
| Revenue | $899,533 | $603,260 | $634,522 |
| Expenses | $714,992 | $672,858 | $695,094 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $704,000 | $659,000 | $683,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $899,383 | $602,390 | $633,713 |
| Distributable Amount | $693,845 | $663,140 | $676,032 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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
265 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Columbia University Huntington Disease Center ($38,000), Boston College ($25,000), Georgetown University ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HUNTINGTON DISEASE CENTER New York, NY | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $38,000 |
| BOSTON COLLEGE Newtonville, MA | EDUCATION | $25,000 |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Washington, DC | EDUCATION | $25,000 |
| LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION Woodbury, NY | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $20,000 |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL Memphis, TN | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $20,000 |
| VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Nasville, TN | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $20,000 |
| AMERICARES FOUNDATION Stamford, CT | COMMUNITY OUTREACH | $18,000 |
| MONTEFIORE HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER Bronx, NY | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $18,000 |
| MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY FOUNDATION New York, NY | MEDICAL RESEARCH | $18,000 |
| NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY Arlington, VA | COMMUNITY OUTREACH | $18,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members and Directors:
- Thomas R King (Director/Manager)
- David L Straus (Director)
- Hillary J Straus (Director)
- Patricia Gerleit (Director)
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas R King | Director/Manager | — | — |
| David L Straus | Director | — | — |
| Hillary J Straus | Director | — | — |
| Patricia Gerleit | Director | — | — |
Contact Information
Address: 10 Skyline Lane Stamford, CT 06903
Telephone: 203-329-3786
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus fund?
The foundation's giving priorities include: • **Health**: Medical research, education, hospitals, and health associations • **Education** • **Religious institutions**: Roman Catholic and Jewish religious organizations • **Social services**: Support for persons with disabilities and federated giving programs • **Philanthropy and voluntarism**: Grantmaking and related activities
How do I apply for a grant from Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $38,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000 • Maximum grant amount: $38,000 **Recent Grant Activity:** Recent grants include: • Georgetown University: $25,000 (Education) • Lustgarten Foundation: $20,000 (Medical Research) • St Jude Children's Research Hospital: $20,000 (Medical Research) The foundation made 65 grants in its most recent filing period.
Where does Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • District of Columbia • Maryland
What size grants does Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus award?
In 2024, Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus awarded 65 grants totaling $704K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus reported a distributable amount of $694K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus's EIN?
Martha Washington Straus-Harry H Straus's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-0645526. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.