Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation
The Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation is a private foundation established in 2009 by Mike and Sofia Segal, Ukrainian immigrants who arrived in the United States in 1978. Mike Segal founded LS Power in 1990, which grew to become the largest privately held power generation company in the United States. The foundation is based in New York, NY and takes an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, focusing on causes that are traditionally overlooked and underfunded.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.3M
-3.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.2M
+42.0% YoY
Grant Count
33
+32.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$370K
+7.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides substantial capital and endowment grants to nonprofits with outstanding leadership that can demonstrate measurable, impactful outcomes. The foundation's stated approach is to "support crucial, inspiring, well-led, and underfunded nonprofit organizations and initiatives making substantial contributions to progress and impact."
Primary areas of focus include:
- Intellectual Freedom/Civil Discourse — Having lived under a totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union, Mike and Sofia Segal understand that intellectual freedom and civil discourse are essential for creating a dynamic and open society.
- Medical Research — Addressing both the social and medical aspects of rare diseases.
- Jewish Heritage — Preserving Jewish heritage and strengthening identity and Peoplehood in Israel and the United States.
- Elder Care
- Climate Change
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $3,000 to $3,500,000
Average Grant
** $178,000
Invitation Only
** Invitation preferred; letter of intent accepted.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, District of Columbia, and Florida, which account for 76% of grants.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $9,339,780 (as of 2024); $9,652,375 (as of 2023)
Total Annual Giving: $12,209,388 (2024)
Total Revenues: $3,901,359 (2023)
Total Expenses: $8,874,145 (2023)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,339,780 | $9,652,375 | $21,392,760 |
| Revenue | $13,023,090 | $3,901,359 | $1,661,874 |
| Expenses | $12,856,795 | $8,874,145 | $1,945,352 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $12,217,032 | $8,605,407 | $1,873,352 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,401,897 | $4,706,656 | $2,849,064 |
| Distributable Amount | $530,705 | $949,627 | $1,198,101 |
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
118 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIKHAIL SEGAL | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| SOFIA SEGAL | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced several major grants and initiatives in recent years:
The Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation pledged $5 million to Heterodox Academy to establish The Mike & Sofia Segal Center for Academic Pluralism, supporting intellectual freedom and civil discourse on college campuses.
Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation Pledges $5 Million to Heterodox AcademyThe Leukemia & Lymphoma Society received $17 million from the foundation to accelerate progress in the treatment of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia.
Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation Pledges $5 Million to Heterodox AcademyANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel received $1.5 million from the foundation.
ANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel Receives $1.5 MillionThe restoration of the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem will begin with foundation support.
The foundation has recently "retooled" its approach to philanthropic giving to make it more strategic, targeted, and sizable.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities