Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund
The Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2024 filing says it makes grants to qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in support of their charitable, social, and educational activities.
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund at a glance
In short: Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund gave $83K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $83,000
- +2.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,385
- +2.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $403,235
- -1.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (47% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund
- 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: 15 West 63Rd Street 19B, New York, NY 10023
Phone: (914) 671-3489
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Doctors Without Borders ($14K). Together the top 10 received $76K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 41 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in New York (47%), California (20%), Virginia (18%), Washington, DC (12%), and Connecticut (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund gives
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 89% 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 (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 $5K (2022) to $83K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $83K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Medical Services | $14,000 |
| Rainforest Trust Warrenton, VA | Rainforest Preservation | $12,000 |
| Sierra Club Foundation Oakland, CA | Environmental & Social Services | $12,000 |
| Oceana Washington, DC | Preservation & Restoration of Oceans | $10,000 |
| United Jewish Appeal New York, NY | Social & Cultural Services | $8,000 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund Cotati, CA | Animal Legal Defense Services | $5,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy Inc New York, NY | Conservation of Central Park | $5,000 |
| Carnegie Hall New York, NY | Social Services | $4,000 |
| International Center of Photography New York, NY | Museum of Photography & Educational Services | $3,000 |
| National Wildlife Foundation Merrifield, VA | Wildlife Services | $3,000 |
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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 | $403,235 | $111,067 | $115,074 | $83,000 | 13 | $85,725 | $81,718 | $96,623 |
| 2023 | $407,242 | $15,933 | $121,777 | $81,000 | 13 | $86,320 | — | $88,545 |
| 2022 | $513,086 | $46,015 | $26,479 | $5,000 | 1 | $6,250 | $25,786 | $83,510 |
| 2021 | $491,800 | $70,051 | $100,591 | $78,000 | 13 | $79,810 | $49,540 | $83,106 |
| 2020 | $522,340 | $84,869 | $78,787 | $60,000 | 1 | — | $68,340 | $65,208 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund reported a distributable amount of $97K 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 fund does not state a separate mission in the provided information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including medical services, environmental protection, wildlife and rainforest preservation, ocean conservation, social and cultural services, education, photography, and land conservation.
Among its grantees, the Sierra Club Foundation says it works to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment. Rainforest Trust says it protects endangered wildlife and creates rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement, and donor support. The International Center of Photography describes itself as a museum and school dedicated to understanding and appreciating photography. Kent Land Trust says it promotes conservation of land and water resources, principally in Kent, Connecticut.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund reported 13 grants totaling $83,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $14,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $14,000 to Doctors Without Borders for medical services; $12,000 each to Rainforest Trust for rainforest preservation and the Sierra Club Foundation for environmental and social services; and $10,000 to Oceana for ocean preservation and restoration. Other grants included $8,000 to United Jewish Appeal, $5,000 each to Animal Legal Defense Fund and Central Park Conservancy, and $4,000 to Carnegie Hall.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paul Kessel as president and Erika Kessel as secretary.
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund is led by Paul Kessel, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul Kessel
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Erika Kessel
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund
How much does Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund give each year?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund gave $83K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $81K across 13 grants.
What is Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's typical grant size?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,385, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund give grants?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's top state is New York, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (20%) and Virginia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants).
Does Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's largest grantees?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Doctors Without Borders ($14,000), Rainforest Trust ($12,000) and Sierra Club Foundation ($12,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund reported $403K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $86K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $97K (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 Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund fund?
The fund does not state a separate mission in the provided information. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund?
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 Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's EIN?
Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161715. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund 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). Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/morris-and-jeannette-kessel-fund-morg_6366b718009e42068209aea1e8e58e8a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161715_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Morris \& Jeannette Kessel Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/morris-and-jeannette-kessel-fund-morg_6366b718009e42068209aea1e8e58e8a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Morris & Jeannette Kessel Fund'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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