The Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation, known publicly as the Whiting Foundation, is a private 501(c)(3) foundation located in New York City. Incorporated in 1963 and granted tax-exempt status in 2015, the foundation provides targeted support for writers, editors, educators, librarians, and archivists who advance literature and preserve cultural heritage.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$75.9M
+4.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
+6.3% YoY
Grant Count
78
+6.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
-0.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to provide targeted support for writers, scholars, and the stewards of humanity's shared cultural heritage. The foundation believes their work deepens the human experience and broadens individual perspective.
Primary funding areas include:
Literature
- Whiting Award for emerging writers
- Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress
- Literary Magazine Prizes
Humanities
- Preservation of endangered cultural heritage
- Humanities support in high schools
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s**
Review Cycle
and December announcement (approximately 8-month decision time)
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
United States (primarily), with international reach for cultural heritage preservation.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024)
- Total assets: $75,886,402
- Total revenues: $5,300,964
- Total expenses: $4,811,750
Assets & Revenue (2023)
- Total assets: $72,828,409
- Total revenues: $3.16 million
- Total expenses: $4.4 million
- Total liabilities: $0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $75,886,402 | $72,828,409 | $68,181,512 |
| Revenue | $5,300,964 | $3,156,671 | $3,650,322 |
| Expenses | $4,811,750 | $4,398,894 | $4,452,820 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,057,907 | $3,696,264 | $4,150,302 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,888,643 | $2,272,742 | $3,607,955 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,493,608 | $3,404,109 | $3,570,920 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Cultural Emergency Response (cer) ($301,000), Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Inc ($70,000), Theatre for a New Audience ($70,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CULTURAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE (CER) | PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE | $301,000 |
| INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE & ART INC NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $70,000 |
| THEATRE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $70,000 |
| NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $65,000 |
| WORDS WITHOUT BORDERS BROOKLYN, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $65,000 |
| ACADEMY FOR TEACHERS NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $60,000 |
| NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $60,000 |
| PAIDEIA INSTITUTE NEW YORK, NY | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $60,000 |
| PLATO SEATTLE, WA | HIGH-SCHOOL HUMANITIES | $60,000 |
| GRAND CENTRAL ATELIER INC RIDGEWOOD, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Constantia Constantinou - Executive Director (appointed 2024)
- Daniel Reid - Executive Director and Assistant Secretary
- Courtney Hodell - Director of Literary Programs
- Peter Pennoyer - Trustee
- Jacob Collins - Trustee
- Kumar Mahadeva - Trustee
Staff size: 5 employees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PETER PENNOYER | PRESIDENT / TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| JACOB COLLINS | VICE-PRESIDENT / TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| KUMAR MAHADEVA | VICE-PRESIDENT / TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| JOHN N IRWIN III | TREASURER / VICE-PRESIDENT / TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| MAGDALENA ZAVALIA | SECRETARY / ASST. TREASURER | 5 | $24,000 |
| AMANDA FOREMAN | VICE-PRESIDENT / TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| DANIEL REID | EXEC. DIR./ASST. SECRETARY(TO 8/2024) | 40 | $154,582 |
| CONSTANTIA CONSTANTINOU | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/2024) | 40 | $58,349 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced 2025 Whiting Nonfiction for Works-in-Progress grantees and is currently accepting applications for the 2026 Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress. The foundation has expanded its support model to include not just financial awards but also professional development opportunities.
Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation - Grant Information & Application DetailsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to provide targeted support for writers, scholars, and the stewards of humanity's shared cultural heritage. The foundation believes their work deepens the human experience and broadens individual perspective. Primary funding areas include: **Literature** • Whiting Award for emerging writers • Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress • Literary Magazine Prizes **Humanities** • Preservation of endangered cultural heritage • Humanities support in high schools
How do I apply for a grant from Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation?
**Grant Activity** • Made 76 grants in 2024 • Distributed $2.1 million in grants during 2023 • Total giving: $2,139,370 (2023) **Grant Sizes** • Individual awards: $40,000-$50,000 • Organizational grants vary • Recent organizational grants range from $65,000 to $70,000 **Recent Grantees (2024)** • Theatre for A New Audience (TFANA) - $70,000 (High-School Humanities) • The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art - $70,000 (High-School Humanities) • Words Without Borders - $65,000 (High-Schoo…
Where does Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation make grants?
United States (primarily), with international reach for cultural heritage preservation.
What size grants does Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation award?
In 2024, Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation awarded 78 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $29K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation's EIN?
Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6154484. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mrs Giles Whiting Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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