National Grid Foundation
The National Grid Foundation is a private foundation based in Hicksville, New York. It supports nonprofit organizations working to create opportunities in the communities it serves, with stated interests including education, environmental programs, and community wellbeing. Since its establishment in December 1998, it says it has provided more than $43 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across its grant-making territory.
National Grid Foundation at a glance
In short: National Grid Foundation gave $5.4M across 91 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in New York. 4% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,439,800
- +67.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 91
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $59,778
- +69.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $37,959,519
- -1.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (3 of 84, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (58% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to National Grid Foundation
- Invitation Only
-
The Foundation’s website says applications are invitation-only. The 2024 filing describes submission through an online application system and lists Eileen R. Cohen, Chair, as the contact for application inquiries. The filing says grants generally support environmental and educational programming and emergency fuel-neutral heating funds in the Foundation’s grant-making territory; the board may sometimes support efforts outside those parameters.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists a deadline of October 31, with possible extensions. The grant program overview says proposals are accepted and reviewed through November 1; applications submitted after that date are reviewed the next calendar year.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists a deadline of October 31, with possible extensions.
- Contact
Application contact: Eileen R Cohen Chair
Mailing address: 175 Old Country Rd, Hicksville, NY 11801
Phone: (516) 545-6100
Website: https://nationalgrid.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from National Grid Foundation
Who National Grid Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was United Way of Massachusetts Bay ($1.5M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
520 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 469 grants of 520 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its grant-making territory as the National Grid service territory and refers to its territory across the Northeast. Its 2024 grants were distributed to recipients in New York (58% of grant dollars) and Massachusetts (42%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
Cities
Is National Grid Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 84 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $204K; repeat grants $60K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 95% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 280% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $2.7M (2022) to $5.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 91 grants totaling $5.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of Massachusetts Bay Boston, MA | Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant | $1,000,000 |
| United Way of Long Island Deer Park, NY | 2024-2025 Project Warmth | $350,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany Albany, NY | 2022-2023 Emergency Energy Assistance Services | $300,000 |
| United Way of Massachusetts Bay Boston, MA | The Family Fund - Emergency Heating Assistance | $300,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany Albany, NY | Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant | $250,000 |
| United Way of Long Island Deer Park, NY | Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant | $250,000 |
| Catholic Charities of Staten Island Staten Island, NY | Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant | $250,000 |
| Catholic Charities of Brooklyn Queens Brooklyn, NY | Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant | $250,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany Albany, NY | Heating Fund Grant Celebrating NGF 25TH Anniversary | $200,000 |
| United Way of Massachusetts Bay Boston, MA | Heating Fund Grant Celebrating NGF 25TH Anniversary | $200,000 |
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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 | $37,959,519 | $2,113,602 | $5,546,659 | $5,439,800 | 91 | $5,491,423 | $2,039,351 | $1,958,531 |
| 2023 | $38,704,340 | $-1,007,488 | $3,584,960 | $3,244,800 | 92 | $3,290,829 | $801,684 | $1,657,937 |
| 2022 | $32,881,952 | $2,100,708 | $2,849,147 | $2,748,700 | 86 | $2,839,706 | $2,005,789 | $1,745,736 |
| 2021 | $42,153,772 | $7,352,385 | $3,425,467 | $3,286,800 | 132 | $3,290,550 | $7,352,385 | $1,980,530 |
| 2020 | $40,283,729 | $3,619,255 | $3,459,737 | $3,303,600 | 119 | — | $3,619,255 | $1,759,021 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, National Grid Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M 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 Foundation says it believes global issues begin at the local level. Its stated areas of support include education—particularly STEM and literacy—and community wellbeing, including work addressing social determinants. It also supports environmental programming and solutions. The Foundation aims to support opportunities that improve quality of life and help people become more self-sufficient.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it has supported. United Way of Massachusetts Bay describes its mission as advancing an economically just region where prosperity is shared across race and ethnicity. United Way of Long Island says it convenes community partners around income, education, and health, while also funding urgent needs including food, housing, health, and heat. The Campaign Against Hunger says it works to end hunger in Central Brooklyn through food distribution and support for families.
The Foundation’s website lists areas it does not support, including capital campaigns, direct scholarships, endowment campaigns, individual grants, fundraising events, and general operating expenses.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 91 grants totaling $5,439,800. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest awards included $1,000,000 to United Way of Massachusetts Bay for a special emergency heating fund grant; $350,000 to United Way of Long Island for Project Warmth; and $300,000 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany for emergency energy assistance services. Other large awards supported emergency heating assistance through United Way of Massachusetts Bay and several Catholic Charities and United Way organizations in New York.
The Foundation’s website says applications are accepted by invitation only and that it is not currently accepting unsolicited letters or proposals. The 2024 filing describes applications as submitted through an online application system and says the Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Eileen R. Cohen as Chair; Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson and Carmen Fields as Vice-Chairs; and Don Lowery as Treasurer. Board members listed on that filing are Ebone M. Carrington, Calvin L. Corriders, Hon. Louis Elisa II, Melanie Littlejohn, Lorraine Lynch, and Aaron Choo.
The Foundation’s 2026 announcement identifies Robert Simmons as Executive Director.
National Grid Foundation is led by Robert Simmons, Executive Director on the 2024 filing; none of the 15 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Simmons
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eileen R. Cohen
Chair
Chairperson → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Fields
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ebone M. Carrington
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary V. Simpson
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lorraine M. Lynch
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Louis A. Elisa II
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcy L. Reed
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melanie W. Littlejohn
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Calvin L. Corriders
Board Member
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Don Lowery
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen J. Woerner
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Choo
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Hon
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Zelkowitz
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Edward White (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Angel Taveras (2020–2022) — Board Member -
- Former: Donald Lowery (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael J. Taunton (2020–2021) — Director -
- Former: Stephen W. McCaffrey (2020) — Chief Counsel
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 National Grid Foundation
How much does National Grid Foundation give each year?
National Grid Foundation gave $5.4M across 91 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 92 grants.
What is National Grid Foundation's typical grant size?
National Grid Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $59,778, across 91 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from National Grid Foundation that year got $204K on average.
Where does National Grid Foundation give grants?
National Grid Foundation gives mostly in New York: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (15 grants), Boston, MA (14 grants), New York, NY (10 grants) and Buffalo, NY (5 grants).
Does National Grid Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 91 grants with a stated purpose on National Grid Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Special Emergency Heating Fund Grant" (6 grants) and "Heating Fund Grant Celebrating NGF 25TH Anniversary" (3 grants).
Who are National Grid Foundation's largest grantees?
National Grid Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include United Way of Massachusetts Bay ($1,500,000 across 3 grants), Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany ($750,000 across 3 grants) and United Way of Long Island ($750,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is National Grid Foundation?
National Grid Foundation reported $38.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does National Grid Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it believes global issues begin at the local level. Its stated areas of support include education—particularly STEM and literacy—and community wellbeing, including work addressing social determinants. It also supports environmental programming and solutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Grid Foundation?
The Foundation’s website says applications are invitation-only. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is National Grid Foundation's EIN?
National Grid Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-3466416. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in National Grid Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). National Grid Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/national-grid-foundation-morg_e4606f85fecf493a80c1e91d0e3d1b6b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_113466416_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{National Grid Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/national-grid-foundation-morg_e4606f85fecf493a80c1e91d0e3d1b6b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 National Grid Foundation'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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