The Nick Simons Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2006 in New York to honor the memory of Nick Simons and his love for Nepal. The foundation focuses on improving health and medical care, particularly in rural and remote communities in developing countries, with special emphasis on Nepal.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$223.7M
+0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.6M
-5.5% YoY
Grant Count
21
-27.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$743K
+30.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nick Simons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to improve health and medical care in Nepal, especially for rural and remote populations. Key focus areas include:
- Development and advancement of the Universal Anesthesia Machine (UAM), a low-cost trolley-based workstation providing inhalation anesthesia
- Training for rural health care workers
- Curricula development and training site start-ups
- Programs to help retain health care workers in rural settings
- Implementation modeling and validation to accelerate tuberculosis elimination in Nepal
- General operating support for health initiatives in Nepal
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants to support its mission-aligned work. Recent grant activity includes:
How to Apply
**: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
Ready to take the next step with Nick Simons Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Nick Simons Foundation (EIN: 20-3101239)
- Total Assets: $223,718,450 (2024)
- Total Revenue: $4,168,653 (2024)
- Total Expenses: $7,744,486 (2024)
- Total Liabilities: $17,800,000 (2024)
- Total Giving: $15,603,857
Nick Simons Foundation International (EIN: 47-2836360)
- Total Assets: $34,533 (2024)
- Total Revenue: $3,500,000 (2024)
- Total Expenses: $3,502,779 (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $223,718,450 | $223,066,773 | $230,924,638 |
| Revenue | $4,168,653 | $2,971,387 | $12,723,775 |
| Expenses | $7,744,486 | $15,948,141 | $16,008,141 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $16,712,784 | $17,509,288 | $15,162,680 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,842,246 | $144,600,252 | $12,492,377 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,925,563 | $10,883,288 | $10,304,168 |
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
109 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Gradian Health Systems ($8,500,000), Nick Simons Foundation International ($5,260,000), Patan Hospital ($560,213).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICA NEPAL MEDICAL FOUNDATION WESTFIELD, MA | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM AND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR WORK IN NEPAL. | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | TO SUPPORT PROGRAM AND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR WORK IN NEPAL. | $100,000 |
| AUTISMCARE NEPAL SOCIETY | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR WORK IN NEPAL. | $20,000 |
| BHASKAR-TEJSHREE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BHASKAR MEMORIAL FOUNDATION BUILDING AND PROGRAM SUPPORT. | $126,047 |
| CPCS INTERNATIONAL | TO PROVIDE PROVIDE FOOD, HOUSING, AND MEDICAL CARE TO CHILDREN AT RISK AND IN STREET SITUATIONS IN NEPAL. | $150,000 |
| FRIENDS OF PATAN HOSPITAL DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES OF PATAN HOSPITAL. | $5,000 |
| GRADIAN HEALTH SYSTEMS NEW YORK, NY | TO SUPPORT GRADIAN'S MISSION TO SUPPLY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IN LOW-RESOURCE HOSPITALS GLOBALLY (FY 2024-2026). | $8,500,000 |
| HIMALAYAN CATARACT PROJECT WATERBURY, VT | TO PROVIDE PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR NEPAL-BASED ACTIVITIES. | $50,000 |
| HOSPICE NEPAL | TO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT IN HONOR OF RAJESH GONGAL. | $20,000 |
| IPAS CHAPEL HILL, NC | TO PROVIDE UNRESTRICTED PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR REPRODUCIVE HEALTH IN NEPAL. | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Marilyn Hawrys Simons: President and Secretary of Nick Simons Foundation International
- Marina Shmoukler: Chief Financial Officer of Nick Simons Foundation International
The foundation was founded by James Simons, founder and former CEO of Renaissance Technologies. James and Marilyn Simons have committed to The Giving Pledge, pledging to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES SIMONS | CO-PRESIDENT & TREASURER (THRU 5/2024) | 2 | — |
| MARILYN SIMONS | CO-PRESIDENT & SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| CAITLIN HEISING | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| MARK HEISING | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| AUDREY CAPPELL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| LAURA BAXTER-SIMONS | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| ELIZABETH SIMONS | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| NATHANIEL SIMONS | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| JACOB CAPPELL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
Contact Information
- Phone: 646-968-1888
- Website: nicksimonsfoundation.org
- Address: 149 5th Ave, Floor 5, New York City, NY 10010-6801
- Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since September 2006
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Nick Simons Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to improve health and medical care in Nepal, especially for rural and remote populations. Key focus areas include: • Development and advancement of the Universal Anesthesia Machine (UAM), a low-cost trolley-based workstation providing inhalation anesthesia • Training for rural health care workers • Curricula development and training site start-ups • Programs to help retain health care workers in rural settings • Implementation modeling and validation to accelerate tu…
How do I apply for a grant from Nick Simons Foundation?
The foundation makes grants to support its mission-aligned work. Recent grant activity includes: • **Gradian Health Systems**: $8,500,000 (2024-2026) to support the organization's mission to supply medical equipment in low-resource hospitals globally • **Nick Simons Foundation International**: $5,520,000 for program and general operating support for the Nick Simons Institute in Nepal The foundation made 28 grants in 2024. Typical award amounts range from $1,000 to $8,500,000. **Application Proc…
What size grants does Nick Simons Foundation award?
In 2024, Nick Simons Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $15.6M — an average of about $743K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Nick Simons Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Nick Simons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Nick Simons Foundation's EIN?
Nick Simons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3101239. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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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