Nick Simons Foundation
The Nick Simons Foundation is a private family foundation based in New York, New York. Formed in 2005 to honor Nick Simons, his love for Nepal, and his interest in developing countries, its main focus is improving health and medical care in Nepal, especially for rural and remote populations.
Nick Simons Foundation at a glance
In short: Nick Simons Foundation gave $15.6M across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $743K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,603,857
- -5.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- -27.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $743,041
- +30.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $223,718,450
- +0.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (88% 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 Nick Simons Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 149 5Th Ave 5Th Fl, New York, NY 10010
Phone: (646) 968-1888
Website: https://nicksimonsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nick Simons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Gradian Health Systems ($8.5M). Together the top 10 received $15.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 109 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies Nepal, particularly rural and remote populations, as its main geographic focus. Its 2024 grant purposes include support for work in Nepal and for medical equipment in low-resource hospitals globally. In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York; the filing also reports shares for an unspecified recipient state (9%), Massachusetts (1%), California (1%), and Vermont (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
How Nick Simons Foundation gives
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 153% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $14.7M (2022) to $16.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $15.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Nick Simons Foundation International New York, NY | Program and general operating support for the nick simons institute in nepal. | $5,260,000 |
| Patan Hospital | To support the construction of the hostel block for the school of nursing and midwifery at sanepa, lalitpur. | $560,213 |
| Nyaya Health Nepal | To provide restricted operating support for hospital services and programs at bayalpata hospital, and service expansion in the district of achhaam, far-western, nepal. | $500,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | To support developing local evaluation and research capacity at the nick simons institute. | $189,150 |
| CPCS International | To provide provide food, housing, and medical care to children at risk and in street situations in nepal. | $150,000 |
| Bhaskar-Tejshree Memorial Foundation | To support the construction of the bhaskar memorial foundation building and program support. | $126,047 |
| American Himalayan Foundation San Francisco, CA | To support program and general operating support for work in nepal. | $100,000 |
| Himalayan Cataract Project Waterbury, VT | To Provide Program Support for Nepal-Based Activities. | $50,000 |
| Nepal Mathematical Society | To provide support to society to society (s2s): strengthening mathematics education program in nepal. | $39,947 |
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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 | $223,718,450 | $4,168,653 | $7,744,486 | $15,603,857 | 21 | $16,712,784 | $3,842,246 | $10,925,563 |
| 2023 | $223,066,773 | $2,971,387 | $15,948,141 | $16,511,184 | 29 | $17,509,288 | $144,600,252 | $10,883,288 |
| 2022 | $230,924,638 | $12,723,775 | $16,008,141 | $14,654,724 | 28 | $15,162,680 | $12,492,377 | $10,304,168 |
| 2021 | $186,223,465 | $6,594,960 | $16,714,024 | $15,727,705 | 30 | — | $6,761,009 | $7,779,503 |
| 2020 | $137,604,109 | $36,291,370 | $22,223,641 | $16,130,934 | 1 | — | $18,833,238 | $5,646,136 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated main focus is improving health and medical care in Nepal, especially for rural and remote populations. Its website describes the Nick Simons Institute’s work as in-service training and support for district hospitals, including efforts to assess, coach, and aid health-worker performance. The foundation also describes supporting advocacy for rural health workers.
Grantees’ work spans several areas. Gradian Health Systems describes itself as a nonprofit medical-device company that equips low-resource hospitals to perform safe surgery. Himalayan Cataract Project says it develops high-quality, cost-effective eye care in underserved areas; Ipas says it works to expand access to abortion and contraception; and Partners Asia describes building relationships between community organizers and international donors. The foundation also supported Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, whose stated mission includes historic building restoration in the Kathmandu Valley.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $15,603,857. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $8,500,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
The largest 2024 grants included $8,500,000 to Gradian Health Systems to support its mission of supplying medical equipment in low-resource hospitals globally for FY 2024–2026, and $5,260,000 to Nick Simons Foundation International for program and general operating support for the Nick Simons Institute in Nepal. Other notable grants were $560,213 to Patan Hospital for a nursing and midwifery school hostel block; $500,000 to Nyaya Health Nepal for hospital services and programs at Bayalpata Hospital and service expansion in Achhaam, Nepal; and $189,150 to Massachusetts General Hospital to support local evaluation and research capacity at the Nick Simons Institute.
The foundation also reported grants of $150,000 to CPCS International, $126,047 to Bhaskar-Tejshree Memorial Foundation, $100,000 to American Himalayan Foundation, $50,000 to Himalayan Cataract Project, $39,947 to Nepal Mathematical Society, $25,000 to Ipas, and $25,000 to Partners Asia. The filing describes the Ipas grant as unrestricted program support for reproductive health in Nepal and the Partners Asia grant as program support in Southeast Asia.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Marilyn Simons as co-president and secretary. James Simons is listed as co-president and treasurer through May 2024. Trustees listed on the filing are Caitlin Heising, Mark Heising, Audrey Cappell, Laura Baxter-Simons, Elizabeth Simons, Nathaniel Simons, and Jacob Cappell.
Nick Simons Foundation is led by James Simons, Co-President & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Simons
Co-President & Treasurer
President → Co-President & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Simons
Co-President & Secretary
Secretary & Treasurer → Co-President & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Audrey Cappell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Heising
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Cappell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Heising
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Simons
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Baxter-Simons
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathaniel Simons
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Laura Baxter Simons (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Liz Simons (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Nat Simons (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 Nick Simons Foundation
How much does Nick Simons Foundation give each year?
Nick Simons Foundation gave $15.6M across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $16.5M across 29 grants.
What is Nick Simons Foundation's typical grant size?
Nick Simons Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $743,041, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Nick Simons Foundation give grants?
Nick Simons Foundation gives mostly in New York: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Nick Simons Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 38% of Nick Simons Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Nick Simons Foundation's largest grantees?
Nick Simons Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Gradian Health Systems ($8,500,000), Nick Simons Foundation International ($5,260,000) and Patan Hospital ($560,213), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nick Simons Foundation?
Nick Simons Foundation reported $223.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Nick Simons Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated main focus is improving health and medical care in Nepal, especially for rural and remote populations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nick Simons Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Nick Simons Foundation 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). Nick Simons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nick-simons-foundation-morg_d023b87056c946eb82232d82f97193bc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203101239_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nick Simons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nick-simons-foundation-morg_d023b87056c946eb82232d82f97193bc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Nick Simons 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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