NOK Foundation Inc
NOK Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $539,594.
NOK Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: NOK Foundation Inc gave $540K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $42K), mostly in New York. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $539,594
- +11.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $41,507
- +28.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $8,096,937
- -5.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (63% 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 NOK Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs applicants to contact Nigol Koulajian with a formal letter outlining the request’s purpose, details of the related program, and the amount requested. It states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and that awards have no restrictions or limitations.
- Review Cycle
- No submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- No submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Nigol Koulajian
Mailing address: C/O Alphaquest 110 E 59Th St 36 Flr, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 838-7222
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who NOK Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Armenian General Benevolent Union (Agbu) ($103K). Together the top 10 received $484K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($50,070), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 76 (74%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 14% to Massachusetts, 11% to California, and 3% to Michigan. The filing also reports 9% for a recipient-state category shown as “?”.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is NOK Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 94% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 168% 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 $278K (2021) to $540K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $540K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Armenian General Benevolent Union (Agbu) New York, NY | To support educational,cultural, & humanitarian programs focused on upholding armenian heritage. | $103,200 |
| Alfanar Inc Newton, MA | General Operating Support | $76,246 |
| David Lynch Foundation New York, NY | Sponsor for Transcendental Meditation Instructions. | $74,020 |
| Lycee Francais De New York (LFNY) New York, NY | Annual Fundraising Gala for Scholarship Fund. | $50,000 |
| Maps San Jose, CA | To fund psychedelic research, drug policy reform, public education,health equity,harm reduction intitiatives and general operations. | $50,000 |
| The Gillen Brewer School New York, NY | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Seal New York, NY | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $50,070 |
| The Sambodh Society Kalamazoo, MI | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Ma Center San Ramon, CA | General Operating Support | $10,008 |
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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 | $8,096,937 | $233,723 | $683,936 | $539,594 | 13 | $623,736 | $65,567 | $370,479 |
| 2023 | $8,544,136 | $2,187,371 | $586,135 | $486,149 | 15 | $561,019 | $1,912,255 | $333,614 |
| 2022 | $7,624,121 | $367,647 | $598,112 | $504,440 | 17 | $563,635 | $8,170 | $342,645 |
| 2021 | $7,435,479 | $9,992 | $328,330 | $277,990 | 14 | $294,386 | — | $337,086 |
| 2020 | $7,618,978 | $135,216 | $544,830 | $415,217 | 17 | — | $22,202 | $348,266 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, NOK Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $370K 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 available filing information does not state a formal mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grant purposes show support for educational, cultural, and humanitarian programs focused on Armenian heritage; scholarship fundraising; scientific research on yoga practices; and psychedelic research, public education, health equity, and harm reduction, among other activities.
Among its grantees, the Armenian General Benevolent Union describes its mission as ensuring the prosperity and well-being of all Armenians. The Gillen Brewer School says it partners with families to support students with language-based learning disabilities through academic and therapeutic goals. Lycée Français de New York describes its mission as providing bilingual French and American education and preparing students to become thinkers, innovators, and leaders. Family of Woodstock says it provides crisis intervention, information, prevention, and support services to individuals and families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $539,594. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $103,200, with a median of $50,000. Notable grants included $103,200 to the Armenian General Benevolent Union, $76,246 to Alfanar Inc, $74,020 to the David Lynch Foundation, and $50,000 each to Lycée Français de New York, MAPS, the Gillen Brewer School, and SEAL.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nigol Koulajian as president and founder, and Carla Koulajian as treasurer.
NOK Foundation Inc is led by Nigol Koulajian, President & Founder on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nigol Koulajian
President & Founder
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carla Koulajian
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 NOK Foundation Inc
How much does NOK Foundation Inc give each year?
NOK Foundation Inc gave $540K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $486K across 15 grants.
What is NOK Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
NOK Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $41,507, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from NOK Foundation Inc that year got $29K on average.
Where does NOK Foundation Inc give grants?
NOK Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (14%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants).
Does NOK Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of NOK Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are NOK Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
NOK Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Armenian General Benevolent Union (Agbu) ($103,200), Alfanar Inc ($76,246) and David Lynch Foundation ($74,020), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($50,070), which are not listed by name. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is NOK Foundation Inc?
NOK Foundation Inc reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $624K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $370K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does NOK Foundation Inc fund?
The available filing information does not state a formal mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from NOK Foundation Inc?
The filing directs applicants to contact Nigol Koulajian with a formal letter outlining the request’s purpose, details of the related program, and the amount requested. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is NOK Foundation Inc's EIN?
NOK Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 02-0654795. 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). NOK Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nok-foundation-inc-morg_354ed07734694c4f9de3edc22012014d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_020654795_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{NOK Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nok-foundation-inc-morg_354ed07734694c4f9de3edc22012014d},
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 NOK Foundation Inc'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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