O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Valley Stream, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 33 grants totaling $196,500 to organizations in several states, including New York and Connecticut.
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc gave $197K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Connecticut. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $196,500
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,955
- -4.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $935,020
- -8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (37% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that there is no form and that a letter is sufficient. It lists no restrictions on awards and says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Urling Iselin Searle
Mailing address: C/O F Megale Cpa 9 Alden Ave, Valley Stream, NY 11580
Phone: (516) 285-4839
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New York Botanical Garden ($25K). Together the top 10 received $135K.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 164 grants of 164 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut and New York (37% each), Maryland (13%), Massachusetts (9%), and Maine (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 33 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $188K (2024) to $282K (2020). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $197K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $25,000 |
| St Timothy's School Stevenson, MD | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $25,000 |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Woods Hole, MA | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $15,000 |
| Greenwich Land Trust Inc Greenwich, CT | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater New York New York, NY | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England New Haven, CT | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| Spence Chapin New York, NY | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| St Hilda's & St Hugh's School New York, NY | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| The Montessori School Wilton, CT | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
| The Montessori School Endowment Fund Wilton, CT | For General Purposes of Recipient Charities | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $935,020 | $140,601 | $223,191 | $196,500 | 33 | $196,500 | $123,772 | $225,145 |
| 2024 | $1,017,610 | $127,632 | $213,292 | $187,500 | 30 | $187,500 | $111,954 | $213,669 |
| 2023 | $1,103,055 | $173,172 | $236,092 | $211,500 | 33 | $211,500 | $157,710 | $200,038 |
| 2022 | $1,165,975 | $121,555 | $225,232 | $198,000 | 30 | $198,000 | $106,323 | $202,703 |
| 2021 | $1,269,652 | $214,310 | $237,077 | $220,500 | 38 | $220,500 | $199,280 | $201,385 |
| 2020 | $1,292,139 | $140,450 | $302,218 | $281,500 | 39 | — | $127,422 | $178,179 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $225K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, the New York Botanical Garden describes its work as plant research and improving public understanding of the natural world; Person to Person describes supporting individuals and families with food, clothing, housing, and pathways to economic opportunity; and Redding Land Trust describes preserving local natural resources and promoting their scientific and educational study. Other recipients included schools, health organizations, a food bank, museums, and arts organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $196,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest awards included $25,000 each to the New York Botanical Garden and St Timothy's School, and $15,000 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Other notable grants included $10,000 each to Greenwich Land Trust, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Spence-Chapin, St Hilda's & St Hugh's School, The Montessori School, and The Montessori School Endowment Fund. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as general purposes of the recipient charities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Urling Iselin Searle as president, Gordon B Whelpley Jr as vice president, and Frank Megale as secretary.
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc is led by Urling Iselin Searle, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Urling Iselin Searle
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Frank Megale
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$7K (2020) → $7K (2025)
Gordon B. Whelpley Jr.
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $7K, to Frank Megale (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc
How much does O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc give each year?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc gave $197K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $188K across 30 grants.
What is O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,955, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc give grants?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's top state is Connecticut, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (37%) and Maryland (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), Norwalk, CT (3 grants), Bronx, NY (2 grants) and Wilton, CT (2 grants).
Does O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (33 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include New York Botanical Garden ($25,000), St Timothy's School ($25,000) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc reported $935K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $197K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $225K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that there is no form and that a letter is sufficient. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's EIN?
O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-6016471. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/o-donnell-iselin-foundation-inc-morg_a8a16ae4641448d8ae19c5f452787ffc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_516016471_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{O'Donnell Iselin Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/o-donnell-iselin-foundation-inc-morg_a8a16ae4641448d8ae19c5f452787ffc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 O'Donnell Iselin 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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