Open Space Institute Inc
Open Space Institute Inc. (OSI) is a public charity based in New York, New York, founded in 1974. It protects land for clean drinking water, public recreation, healthy communities, and wildlife habitat, and works to conserve forests and floodplains that store carbon and help protect against extreme weather.
Open Space Institute Inc at a glance
In short: Open Space Institute Inc gave $578K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $30K), mostly in New York. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $578,399
- -82.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $30,442
- -87.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,000
- Total assets
- $23,289,878
- +15.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Open Space Institute Inc
- How to Apply
-
OSI’s website lists a rolling application process for the Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund. It says the Appalachian Landscapes Project’s Fall 2025 round is closed and anticipates the next round in Fall 2026; the site does not confirm that this anticipated round is open. The Land and Climate Catalyst program is no longer accepting applications, and its 2025 round’s award notices were expected in August 2025. OSI also describes the Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards as an annual program for up to four young leaders.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1370 Broadway 5Th Floor, New York, NY 10018-7799
Phone: (212) 290-8200
Website: https://openspaceinstitute.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Open Space Institute Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Spiral House Park ($356K). Together the top 10 received $524K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 65 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
OSI describes its conservation grant and loan work as serving selected landscapes in the eastern United States and Canada. Its website identifies current opportunities including the Appalachian Landscapes Project and the Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund. In the 2024 filing’s itemized grants, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 5% to recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Open Space Institute Inc open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $58K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $7K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $201K (2021) to $3.3M (2023). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $578K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Spiral House Park Saugerties, NY | Citizen Action Program | $356,374 |
| Beaverkill Valley Land Trust Inc Livingston Manor, NY | Stewardship | $72,292 |
| The Relato Agency LLC Fayetteville, GA | Citizen Action Program | $29,219 |
| Two Evergreen Machine LLC Brooklyn, NY | Citizen Action Program | $18,514 |
| Land to Learn Beacon, NY | Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund | $10,000 |
| Newburgh Urban Farm and Food Inc Newburgh, NY | Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund | $10,000 |
| Arm of the Sea Productions Inc Maldenonhudson, NY | Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund | $7,000 |
| Ecological Citizens Project Inc Garrison, NY | Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund | $7,000 |
| Outdoor Promise Newburgh, NY | Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund | $7,000 |
| Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards | $7,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,289,878 | $6,858,272 | $3,655,960 | $578,399 | 19 | $457,365 |
| 2023 | $20,160,830 | $5,880,714 | $6,178,116 | $3,276,589 | 14 | $254,664 |
| 2022 | $10,990,806 | $2,141,539 | $1,715,812 | $232,550 | 13 | $273,720 |
| 2021 | $10,587,684 | $2,250,549 | $1,173,337 | $200,600 | 12 | $202,360 |
| 2020 | $8,735,707 | $1,729,129 | $2,044,377 | $980,226 | 7 | $167,183 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
OSI’s stated mission is to protect land for clean drinking water, public recreation, healthy communities, and wildlife habitat, while conserving intact forests and floodplains that capture and store carbon and protect against increasingly dangerous weather events.
Its funding includes grants and short-term, low-cost bridge loans for land transactions. Conservation Capital supports projects that protect wildlife habitat and clean water, improve recreational access, bolster communities, and help people and wildlife endure a changing climate. OSI also describes programs for climate-informed planning, land protection, stewardship, and community forests. Through Conservation Communities, it supports grassroots organizations and the development of young environmental leaders.
The 2024 filing describes grants through the Citizen Action Program for newly formed local environmental groups, the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund for nonprofits in the Hudson Valley, and the Barnabas McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards for students working to improve their communities. The awards and Conservation Fellowship are programs for individuals, rather than grants for outside organizations to apply for on their behalf.
Some 2024 grantees describe their work as follows: Beaverkill Valley Land Trust says it holds and manages ecologically important lands in the Catskills for open space, education, and recreation. Newburgh Urban Farm and Food says it works toward a just and equitable system for fresh-food access, while Land to Learn describes its work as garden-based education for food justice and community wellness. These are grantees’ stated missions, not OSI’s.
Grantmaking
OSI reported 19 grants totaling $578,399 in filing year 2024. The grants ranged from $6,000 to $356,374, with a median of $7,000. The largest listed grant was $356,374 to Spiral House Park in Saugerties, New York, for a Citizen Action Program. Beaverkill Valley Land Trust received $72,292 for stewardship, and The Relato Agency in Fayetteville, Georgia, received $29,219 for a Citizen Action Program.
Other listed grants included $10,000 each to Land to Learn and Newburgh Urban Farm and Food through the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund; $7,000 to Vassar College for the McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards; and $6,000 to Good Work Institute through the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund. The filing also reports that OSI directly approved eight conservation-planning grants totaling $109,275 in 2024. Separately, its supporting organization, Open Space Institute Land Trust, reported making 23 capital grants totaling $3.7 million that year.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Amelia Salzman as co-chairperson of the board and Carol Ash as vice-chairperson. It also lists Anson Frelinghuysen, Carolyn Niemczyk, Dale S. Bryk, Douglas Bateson, Elizabeth Borden, Gigi Mortimer, Giorgios Vlamis, and Holly Hegener as members.
Open Space Institute Inc is led by Christopher J. Elliman, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 24 of 52 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher J. Elliman
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$466K (2020) → $317K (2024)
Lars Kulleseid
President & CEO
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$354K (2024)
Amelia Salzman
Co-Chairperson of the Board
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lesley Kane Szynal
Director of Outdoors America
Director - Outdoors America → Outdoors America Director, 2021
Outdoors America Director → Director of Outdoors America, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$230K (2020) → $318K (2024)
Rebekah Gerard
Senior Director of Administrator
Director - Administration → Senior Director of Administration, 2022
Senior Director of Administration → Senior Director of Administrator, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$135K (2020) → $202K (2024)
Michael Baden
Senior Director of Administration
Senior Manager of Hr → Senior Director of Administration, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$121K (2022) → $145K (2024)
Melanie Griffin
Senior Director of Institutional Giving
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$143K (2024)
Abigail Weinberg
Vice President of Science & Conservation Policy
Director of Research → Vice President of Science & Conservation Policy, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$138K (2020) → $171K (2024)
Alice Gleason
Senior Vice President for Finance & CFO
Senior Vice President Finance → Senior Vice President Finance & CFO, 2021
Senior Vice President Finance & CFO → Senior Vice President for Finance & CFO, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$228K (2020) → $265K (2024)
Eileen Larabee
Chief External Affairs Officer
Senior Vice President - Communications → Senior Vice President for Communications, 2022
Senior Vice President for Communications → Chief External Affairs Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$197K (2020) → $313K (2024)
Irene Lee
Vice President of Land & Northeast
Director Land Projects → Vice President & Land Ne, 2021
Vice President & Land Ne → Vice President of Land & Northeast, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$131K (2020) → $172K (2024)
Jeffrey Lejava
Vice President & Associate General Counsel
Vice President - Associate General Counsel → Vice President & Associate General Counsel, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$189K (2020) → $229K (2024)
Joshua Ginsberg PhD
Member
Treasurer → Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$3K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Kathleen Moser
Chief Conservation & Policy
Chief Conservation Officer → Chief Conservation & Policy Officer, 2023
Chief Conservation & Policy Officer → Chief Conservation & Policy, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$225K (2020) → $276K (2024)
Nathan Berry
Chief Land & Protection Officer
Senior Vice President → Chief Land & Protection Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$223K (2020) → $357K (2024)
Peter Karis
Vice President, Parks & Stewardship
Vice President - Parks & Stewardship → Vice President for Parks & Stewardship, 2022
Vice President for Parks & Stewardship → Vice President, Parks & Stewardship, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$132K (2020) → $184K (2024)
Robert K. Anderberg
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Senior Vice President-General → Senior Vice President & General Counsel, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$230K (2020) → $248K (2024)
Samayla Deutch
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Senior Vice President-General → Senior Vice President & General Counsel, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$235K (2020) → $270K (2024)
Tally Blumberg
Executive Vice President
Chief Program Officer → Chief Program Officer for Strategy, 2022
Chief Program Officer for Strategy → Executive Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$318K (2020) → $353K (2024)
Maria Whitehead
Vice President of Land & Southeast
Vice President & Land Se → Vice President of Land & Southeast, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$131K (2021) → $213K (2024)
May May Cheng
Vice President & Controller
Controller & Assistant Treasurer → Vice President & Controller, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$112K (2021) → $159K (2024)
David Kieran-Kaufman
Vice President & Assistant General Counsel
Staff Attorney → Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$148K (2022) → $168K (2024)
Bradford Burns
Staff Attorney
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$165K (2023) → $170K (2024)
Jennie Greer
Senior Vice President of Philanthropy
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$78K (2023) → $222K (2024)
Nick Richardson
Senior Vice President & Capital Strategies
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$17K (2023) → $210K (2024)
Jessica Watson
Vice President of Conservation Communities
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$139K (2024)
Anson Frelinghuysen
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Ash
Vice Chairperson of the Board
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dale S. Bryk
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Bateson
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Borden
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Giorgios Vlamis
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Holly Hegener
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hume R. Steyer
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Ernst
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John H. Adams
Co-Chair of the Board
Co-Chairperson of the Board → Co-Chair of the Board, 2024
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John P. Cahill
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine O. Roberts
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lea Paine Highet
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia F. Sullivan
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samuel G. Huber
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Babcock
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
T. Jefferson Cunningham III
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yuki Moore Laurenti
Member
Board Member → Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Niemczyk
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas McHenry
Member
Member → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Member, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jude Wu Abel
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marjorie Van Dercook
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Hylton-Patterson
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gigi Mortimer
Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leisle Lin
Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Remmer
Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Gilman S. Burke (2020–2023) — Member
- Former: Lorijeane Moody (2020–2023) — Senior Vice President of Development
- Former: Peter Howell (2020–2023) — Exe Vice President Conserv Cap.
- Former: Garraud Etienne (2022–2023) — Chief Operation Officer
- Former: Leslie G. Koch (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Jennifer Melville (2020–2022) — Vice President Conservation Grants
- Former: Peter A. Bienstock (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Samuel W. Lambert III (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Jennene Tierney (2022) — Member
- Former: Brooks Kieran-Kaufman (2020–2021) — Staff Attorney
- Former: Calvin Mitchell (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Caroline Niemczyk (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Cunningham (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Joseph Holland (2020–2021) — Controller & Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Kate Sindling Daly (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: W. Barnabus McHenry (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Paul J. Elston (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Steven Horowitz (2020) — Chief Legal & Risk Officer
- Former: Terrence Nolan (2020) — Senior Vice President - Conservation
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $357K, to Nathan Berry (Chief Land, Protection Officer). 24 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Open Space Institute Inc
How much does Open Space Institute Inc give each year?
Open Space Institute Inc gave $578K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $3.3M across 14 grants.
What is Open Space Institute Inc's typical grant size?
Open Space Institute Inc's median grant in 2024 was $7,000, and its average grant was $30,442, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Open Space Institute Inc that year got $58K on average.
Where does Open Space Institute Inc give grants?
Open Space Institute Inc gives mostly in New York: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Newburgh, NY (3 grants), Beacon, NY (2 grants) and Poughkeepsie, NY (2 grants).
Does Open Space Institute Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Open Space Institute Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund" (9 grants), "McHenry Hudson River Valley Awards" (6 grants) and "Citizen Action Program" (3 grants).
Who are Open Space Institute Inc's largest grantees?
Open Space Institute Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Spiral House Park ($356,374), Beaverkill Valley Land Trust Inc ($72,292) and The Relato Agency LLC ($29,219), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Open Space Institute Inc?
Open Space Institute Inc reported $23.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.9M.
What does Open Space Institute Inc fund?
OSI’s stated mission is to protect land for clean drinking water, public recreation, healthy communities, and wildlife habitat, while conserving intact forests and floodplains that capture and store carbon and protect against increasingly dangerous weather events. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Open Space Institute Inc?
OSI’s website lists a rolling application process for the Delaware River Watershed Revolving Fund. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Open Space Institute Inc's EIN?
Open Space Institute Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1053406. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Open Space Institute Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/open-space-institute-inc-morg_aef6ce27748e44d08149b3fc1a4c22e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521053406_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Open Space Institute Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/open-space-institute-inc-morg_aef6ce27748e44d08149b3fc1a4c22e3},
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 Open Space Institute 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.
Open Space Institute Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?