Otto H York Foundation Inc
Otto H York Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Providence, Rhode Island. Its 2026 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in education, arts and culture, and health and welfare.
Otto H York Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Otto H York Foundation Inc gave $270K across 12 grants in 2026 (avg $23K), mostly in Rhode Island. 8% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $270,000
- +10.2% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 12
- -7.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $22,500
- +19.4% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $6,137,187
- +1.5% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (85% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Otto H York Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Myrth York 44 Hazard Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
Phone: (401) 421-0738
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Otto H York Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was New Urban Arts ($45K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 66 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Rhode Island, 11% to California, and 4% to Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Otto H York Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 83% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+2%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 96% 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 (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $190K (2020) to $270K (2026). In 2026 it made 12 grants totaling $270K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Urban Arts Providence, RI | Arts/Culture | $45,000 |
| DownCity Design Providence, RI | Education | $30,000 |
| Gamm Theatre Warwick, RI | Arts/Culture | $30,000 |
| AS220 Providence, RI | Education | $25,000 |
| Generation Citizen Providence, RI | Education | $25,000 |
| Planned Parenthood SENE Providence, RI | Health/Welfare | $25,000 |
| Youth In Action Providence, RI | Health/Welfare | $25,000 |
| Tides San Francisco, CA | Education | $20,000 |
| Providence Student Union Providence, RI | Health/Welfare | $15,000 |
| Camfed San Francisco, CA | Education | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6,137,187 | $522,785 | $430,594 | $270,000 | 12 | $371,899 | $471,367 | $385,635 |
| 2025 | $6,044,996 | $425,029 | $398,200 | $245,000 | 13 | $337,304 | $373,955 | $365,542 |
| 2024 | $5,942,263 | $357,519 | $392,524 | $247,000 | 14 | $336,687 | $304,068 | $334,501 |
| 2023 | $6,070,601 | $529,161 | $388,371 | $265,000 | 14 | $351,719 | $485,954 | $333,445 |
| 2022 | $5,927,926 | $271,899 | $361,192 | $222,500 | 13 | $313,683 | $229,016 | $358,057 |
| 2021 | $6,063,623 | $567,736 | $327,319 | $205,000 | 11 | — | $538,141 | $313,673 |
| 2020 | $5,953,467 | $352,010 | $336,084 | $190,000 | 14 | — | $299,921 | $286,703 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Otto H York Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $386K for 2026 — 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 mission centers on young people’s creative development and future-making. Its 2026 grants included support for education, arts and culture, and health and welfare.
Among organizations it supported in 2025, New Urban Arts described its work as bringing high school students and adult mentors together in Providence to inspire creative expression. DownCity Design said it offers free programs that help residents gain skills and strengthen communities through service projects. Generation Citizen described its work as providing students with action civics education, while Youth in Action said its mission is education and community outreach programs.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $270,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $45,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards included $45,000 to New Urban Arts for arts and culture; $30,000 each to DownCity Design for education and Gamm Theatre for arts and culture; and $25,000 each to AS220 and Generation Citizen for education, and to Planned Parenthood SENE and Youth In Action for health and welfare.
Other 2026 grants included $20,000 to Tides for education; $15,000 to Providence Student Union for health and welfare; and $10,000 each to Camfed and Sequiland Institute for education, and Sophia Academy for education. In 2025, the foundation gave $25,000 each to Youth in Action, New Urban Arts, and Generation Citizen; $20,000 to Tides; and $5,000 to DownCity Design.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Myrth York as president and Amy Gabarra and Deborah M Brayton as trustees.
Otto H York Foundation Inc is led by Myrth York, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Myrth York
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Gabarra
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2026)
Deborah M Brayton
Trustee
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$66K (2020) → $76K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $76K, to Deborah M Brayton (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Otto H York Foundation Inc
How much does Otto H York Foundation Inc give each year?
Otto H York Foundation Inc gave $270K across 12 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $245K across 13 grants.
What is Otto H York Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Otto H York Foundation Inc's median grant in 2026 was $25,000, and its average grant was $22,500, across 12 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Otto H York Foundation Inc that year got $15K on average.
Where does Otto H York Foundation Inc give grants?
Otto H York Foundation Inc gives mostly in Rhode Island: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Providence, RI (8 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Otto H York Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Otto H York Foundation Inc's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (7 grants) and "Health/Welfare" (3 grants).
Who are Otto H York Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Otto H York Foundation Inc's largest 2026 grantees include New Urban Arts ($45,000), DownCity Design ($30,000) and Gamm Theatre ($30,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Otto H York Foundation Inc?
Otto H York Foundation Inc reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $372K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $386K (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 Otto H York Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission centers on young people’s creative development and future-making. Its 2026 grants included support for education, arts and culture, and health and welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Otto H York Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Otto H York Foundation Inc's EIN?
Otto H York Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-5154083. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Otto H York Foundation Inc 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Otto H York Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/otto-h-york-foundation-inc-morg_83b6e3d4b8174211a433976f06f7e61b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_225154083_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Otto H York Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/otto-h-york-foundation-inc-morg_83b6e3d4b8174211a433976f06f7e61b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Otto H York 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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