Posner Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Wilmington, DE EIN: 81-4837981

The Posner Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. It reported 15 grants totaling $166,800 in 2025, supporting charitable organizations in California and Wisconsin, including schools, arts organizations, and health and family-service organizations.

Posner Foundation at a glance

In short: Posner Foundation gave $167K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in California. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$166,800
+4.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
15
-25.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$11,120
+39.0% vs 2024
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$1,492,747
-3.6% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
California (60% 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 Posner Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Posner Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

The Branson School: $25KThe Branson School$25KThe Desert Biennial: $25KThe Desert Biennial$25KSaint Josephs Arts Foundation: $20KSaint Josephs Arts Foundation$20KChildrens Hospital of Wisconsin Inc: $10KChildrens Hospital ofWisconsin Inc$10KCoalition for Children Youth & Families: $10KCoalition for Children Youth &Families$10KGreater Milwaukee Foundation Inc: $10KGreater Milwaukee FoundationInc$10KMarin Montessori School Inc: $10KMarin Montessori School Inc$10KMuseum Associates: $10KMuseum Associates$10KUniversity of Wisconsin Foundation: $10KUniversity of WisconsinFoundation$10KChildrens Outing Assn: $9KChildrens Outing Assn$9K

The largest 2025 recipient was The Branson School ($25K). Together the top 10 received $139K.

Grant Size Distribution

82 grants across all recorded years

82<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 82 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 40% to recipients in Wisconsin.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.

Cities

MilwaukeeLos AngelesSan FranciscoCorte MaderaPalm SpringsHollywoodRossAlexandriaMalibuVirginia BeachWest AllisLarkspurNew YorkSeattleValhalla

Is Posner Foundation open to new grantees?

7%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $11K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 227% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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

$0$50K$100K$150K$200K13 grants2019 15 grants2020 14 grants2021 15 grants2022 18 grants2023 20 grants2024 15 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $106K (2019) to $167K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $167K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Branson School Ross, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$25,000
The Desert Biennial Palm Springs, CAKimsooja's installation To Breathe for Desert X$25,000
Saint Josephs Arts Foundation San Francisco, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$20,000
Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin Inc Milwaukee, WIGeneral & Unrestricted$10,000
Coalition for Children Youth & Families West Allis, WIGeneral & Unrestricted$10,000
Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc Milwaukee, WIIsrael Support Fund$10,000
Marin Montessori School Inc Corte Madera, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$10,000
Museum Associates Los Angeles, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$10,000
University of Wisconsin Foundation Milwaukee, WICancer Research Fund$10,000
Childrens Outing Assn Milwaukee, WIGeneral & Unrestricted$9,400
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,492,747$128,254$183,807$166,80015$180,547$126,694$79,647
2024$1,548,300$90,626$174,354$160,00020$173,413$90,622$80,998
2023$1,632,028$60,196$170,925$153,45018$169,761$60,189$80,988
2022$1,742,757$47,259$144,795$133,25015$142,950$47,251$84,684
2021$1,840,293$132,735$130,248$116,75014$129,675$132,732$93,403
2020$1,837,806$40,574$133,653$120,00015—$40,399$88,095
2019$1,930,885$73,010$120,283$106,00013—$72,666$91,871

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Posner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $80K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, the arts, pediatric health care, foster and adoptive family support, and research.

The grantees describe their work in their own terms. The Branson School says it provides an academically exceptional education to students in grades 9 through 12 in a supportive environment. Saint Joseph’s Arts Foundation says it supports contemporary art through artist residencies, partnerships, exhibitions, performances, and public events. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin describes its work as providing integrated pediatric health care. The Coalition for Children Youth & Families says it strengthens foster and adoptive families by helping them access resources and support. These are descriptions of the grantees, not the foundation.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $166,800. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $10,000.

Notable 2025 grants included $25,000 to The Branson School and $25,000 to The Desert Biennial; $20,000 to Saint Josephs Arts Foundation; and $10,000 each to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Coalition for Children Youth & Families, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Marin Montessori School, Museum Associates, and University of Wisconsin Foundation. The filing lists the grant to The Desert Biennial for Kimsooja’s installation *To Breathe* for Desert X. Other stated purposes included general and unrestricted support, an Israel Support Fund, and a Cancer Research Fund.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists David Posner as president, treasurer, and director, and Wendy Posner as director, secretary, and vice president.

Posner Foundation is led by David Posner, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • David Posner

    President, Treasurer & Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wendy Posner

    Director, Secretary & Vice President

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Posner Foundation

How much does Posner Foundation give each year?

Posner Foundation gave $167K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $160K across 20 grants.

What is Posner Foundation's typical grant size?

Posner Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,120, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Posner Foundation that year got $10K on average.

Where does Posner Foundation give grants?

Posner Foundation gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (6 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).

Does Posner Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 80% of Posner Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Posner Foundation's largest grantees?

Posner Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Branson School ($25,000), The Desert Biennial ($25,000) and Saint Josephs Arts Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Posner Foundation?

Posner Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $181K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Posner Foundation fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, the arts, pediatric health care, foster and adoptive family support, and research. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Posner Foundation?

The foundation states that it 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 Posner Foundation's EIN?

Posner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4837981. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Posner 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

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 19, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 31, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Posner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/posner-foundation-morg_2b2feb46681b4951aa1e717d5a3055ef

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814837981_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Posner Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/posner-foundation-morg_2b2feb46681b4951aa1e717d5a3055ef},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Posner 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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