The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Riverhead, New York. Established in 1985, the foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and focuses on education, historic preservation, and cultural heritage initiatives, particularly in Long Island and Suffolk County.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$115.1M
+71.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.4M
+63.0% YoY
Grant Count
91
+49.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$71K
+9.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert David Lion Gardiner reported a distributable amount of $5.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to educate and inform the general public in New York State, particularly in the Town of Islip and Suffolk County, concerning the culture, art, and tradition of the locality.
Primary funding priorities include:
- Historic Preservation — Supporting cultural resource preservation efforts
- Objects Conservation — Funding cataloging, digital imaging, conservation of objects, collections care, and acquisitions
- Educational Scholarships — Providing scholarships to educational facilities
- Historical Documentation — Preserving and promoting understanding of Long Island's heritage and historical artifacts
- Historical Societies — Sponsoring the creation and perpetuation of collections and repositories of documents and artifacts relevant to local heritage and traditions
The foundation cultivates interest in and appreciation of the societal heritage of the Town of Islip, particularly during the nineteenth century.
Grantmaking
The foundation actively awards grants to nonprofit organizations supporting its mission. Recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds initiatives in New York State, with particular emphasis on:
- The Town of Islip
- Suffolk County
- Long Island
- New York State broadly
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $66,968,513
- Total Revenues: $1,931,145
- Total Expenses: $5,416,363
- Total Giving: $3,955,695
- Total Liabilities: $0
The foundation maintains substantial assets and demonstrates consistent annual giving activity.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $115,085,424 | $66,968,513 | $70,453,731 |
| Revenue | $9,477,904 | $1,931,145 | $-3,992,677 |
| Expenses | $9,621,672 | $5,416,363 | $6,091,570 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,237,242 | $4,791,431 | $5,049,772 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,693,216 | $1,543,502 | $773,252 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,332,436 | $4,554,700 | $4,692,697 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Robert David Lion Gardiner
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include New York Historical Society ($1,500,000), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ($500,000), Cooper Union for the Adv of Science ($250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC HISTORIANS OF BABYLON, NY | 2024 GRANT AWARD | $8,000 |
| BELLPORT-BROOKHAVEN HISTORICAL BELLPORT, NY | 2024 GARDINER YOUNG SCHOLAR GRANT | $1,600 |
| BRIDGEHAMPTON MUSEUM BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY | 2024 GARDINER YOUNG SCHOLAR | $1,600 |
| BYRD HOFFMAN WATER MILL WATERMILL, NY | 2024 GRANT AWARD | $35,688 |
| CELEBRATE ST JAMES PAST PRESENT ST JAMES, NY | 2024 GYS | $1,600 |
| COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | 2024 GRANT AWARD | $500,000 |
| CONSCIENCE POINT SHELLFISH HATCHERY SOUTHAMPTON, NY | 2024 CHALLENGE MATCH GRANT | $10,000 |
| COOPER UNION FOR THE ADV OF SCIENCE NEW YORK, NY | 2022 GRANT 3 OF 3, AND 2024 GRANT | $250,000 |
| COW NECK PENINSULA HISTOCIAL SOC PORT WASHINGTON, NY | 2024 GRANT AWARD | $10,340 |
| EAST END SEAPORT MUSEUM AND GREENPORT, NY | 2024 GARDINER YOUNG SCHOLAR | $1,600 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT WATKINS | VICE PRES./D | 1 | $40,000 |
| KATHRYN M CURRAN | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $205,047 |
| LYNNE C NOWICK | TREASURER/SE | 1 | $90,000 |
| JENNIFER ATTONITO | TRUSTEE/CHAI | 3 | $65,000 |
| JUSTICE PETER FOX COHALAN | TRUSTEE/DIRE | 1 | $40,000 |
Contact & Location
Address: 30 West Main Street, Suite 309, Riverhead, NY 11901
Phone: (631) 594-3990
Website: rdlgfoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Robert David Lion Gardiner fund?
The foundation's mission is to educate and inform the general public in New York State, particularly in the Town of Islip and Suffolk County, concerning the culture, art, and tradition of the locality. Primary funding priorities include: • **Historic Preservation** — Supporting cultural resource preservation efforts • **Objects Conservation** — Funding cataloging, digital imaging, conservation of objects, collections care, and acquisitions • **Educational Scholarships** — Providing scholarships…
How do I apply for a grant from Robert David Lion Gardiner?
The foundation actively awards grants to nonprofit organizations supporting its mission. Recent grant activity includes: • A $1 million grant to Long Island University's project to preserve Long Island history • Funding to Long Island University's Palmer School for local history preservation • A grant to Columbia University to sustain the "Mapping Historical New York" project • The Cohalan Scholarship program, currently accepting applications for $40,000 awards The foundation maintains grant ma…
Where does Robert David Lion Gardiner make grants?
The foundation primarily funds initiatives in New York State, with particular emphasis on: • The Town of Islip • Suffolk County • Long Island • New York State broadly
What size grants does Robert David Lion Gardiner award?
In 2024, Robert David Lion Gardiner awarded 91 grants totaling $6.4M — an average of about $71K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Robert David Lion Gardiner required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Robert David Lion Gardiner reported a distributable amount of $5.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Robert David Lion Gardiner's EIN?
Robert David Lion Gardiner's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3354308. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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