Rocking Chair Foundation
The Rocking Chair Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports 50 grants totaling $70,400, including support for organizations working in areas such as health, education, the arts, and reproductive justice.
Rocking Chair Foundation at a glance
In short: Rocking Chair Foundation gave $70K across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in New York. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $70,400
- -30.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,408
- -33.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $750
- Total assets
- $243,634
- +0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (6 of 50, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (59% 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 Rocking Chair 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 145 Central Park West Apt 7A, New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 490-2626
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rocking Chair Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lymphoma Research Foundation ($10K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 223 grants of 227 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 59% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient-state shares were Maryland (8%), Oregon (8%), North Carolina (6%), and New Jersey (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Rocking Chair Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 50 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $500 repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 276% 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
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2025) to $219K (2019). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $70K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lymphoma Research Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| New York Studio School New York, NY | General Support | $7,600 |
| National Network of Abortion Funds Beaverton, OR | General Support | $5,500 |
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Hagerstown, MD | General Support | $5,000 |
| Bronx High School of Science Bronx, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $2,500 |
| Pregnancy Justice New York, NY | General Support | $2,500 |
| Coalition for Southern Equality Asheville, NC | General Support | $2,000 |
| Leading for Children South Orange, NJ | General Support | $2,000 |
| National Dance Institute New York, NY | General Support | $2,000 |
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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 | $243,634 | $73,003 | $70,746 | $70,400 | 50 | $70,400 | $50,884 | $25,508 |
| 2024 | $243,217 | $52,961 | $104,910 | $101,210 | 48 | $101,210 | $38,312 | $24,944 |
| 2023 | $295,166 | $103,873 | $98,833 | $96,860 | 43 | $96,860 | $23,509 | $21,052 |
| 2022 | $290,126 | $115,768 | $159,656 | $159,550 | 43 | $159,550 | $184,278 | $23,871 |
| 2021 | $334,014 | $40,325 | $158,525 | $150,820 | 43 | — | $80,985 | $27,395 |
| 2019 | $197,735 | $138,189 | $228,088 | $218,984 | 47 | — | $96,936 | $11,943 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rocking Chair Foundation reported a distributable amount of $26K 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 National Network of Abortion Funds describes its work as advancing reproductive options and justice; Pregnancy Justice says it defends the rights of pregnant people through legal defense, advocacy, research, and support for field partners. National Dance Institute says it uses dance to foster arts participation and learning among children, while Leading for Children describes its mission as strengthening communities through evidence-based approaches for children.
Other 2025 recipients include health organizations, educational institutions, and groups serving older adults. For example, Casting for Recovery says it provides oncology-informed fly-fishing retreats for women in breast cancer treatment or recovery, and Citymeals-on-Wheels says it provides food and companionship to homebound older New Yorkers.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $70,400. Grants ranged from $200 to $10,000, with a median grant of $750.
Among the largest reported grants were $10,000 to Lymphoma Research Foundation, $7,600 to New York Studio School, $5,500 to National Network of Abortion Funds, and $5,000 to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey I Sussman as president and director, and Susan H Sussman as secretary and director.
Rocking Chair Foundation is led by Jeffrey I. Sussman, President - Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey I. Sussman
President - Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan H. Sussman
Secretary - Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/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 Rocking Chair Foundation
How much does Rocking Chair Foundation give each year?
Rocking Chair Foundation gave $70K across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $101K across 48 grants.
What is Rocking Chair Foundation's typical grant size?
Rocking Chair Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $750, and its average grant was $1,408, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rocking Chair Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Rocking Chair Foundation give grants?
Rocking Chair Foundation gives mostly in New York: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (8%) and Oregon (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (19 grants), Cheyenne, WY (2 grants) and Dubois, WY (2 grants).
Does Rocking Chair Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Rocking Chair Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (50 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Rocking Chair Foundation's largest grantees?
Rocking Chair Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lymphoma Research Foundation ($10,000), New York Studio School ($7,600) and National Network of Abortion Funds ($5,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rocking Chair Foundation?
Rocking Chair Foundation reported $244K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $70K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rocking Chair Foundation 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 Rocking Chair Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Rocking Chair Foundation's EIN?
Rocking Chair Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3639647. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Rocking Chair 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rocking Chair Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rocking-chair-foundation-morg_2a9e9f4898584da8bc2527aefeac8881
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133639647_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rocking Chair Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rocking-chair-foundation-morg_2a9e9f4898584da8bc2527aefeac8881},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Rocking Chair 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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