Shapiro-silverberg Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker NEW YORK, NY EIN: 13-4151366

The Shapiro-Silverberg Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2000 and based in New York City. It operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with tax-exempt status since April 2001. The foundation is the family philanthropy vehicle of John M. Shapiro and Dr. Shonni J. Silverberg, focusing on strategic grantmaking across multiple sectors with particular emphasis on Jewish causes and higher education.

Key facts about Shapiro-silverberg Foundation

EIN: 13-4151366
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $5,588,550
Grants made (2024): 26
Average grant: $214,944
Median grant: $50,000
New grantees (estimate): 23% first-time grantees (6 of 26, 2024)
Total assets: $45,665,790
Primary geography: New York (87% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No
How to apply: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Shapiro-silverberg Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Shapiro-silverberg Foundation's 26 itemized 2024 grants were New York (87%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (19 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants). None of its 26 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (26 grants).

Is Shapiro-silverberg Foundation open to new grantees?

23%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 6 of 26 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $267K. How we count

Medians: $47K first-time, $63K repeat.

62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving fell 72% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 217% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$45.7M

+30.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$5.6M

-60.2% YoY

Grant Count

+13.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$215K

-64.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shapiro-silverberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's philanthropy centers on the following priority areas:

Jewish causes — domestic and international Jewish communities and advocacy for Israel (primary funding priority)
Higher education — particularly Wesleyan University, the shared alma mater of both founders
Arts and culture
Human services
Health
Education and youth

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$1,000 to $1,000,000+

Average Grant

amount: $3,600–$5,000,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations operating in New York City and across the United States, with particular emphasis on the East Coast.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $4.9M (87%)

Connecticut $255K (5%)

California $250K (4%)

District of Columbia $210K (4%)

Pennsylvania $5K (0%)

Share of all 26 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Massachusetts Maine New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island

Cities

New YorkPhiladelphiaWashingtonGarrisonMiddletownBrooklynSan FranciscoBelmontBostonBridgtonBronxHillsdaleProvidenceValhalla

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

2024: $45,665,790
2023: $35,100,000

Annual Giving & Revenue:

2024 total giving: $5,588,550
2024 total revenues: $20,491,572
2024 total expenses: $6,020,476
2023 total giving: $14,024,600
2023 total revenues: $9,360,000
2023 total expenses: $14,600,000

Liabilities: $0 (2023)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$45,665,790	$35,050,293	$38,314,395
Revenue	$20,491,572	$9,358,768	$2,365,912
Expenses	$6,020,476	$14,592,489	$5,716,646
Qualifying Distributions	$5,590,050	$14,025,350	$5,291,500
Net Investment Income	$12,993,942	$8,249,882	$1,939,266
Distributable Amount	$2,570,819	$2,405,068	$2,657,844

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

116 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Rockefeller University ($1,650,000), Uja Federation of New York ($1,000,000), Lawyers for Children Inc ($800,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$1,650,000
UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$1,000,000
LAWYERS FOR CHILDREN INC NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$800,000
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$500,000
THE HASTINGS CENTER GARRISON, NY	CHARITABLE	$300,000
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY MIDDLETOWN, CT	CHARITABLE	$255,000
THE NEW JEWISH HOME SAN FRANCISCO, CA	CHARITABLE	$250,000
THE TONY BLAIR FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$150,000
WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITABLE	$150,000
ISRAEL POLICY FORUM INC NEW YORK, NY	CHARITABLE	$75,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

John M. Shapiro — Co-founder. Graduated from Wesleyan University in 1974 and serves on the board of trustees. Cofounded Chieftain Capital Management in 1984.

Dr. Shonni J. Silverberg — Co-founder. Physician-scientist and endocrinologist who has devoted her career to the care of patients with osteoporosis and parathyroid disease. Serves as a professor of medicine at Columbia University, clinical director of the Metabolic Bone Diseases Unit, and medical director of The Parathyroid Center at Columbia's College of Physicians & Surgeons.

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
John M Shapiro	Trustee	2	—
Shonni J Silverberg	Trustee	2	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2022

The foundation has supported notable initiatives including the Shapiro-Silverberg Distinguished Writers in Residence Program at Wesleyan University, which launched in 2022-23. The foundation also made a gift to support writing programs at Wesleyan University.

Glaucoma Research Foundation Announces Record $3.06 million in Annual Research

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Shapiro-silverberg Foundation fund?

The foundation's philanthropy centers on the following priority areas: • **Jewish causes** — domestic and international Jewish communities and advocacy for Israel (primary funding priority) • **Higher education** — particularly Wesleyan University, the shared alma mater of both founders • **Arts and culture** • **Human services** • **Health** • **Education and youth**

How do I apply for a grant from Shapiro-silverberg Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does Shapiro-silverberg Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations operating in New York City and across the United States, with particular emphasis on the East Coast.

What size grants does Shapiro-silverberg Foundation award?

In 2024, Shapiro-silverberg Foundation awarded 26 grants totaling $5.6M — an average of about $215K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Shapiro-silverberg Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Shapiro-silverberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.