The Ambrose Monell Foundation
The Ambrose Monell Foundation is a private philanthropic organization established in 1956 by Maude Monell Vetlesen in honor of her first husband, Ambrose Monell. Based in New York City, the foundation serves religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes with a strategic focus on early-stage research and social initiatives designed to build a more creative, equitable, and innovative society.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$94.4M
+1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$19.9M
+4.7% YoY
Grant Count
102
-10.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$195K
+17.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ambrose Monell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's approach emphasizes encouraging strategic risk-taking and rewarding experimentation and new ideas. Primary funding areas include:
- Education: approximately 35% of giving
- Health: approximately 29% of giving
- Arts and Culture: approximately 15% of giving
The foundation's signature program is the Monell Chemical Senses Center, an independent non-profit research institute associated with the University of Pennsylvania that conducts interdisciplinary basic research on the senses of taste and smell.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are initiated internally by the foundation. Interested organizations should visit the Application Guidelines section on the foundation's website for more information.
Grant Range
$10,000 - $7,550,000 (most grants under $300,000)
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
National focus with concentration in:
- New York
- California
- District of Columbia
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Assets: approximately $93.3 million
- Annual Giving: $22.5 million (2023)
- EIN: 13-1982683
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $94,396,151 | $93,328,074 | $93,141,180 |
| Revenue | $23,634,221 | $21,245,708 | $20,288,940 |
| Expenses | $22,566,193 | $21,058,814 | $21,171,350 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $20,201,514 | $19,372,049 | $19,236,171 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,650,054 | $19,778,943 | $18,736,601 |
| Distributable Amount | $24,282,457 | $20,217,856 | $19,690,377 |
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
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Museum of Natural History ($500,000), Dana Farber Cancer Center ($500,000), Hospital for Special Surgery ($350,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSES | $100,000 |
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 FOR GENERAL PURPOSES AND $200,000 FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPARATIVE GENOMICS | $500,000 |
| BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | GENERAL PURPOSES | $250,000 |
| BLAINE COUNTY HUNGER COALITION BELLEVUE, ID | GENERAL PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| BLYTHEDALE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL VALHALLA, NY | FOR APPLICATION TO ITS SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM | $50,000 |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICAGREATER NEW YORK COUNCILS NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL PURPOSES | $75,000 |
| BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL PURPOSES | $75,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
George Rowe, Jr. - President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMBROSE K MONELL | PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 10 | — |
| DR GARY K BEAUCHAMP | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MAURIZIO J MORELLO | EXECUTIVE VP & ASSIST. TREASURER | 10 | $309,100 |
| MAIA MONELL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Ambrose Monell Foundation has provided significant ongoing support to cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital's Cancer Center since 1991, offering unrestricted support that allows the Cancer Center to direct funds to areas of greatest need and promising research initiatives.
MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER ANNOUNCES MAJOR GRANT FROM THE AMBROSE MONELLThe foundation has been a major supporter of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, providing substantial grants to advance the center's research on taste and smell to benefit human health and well-being.
MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER ANNOUNCES MAJOR GRANT FROM THE AMBROSE MONELLContact Information
Mailing Address: One Rockefeller Plaza Suite 301 New York, New York 10020-2002
Phone: 212-586-0700 Fax: 212-245-1863 Email: contact@monellfoundation.org Website: www.monellfoundation.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Ambrose Monell Foundation fund?
The foundation's approach emphasizes encouraging strategic risk-taking and rewarding experimentation and new ideas. Primary funding areas include: • **Education**: approximately 35% of giving • **Health**: approximately 29% of giving • **Arts and Culture**: approximately 15% of giving The foundation's signature program is the Monell Chemical Senses Center, an independent non-profit research institute associated with the University of Pennsylvania that conducts interdisciplinary basic research o…
How do I apply for a grant from The Ambrose Monell Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: $22.5 million (2023) • Assets: approximately $93.3 million • Grant range: $10,000 - $7,550,000 (most grants under $300,000) • 2023 distribution: 119 organizations received grants • Since 2020: 523 grants totaling $94.7 million **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. All grants are initiated internally by the foundation. Interested organizations should visit the Application Guidelines section on the foundation's websi…
Where does The Ambrose Monell Foundation make grants?
National focus with concentration in: • New York • California • District of Columbia
What size grants does The Ambrose Monell Foundation award?
In 2024, The Ambrose Monell Foundation awarded 102 grants totaling $19.9M — an average of about $195K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Ambrose Monell Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Ambrose Monell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Ambrose Monell Foundation's EIN?
The Ambrose Monell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1982683. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ambrose Monell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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