The Asen Foundation
The Asen Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $69,400 to charitable organizations, with listed recipients working in areas including journalism, science communication, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, environmental protection, education, theater, and services for people affected by interpersonal violence.
The Asen Foundation at a glance
In short: The Asen Foundation gave $69K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Connecticut. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $69,400
- +75.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -30.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,338
- +151.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $80,671
- -88.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (53% 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 The Asen Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 224 East 49Th Street, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 758-2323
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Asen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was LJMN Media Inc ($25K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 112 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut (53%), New York (24%), Washington (14%), Florida (8%), and California (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Asen Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $40K (2024) to $192K (2020). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $69K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LJMN Media Inc Falls Village, CT | Support | $25,000 |
| World Science Foundation New York, NY | Support | $10,000 |
| Big Life Foundation USA Ridgefield, WA | Support | $10,000 |
| Orkeeswa Inc Orlando, FL | Support | $5,250 |
| Housatonic Valley Association Cornwall Bridge, CT | Support | $5,000 |
| Louis Armstrong House Museum Corona, NY | Support | $5,000 |
| The Canaan Foundation Inc Canaan, CT | Support | $2,000 |
| Canaan Community Trust Canaan, CT | Support | $2,000 |
| Great Mountain Forest Corp Falls Village, CT | Support | $1,000 |
| Northwest CT Community Foundation Torrington, CT | Support | $1,000 |
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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 | $80,671 | $-522,315 | $73,504 | $69,400 | 16 | $69,400 | $3,089 | $5,158 |
| 2024 | $676,490 | $86,518 | $42,594 | $39,650 | 23 | $39,650 | $86,518 | $5,882 |
| 2023 | $632,211 | $94,919 | $64,606 | $61,650 | 14 | $61,650 | $2,702 | $14,980 |
| 2022 | $601,897 | $23,464 | $161,263 | $157,730 | 30 | $157,730 | $7,054 | $21,497 |
| 2021 | $739,695 | $23,738 | $167,224 | $160,447 | 29 | $160,447 | $23,738 | $44,042 |
| 2020 | $883,181 | $281,949 | $194,884 | $191,605 | 25 | — | $281,949 | $43,079 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Asen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K 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 show support for organizations whose own missions include community journalism, science communication, species and habitat conservation, cultural and historical preservation, environmental protection, education, theater, and advocacy for victims and survivors of interpersonal violence.
For example, LJMN Media Inc. says its mission is to help readers make informed decisions through accurate and fair local journalism. Big Life Foundation USA describes its work as partnering with local communities to protect species and conserve habitat in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem. The Louis Armstrong House Museum says it preserves and interprets Armstrong’s house and grounds and shares his cultural, historical, and humanitarian legacy. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $69,400. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $25,000, with a median of $1,500. The largest grants included $25,000 to LJMN Media Inc.; $10,000 each to World Science Foundation and Big Life Foundation USA; and $5,250 to Orkeeswa Inc. Other notable grants were $5,000 each to Housatonic Valley Association and Louis Armstrong House Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert Scott Asen as trustee.
The Asen Foundation is led by Robert Scott Asen, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert Scott Asen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 The Asen Foundation
How much does The Asen Foundation give each year?
The Asen Foundation gave $69K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 23 grants.
What is The Asen Foundation's typical grant size?
The Asen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $4,338, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Asen Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Asen Foundation give grants?
The Asen Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (24%) and Washington (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Falls Village, CT (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Canaan, CT (2 grants).
Does The Asen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Asen Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (16 grants).
Who are The Asen Foundation's largest grantees?
The Asen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include LJMN Media Inc ($25,000), World Science Foundation ($10,000) and Big Life Foundation USA ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Asen Foundation?
The Asen Foundation reported $81K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $69K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Asen Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Asen Foundation?
The foundation 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 The Asen Foundation's EIN?
The Asen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7361210. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Asen 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Asen Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Asen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Asen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-asen-foundation-morg_5c0100310eff45549bc185d19e655128
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207361210_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Asen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-asen-foundation-morg_5c0100310eff45549bc185d19e655128},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 The Asen 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.
The Asen Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?