The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation
The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1998 in New Jersey and based in New York City. The foundation is led by Austin Hearst, a television and film producer and grandson of media baron William Randolph Hearst, and his wife Gabriela Hearst, a luxury accessories designer. The foundation makes strategic philanthropic investments across multiple sectors, with a particular emphasis on arts and culture, education, health, and global initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$391K
+236.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.2M
+67.1% YoY
Grant Count
21
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$153K
+11.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports select institutions across several key areas:
Arts & Culture: The foundation has supported cultural institutions including the New York Film Society at Lincoln Center, The Met, and the Historic Districts Council. Gabriela Hearst's background as a luxury accessories designer and actress informs the foundation's interest in the arts.
Education & Youth: The foundation supports early childhood development projects and educational institutions. Grantees have included Weill Cornell Medical College, Rye Country Day School, and Blue School, where Austin Hearst serves on the board.
Health: The foundation supports health-related organizations, with grantees including New York-Presbyterian Fund and the Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center.
Global Initiatives: The foundation funds international development and humanitarian work. Austin Hearst serves on the board of Karuna-Shechen, a non-profit humanitarian organization providing education, healthcare, and social services in the greater Himalayan region. The foundation has supported early childhood development projects with Save the Children and the government of Bhutan, as well as community agricultural projects in South Sudan.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 14-17 grants in recent years, with total giving of approximately $3.2 million in 2024.
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $10,000 to $750,000. Recent grants show a median grant amount of $94,000 and a maximum grant of $600,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, California, and Maryland, with a particular concentration in New York City institutions. The foundation also supports international work, particularly in South Asia (Bhutan, Himalayan region) and Africa (South Sudan).
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $116,302 (as of 2023)
Total Giving: $3,212,104 (2024)
Total Revenues: $1,850,000 (2023)
Total Expenses: $1,925,921 (2023)
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) private foundation, tax-exempt since July 1998
EIN: 22-6748476
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $390,865 | $116,302 | $192,223 |
| Revenue | $3,500,000 | $1,850,000 | $2,352,695 |
| Expenses | $3,225,437 | $1,925,921 | $2,669,857 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,212,104 | $1,922,704 | $2,645,933 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $8,310 | $7,949 | $10,926 |
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
83 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc ($750,000), Pioneer Works ($568,000), Center for Consciousness Medicine ($305,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CENTER FOR CONSCIOUSNESS MEDICINE WOODSIDE, CA | GENERAL | $305,000 |
| DON BOSCO CRISTO REY HIGH SCHOOL TAKOMA PARK, MD | GENERAL | $150,000 |
| FAIR DEMOCRACY WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL | $200,000 |
| INQUIRING SYSTEMS INC SANTA ROSA, CA | GENERAL | $65,217 |
| LYCEE FRANCAIS NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL | $88,888 |
| PIONEER WORKS BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL | $568,000 |
| REBECOMING INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| TRUSTEES OF PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER ANDOVER, MD | GENERAL | $100,000 |
| FIRESIDE PROJECT SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL | $50,000 |
| PANORAMA GLOBAL SEATTLE, WA | GENERAL | $250,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Austin Hearst – Trustee and foundation principal. He is a television and film producer, founder, chairman and CEO of Chestnut Holdings LLC (a private equity and agricultural development company), and a graduate of California Polytechnic State University. He serves on the boards of Save the Children (where he has been involved for more than 20 years), Blue School, and Karuna-Shechen.
Gabriela Hearst – Trustee. A luxury accessories designer who studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
Steven M. Loeb – Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTIN HEARST | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| GABRIELA HEARST | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| STEVEN M LOEB | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced grants in multiple cycles, with Spring 2025 and Fall 2024 grant announcements made through the Hearst Foundations network. The foundation continues to be active in grantmaking across its priority areas, with recent focus on arts and culture institutions in New York City and international development initiatives.
Spring 2025 grants announced by the Hearst FoundationsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation fund?
The foundation supports select institutions across several key areas: **Arts & Culture:** The foundation has supported cultural institutions including the New York Film Society at Lincoln Center, The Met, and the Historic Districts Council. Gabriela Hearst's background as a luxury accessories designer and actress informs the foundation's interest in the arts. **Education & Youth:** The foundation supports early childhood development projects and educational institutions. Grantees have included …
How do I apply for a grant from The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation?
**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $10,000 to $750,000. Recent grants show a median grant amount of $94,000 and a maximum grant of $600,000. **Recent Grants (2023):** • Pioneer Works: $600,000 • Center for Consciousness Medicine: $270,000 • White House Historical Association: $105,000 The foundation made 14-17 grants in recent years, with total giving of approximately $3.2 million in 2024.
Where does The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, California, and Maryland, with a particular concentration in New York City institutions. The foundation also supports international work, particularly in South Asia (Bhutan, Himalayan region) and Africa (South Sudan).
What size grants does The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation award?
In 2024, The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $3.2M — an average of about $153K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation's EIN?
The Austin & Gabriela Hearst Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-6748476. 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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