The Bassman Family Charitable Trust
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It makes grants to charitable organizations selected in advance and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Key facts about The Bassman Family Charitable Trust
In short: The Bassman Family Charitable Trust gave $194K across 65 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in California. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 45-3191770
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $194,239
- Grants made (2024)
- 65
- Average grant
- $2,988
- Median grant
- $200
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (16 of 65, 2024)
- Total assets
- $20,942
- Primary geography
- California (56% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 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.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$21K
+269.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$194K
-4.4% YoY
Grant Count
65
-5.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+1.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bassman Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $654 for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Bassman Family Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 65 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $305; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $182 first-time, $200 repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants support organizations working in areas including arts and culture, higher education, and animal welfare. For example, Laguna Art Museum says its mission is to promote understanding of art and artists in American culture, with a collection focused on California art. Pacific Symphony describes itself as a cultural organization presenting music performances and offering education and community engagement programs. Downtown Dog Rescue says it rescues dogs and provides services to low-income pet owners in underserved Los Angeles County communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust made 65 grants totaling $194,239. Grants ranged from $25 to $31,020, with a median of $200. Its largest reported grants included $31,020 to Laguna Playhouse, $27,200 to Hampton Synagogue, $26,000 to Riverside Park Conservancy, $24,100 to Laguna Art Museum, and $18,036 to UJA Federation of NY. The listed purposes for these grants were “general purposes.”
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 42% to recipients in New York. The remaining reported shares were 1% each for Illinois and Washington, DC, and 0% for Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $163K (2021) to $274K (2022). In 2024 it made 65 grants totaling $194K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Laguna Playhouse ($31K). Together the top 10 received $172K.
Grant Size Distribution
332 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 330 grants of 332 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Laguna Playhouse Laguna Beach, CA | General Purposes | $31,020 |
| Hampton Synagogue Westhampton, NY | General Purposes | $27,200 |
| Riverside Park Conservancy New York, NY | General Purposes | $26,000 |
| Laguna Art Museum Laguna Beach, CA | General Purposes | $24,100 |
| UJA Federation of NY NY, NY | General Purposes | $18,036 |
| Temple Bat Yahm Newport Beach, CA | General Purposes | $13,435 |
| Jewish Federation & Family Services Orange County Irvine, CA | General Purposes | $12,246 |
| Pacific Symphony Irvine, CA | General Purposes | $11,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Orange Anaheim, CA | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Jewish Collaborative Tustin, CA | General Purposes | $3,960 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $194,239 | 65 |
| 2023 | $203,217 | 69 |
| 2022 | $274,264 | 71 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,942 | $5,671 | $9,570 |
| Revenue | $225,079 | $200,208 | $189,491 |
| Expenses | $209,808 | $204,107 | $280,304 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $194,239 | $203,217 | $274,264 |
| Net Investment Income | $79 | $208 | $66 |
| Distributable Amount | $654 | $372 | $1,215 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Harley Bassman and Lori Bassman as trustees.
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Harley Bassman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Bassman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 522 West End Avenue No 12-A, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 325-0732
Frequently asked questions about The Bassman Family Charitable Trust
How much does The Bassman Family Charitable Trust give each year?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust gave $194K across 65 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $203K across 69 grants.
What is The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $200, and its average grant was $2,988, across 65 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bassman Family Charitable Trust that year got $305 on average.
Where does The Bassman Family Charitable Trust give grants?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust gives mostly in California: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (22 grants), Laguna Beach, CA (6 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Westhampton, NY (3 grants).
Does The Bassman Family Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (65 of 65) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Laguna Playhouse ($31,020), Hampton Synagogue ($27,200) and Riverside Park Conservancy ($26,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Bassman Family Charitable Trust?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust reported $21K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $194K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $654 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bassman Family Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants support organizations working in areas including arts and culture, higher education, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bassman Family Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 Bassman Family Charitable Trust's EIN?
The Bassman Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3191770. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Bassman Family Charitable Trust 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.
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