The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation is a private foundation based in Purchase, New York. It supports charitable organizations through grants, including organizations working in education, arts and culture, health, human services, housing, and animal rescue.
Key facts about The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation
In short: The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation gave $305K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in New York. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-5741250
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $305,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- Average grant
- $8,971
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (10 of 34, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,728,759
- Primary geography
- New York (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.7M
-7.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$305K
+8.9% YoY
Grant Count
34
+112.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-48.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation reported a distributable amount of $263K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 34 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grant records show support for organizations with varied purposes, including education, general purposes, and assistance to people in need.
Some grantees describe their work in more detail. Mission First Housing Group says it develops and manages affordable, safe, and sustainable homes for people in need, with a focus on vulnerable people. Abilis says it supports and advocates for people with developmental disabilities and their families in lower Fairfield County. Breakthrough New York says it helps students from low-income backgrounds graduate from college and pursue careers. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $305,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $25,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest listed awards were $25,000 each to Fordham Preparatory School for education, Rye Arts Center for general purposes, and Greenwich Historical Society for general purposes. Other listed awards included $15,000 to Mount Sinai Hospital and $10,000 each to Abilis, Breakthrough New York, Central Park Conservancy, Georgetown University, Mission First Housing Group, New York Law School, Operation of Hope, and Skylands Sanctuary & Animal Rescue.
The foundation also reported grants in 2024 to organizations including Mission First Housing Group ($20,000), New York Law School ($10,000), Georgetown University ($10,000), and Abilis ($10,000).
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 52% of grant dollars, followed by Connecticut (15%), the District of Columbia (7%), Florida (7%), and New Jersey (7%). The foundation’s listed 2025 grantees also included organizations in Pennsylvania and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $225K (2023) to $305K (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $305K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fordham Prepatory School ($25K). Together the top 10 received $150K.
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 149 grants of 152 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fordham Prepatory School Bronx, NY | Education | $25,000 |
| Rye Arts Center Rye, NY | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Greenwich Historical Society Cos Cob, CT | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Mount Sinai Hospital New York, NY | General Purposes | $15,000 |
| Abilis Greenwich, CT | Assist Needy | $10,000 |
| Breakthrough New York Inc New York, NY | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Central Park Conservatory New York, NY | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Georgetown University Washington, DC | Education | $10,000 |
| Mission First Housing Group Philadelphia, PA | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| New York Law School New York, NY | Education | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,728,759 | $83,380 | $373,914 | $305,000 | 34 |
| 2024 | $4,019,293 | $349,556 | $364,744 | $280,000 | 16 |
| 2023 | $4,034,481 | $141,211 | $277,603 | $225,400 | 23 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,728,759 | $4,019,293 | $4,034,481 |
| Revenue | $83,380 | $349,556 | $141,211 |
| Expenses | $373,914 | $364,744 | $277,603 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $305,000 | $280,000 | $225,400 |
| Net Investment Income | $99,183 | $314,775 | $156,490 |
| Distributable Amount | $262,741 | $257,377 | $238,791 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 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 May 14, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mari J Galvin and Keelin C Pye as trustees.
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Keelin C. Pye
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$5K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Mari J. Galvin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Joseph M. Cassin (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David Baum (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $10K, to Joseph M Cassin (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 2900 Westchester Ave 402, Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: (914) 517-6906
Frequently asked questions about The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation
How much does The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation give each year?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation gave $305K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $280K across 16 grants.
What is The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $8,971, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation give grants?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation gives mostly in New York: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (15%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Rye, NY (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Port Chester, NY (3 grants).
Does The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (3 grants).
Who are The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fordham Prepatory School ($25,000), Rye Arts Center ($25,000) and Greenwich Historical Society ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $305K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $263K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grant records show support for organizations with varied purposes, including education, general purposes, and assistance to people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's EIN?
The Bernard & Muriel Lauren Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5741250. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bernard & Muriel Lauren 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.
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