The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker New York, NY EIN: 23-7046420
Arts and culturePerforming artsTheaterPlaywritingMuseums

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, Jewish organizations, schools and universities, and organizations providing support to women.

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc gave $630K across 168 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$630,000
+4.1% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
168
-22.2% vs 2024
Average grant
$3,750
+33.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$1,000
Total assets
$11,585,464
-1.2% vs 2024
Primary geography
New York (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.

How to apply to The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc

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.

Contact

Mailing address: 61 Broadway 1601, New York, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 583-1100

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Jazz at Lincoln Center: $50KJazz at Lincoln Center$50KUJA Federation of NY: $31KUJA Federation of NY$31KMaccabi USA: $31KMaccabi USA$31KThe Metropolitan Opera: $25KThe Metropolitan Opera$25KTrinity School: $23KTrinity School$23KACLU Foundation: $20K across 2 grantsACLU Foundation$20K · 2 grantsColumbia Business School: $20KColumbia Business School$20KKol Shofar: $20KKol Shofar$20KNorthwestern University: $20KNorthwestern University$20KThe Women's Initiative: $15KThe Women's Initiative$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Jazz at Lincoln Center ($50K). Together the top 10 received $254K.

Grant Size Distribution

387 grants across all recorded years

383<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K3$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 383 grants of 387 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 59% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 13% to California, 10% to Virginia, 7% to Pennsylvania, and 5% to Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

22states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 168 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkCharlottesvilleSan FranciscoChicagoPhiladelphiaEvanstonOaklandRichmondWashingtonBostonSan JoseHanoverCambridgeElmsfordStanfordWalthamBoca RatonMt KiscoPalo AltoSpringfield

How The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc gives

  • 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 85% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K1 grant2020 1 grant2021 1 grant2022 1 grant2023 216 grants2024 168 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $592K (2020) to $630K (2025). In 2025 it made 168 grants totaling $630K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Jazz at Lincoln Center New York, NYGeneral Purpose$50,000
UJA Federation of NY New York, NYGeneral Purpose$31,000
Maccabi USA Philadelphia, PAGeneral Purpose$30,500
The Metropolitan Opera New York, NYGeneral Purpose$25,000
Trinity School New York, NYGeneral Purpose$23,000
Columbia Business School New York, NYGeneral Purpose$20,000
Kol Shofar Belvedere Tiburon, CAGeneral Purpose$20,000
ACLU Foundation Richmond, VAGeneral Purpose$19,800
Northwestern University Evanston, ILGeneral Purpose$19,500
The Women's Initiative Charlottesville, VAGeneral Purpose$15,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$11,585,464$537,159$710,610$630,000168$635,557$466,606$750,842
2024$11,720,721$548,835$724,025$605,450216$617,460$478,979$662,801
2023$11,888,011$2,399,480$655,600$602,9001$608,477$2,352,357$567,410
2022$10,274,206$460,887$703,076$619,7001$633,817$391,628$635,418
2021$10,514,443$359,891$689,790$616,9151—$291,516$643,269
2020$10,844,342$163,973$671,310$591,6981—$205,339$585,175

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $751K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Jazz at Lincoln Center says its mission is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. Maccabi USA describes its work as building Jewish pride through sports and promoting support for Israel, Zionism, and Jewish continuity. Northwestern University says it is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth. The Women’s Initiative says it provides women with counseling, social support, and education.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 168 grants totaling $630,000. Grants ranged from $100 to $50,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest listed awards included $50,000 to Jazz at Lincoln Center, $31,000 to UJA Federation of NY, $30,500 to Maccabi USA, $25,000 to the Metropolitan Opera, and $23,000 to Trinity School. The filing lists the purpose of these grants as general purpose.

Other reported 2025 grants included $19,500 to Northwestern University, $15,000 to The Women’s Initiative, $12,650 to Barnard College, and $10,000 to New Dramatists.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Deborah Cohn as president; Susan Cohn as vice president; Janet Mulligan as treasurer; Justin Zalkin as secretary; and Valerie Levitt Schmaier, Ondrea Schiciano, and Austin Zalkin as directors.

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc is led by Deborah Cohn, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Deborah Cohn

    President

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

  • Valerie Levitt Schmaier

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Austin Zalkin

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

  • Ondrea Schiciano

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

  • Janet Mulligan

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Justin Zalkin

    Secretary

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Cohn

    Vice President

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Betsy Cohn (2020–2022) — President

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 Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc

How much does The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc give each year?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc gave $630K across 168 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $605K across 216 grants.

What is The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,750, across 168 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc give grants?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (13%) and Virginia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (65 grants), Charlottesville, VA (18 grants), San Francisco, CA (11 grants) and Chicago, IL (6 grants).

Does The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (168 of 168) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Jazz at Lincoln Center ($50,000), UJA Federation of NY ($31,000) and Maccabi USA ($30,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc reported $11.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $636K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $751K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Jazz at Lincoln Center says its mission is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc?

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 Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's EIN?

The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7046420. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc 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

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-betsy-and-alan-d-cohn-foundation-inc-morg_1c40037546284290afa14fb5b53275c4

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237046420_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Betsy \& Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-betsy-and-alan-d-cohn-foundation-inc-morg_1c40037546284290afa14fb5b53275c4},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Betsy & Alan D Cohn Foundation Inc'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.

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