The Block Friedman Family Foundation
The Block Friedman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 grants supported organizations including cultural, educational, health, human-services, and reproductive-justice organizations.
The Block Friedman Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Block Friedman Family Foundation gave $5.7M across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $248K), mostly in New York. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,711,667
- +91.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $248,333
- +58.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $31,785,732
- -12.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (87% 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 Block Friedman Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation lists Thomas Block as the contact and a letter as the required form and materials. It states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and that there are no award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: Thomas Block
Mailing address: 499 Seventh Avenue 21St Floor South, Tower, New York, NY 10018-6803
Phone: (917) 339-0344
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Block Friedman Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 92ND Street Y ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 101 (46%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 5% to Vermont, 3% each to Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and 1% to Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Block Friedman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $293K. How we count
Medians: $39K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 276% of 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 $2.6M (2020) to $5.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $5.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 92ND Street Y New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $2,050,000 |
| Mt Sinai Medical Center New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $1,260,000 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $866,667 |
| UJA Federation New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $470,000 |
| University of Vermont Foundation Burlington, VT | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $290,000 |
| The Wheeler School Providence, RI | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $130,000 |
| Rising Treetops at Oakhurst Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $110,000 |
| The Steppingstone Foundation Boston, MA | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $85,000 |
| Hyde Square Task Force Jamaica Plain, MA | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
| Objects Conservation Department (Metropolitan Museum of Art) New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Contribution | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Block Friedman Family Foundation?
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 | $31,785,732 | $1,512,018 | $5,919,676 | $5,711,667 | 23 | $5,711,667 | $1,512,018 | $2,067,089 |
| 2024 | $36,193,390 | $6,262,441 | $3,008,323 | $2,986,000 | 19 | $2,986,000 | $13,384,526 | $1,539,005 |
| 2023 | $32,939,272 | $13,294,341 | $4,228,608 | $4,215,000 | 20 | $4,215,000 | $1,014,180 | $1,448,046 |
| 2022 | $23,873,539 | $743,648 | $3,706,316 | $3,695,000 | 20 | $3,695,000 | $743,648 | $1,100,982 |
| 2021 | $26,836,207 | $961,531 | $3,708,163 | $3,685,000 | 19 | — | $796,165 | $1,326,060 |
| 2020 | $29,582,839 | $8,077,557 | $2,603,437 | $2,565,000 | 17 | — | $808,550 | $1,265,318 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Block Friedman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M 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, the Wheeler School describes itself as an independent college-preparatory day school serving students from nursery through grade 12. Rising Treetops at Oakhurst says it enhances the quality of life for people with special needs and provides respite for their families through a year-round camp experience. The National Network of Abortion Funds describes its mission as advancing access to reproductive options and reproductive justice.
Other 2025 recipients included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which says it collects, studies, conserves, and presents art to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas, and Social Accountability International, which says it advances human rights at work worldwide.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $5,711,667. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $2,050,000, with a median of $45,000. In 2024, it reported 19 grants totaling $2,986,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 23 grants totaling $5.7 million.
The largest 2025 grants were $2,050,000 to 92nd Street Y, $1,260,000 to Mt Sinai Medical Center, $866,667 to Cornell University, and $470,000 to UJA Federation. Each was listed as an unrestricted charitable contribution. Other recipients included the University of Vermont Foundation ($290,000), the Wheeler School ($130,000), and Rising Treetops at Oakhurst ($110,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Block as president and director; Robert Heun as treasurer and director; Philip Heimlich as secretary and director; and Marilyn Friedman, Jonathan Block, and Alison Block as vice presidents and directors.
The Block Friedman Family Foundation is led by Thomas Block, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas Block
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alison Block
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jonathan Block
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marilyn Friedman
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Philip Heimlich
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Heun
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Peggy Block Danziger (2020–2024) — Vice President & Director
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 Block Friedman Family Foundation
How much does The Block Friedman Family Foundation give each year?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation gave $5.7M across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.0M across 19 grants.
What is The Block Friedman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $45,000, and its average grant was $248,333, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Block Friedman Family Foundation that year got $37K on average.
Where does The Block Friedman Family Foundation give grants?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Vermont (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants) and Providence, RI (2 grants).
Does The Block Friedman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Block Friedman Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Block Friedman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include 92ND Street Y ($2,050,000), Mt Sinai Medical Center ($1,260,000) and Cornell University ($866,667), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Block Friedman Family Foundation?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation reported $31.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Block Friedman Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Wheeler School describes itself as an independent college-preparatory day school serving students from nursery through grade 12. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Block Friedman Family Foundation?
The foundation lists Thomas Block as the contact and a letter as the required form and materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Block Friedman Family Foundation's EIN?
The Block Friedman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-6026000. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Block Friedman Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-block-friedman-family-foundation-morg_aa3d997cc77d4600aa6b0ee9fc9d9430
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_226026000_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Block Friedman Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-block-friedman-family-foundation-morg_aa3d997cc77d4600aa6b0ee9fc9d9430},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Block Friedman Family 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.
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