The Brightwater Fund
The Brightwater Fund is a private foundation based in Rye, New York. In 2025, it made 30 grants totaling $562,700 to charitable organizations.
The Brightwater Fund at a glance
In short: The Brightwater Fund gave $563K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in New York. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $562,700
- -30.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -18.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,757
- -13.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,333,539
- +6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (64% 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 Brightwater Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Lmc 685 Post Road, Rye, NY 10580
Phone: (203) 655-2200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Brightwater Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Global Impact ($100K). Together the top 10 received $420K.
Grant Size Distribution
163 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 151 grants of 163 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 64% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 20% to recipients in the District of Columbia. Other listed recipient-state shares were Vermont (5%), Florida (4%), and Tennessee (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Brightwater Fund open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 30 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 613% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $443K (2021) to $805K (2024). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $563K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Impact Washington, DC | General Use | $100,000 |
| New York Presbyterian Hospital New York, NY | General Use | $50,000 |
| Weill Cornell Medical College New York, NY | General Use | $50,000 |
| White Plains Hospital White Plains, NY | General Use | $45,000 |
| ACLU New York, NY | General Use | $40,000 |
| New Yorkers for Children New York, NY | General Use | $40,000 |
| Bigger Picture Community Fund Waitsfield, VT | General Use | $30,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | General Use | $25,000 |
| Fool Proof Foundation Cocoa, FL | General Use | $20,000 |
| Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | General Use | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Brightwater Fund?
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 | $2,333,539 | $807,778 | $666,615 | $562,700 | 30 | $634,758 | $145,806 | $103,590 |
| 2024 | $2,201,514 | $561,546 | $904,993 | $805,102 | 37 | $877,409 | $133,962 | $108,405 |
| 2023 | $2,482,952 | $80,230 | $594,905 | $496,250 | 32 | $567,240 | $41,652 | $117,981 |
| 2022 | $2,774,917 | $676,186 | $699,381 | $601,594 | 30 | $673,582 | $155,114 | $132,261 |
| 2021 | $3,063,574 | $798,406 | $544,270 | $443,112 | 34 | — | $282,440 | $128,954 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brightwater Fund reported a distributable amount of $104K 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 mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in varied areas. For example, New Yorkers for Children says it supports youth and families in the child welfare system, with an emphasis on older youth aging out of care. The Coalition for the Homeless describes its work as advocacy and direct services for homeless individuals and families, while Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains says it delivers meals to homebound people and those unable to prepare adequate meals.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 30 grants totaling $562,700. Grants ranged from $200 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest were $100,000 to Global Impact; $50,000 each to New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College; and $45,000 to White Plains Hospital. Other notable grants included $40,000 each to ACLU and New Yorkers for Children, and $25,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gloria Jarecki as President and Director; Donna M C Jarecki, Ellen B Chandler, and Nancy Jarecki as Directors; and AnnChristine Gormley as Secretary and Treasurer.
The Brightwater Fund is led by Gloria Jarecki, President & Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gloria Jarecki
President & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Donna M C Jarecki
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Ellen B Chandler
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Nancy Jarecki
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
AnnChristine Gormley
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
25 hrs/week
$55K (2021) → $56K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $56K, to AnnChristine Gormley (Secretary / Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about The Brightwater Fund
How much does The Brightwater Fund give each year?
The Brightwater Fund gave $563K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $805K across 37 grants.
What is The Brightwater Fund's typical grant size?
The Brightwater Fund's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,757, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Brightwater Fund that year got $50K on average.
Where does The Brightwater Fund give grants?
The Brightwater Fund gives mostly in New York: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (20%) and Vermont (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Nantucket, MA (2 grants).
Does The Brightwater Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Brightwater Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Brightwater Fund's largest grantees?
The Brightwater Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Global Impact ($100,000), New York Presbyterian Hospital ($50,000) and Weill Cornell Medical College ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Brightwater Fund?
The Brightwater Fund reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $635K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $104K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Brightwater Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in varied areas. For example, New Yorkers for Children says it supports youth and families in the child welfare system, with an emphasis on older youth aging out of care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brightwater Fund?
The foundation states that it 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 Brightwater Fund's EIN?
The Brightwater Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1041109. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Brightwater Fund 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
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brightwater Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brightwater-fund-morg_571d79f7eb8e4bd7b3f97d8707371cd9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_271041109_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brightwater Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brightwater-fund-morg_571d79f7eb8e4bd7b3f97d8707371cd9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Brightwater Fund'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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