The Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 giving included community food assistance, youth programming, scholarships, arts programming, and support for cultural and educational organizations.
The Brooklyn Nets at a glance
In short: The Brooklyn Nets gave $443K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $63K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $442,876
- -26.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 7
- -36.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $63,268
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $157,494
- -73.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (45% 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 Brooklyn Nets
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 168 39Th Street 7Th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Phone: (718) 942-9636
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Brooklyn Nets funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Smithsonian Institution ($200K). Together the top 7 received $443K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 77 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (45%), New York (39%), New Jersey (11%), Connecticut (2%), and Massachusetts (2%). The foundation says it partners with nonprofits across New York City’s five boroughs.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Brooklyn Nets gives
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2019) to $1.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $443K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC | Donation to Suppor the Nmaahc Mission | $200,000 |
| Levy Brooklyn, NY | Donation to fund thanksgiving meals for the less fortunate | $112,876 |
| The Cellus Foundation Scotch Plains, NJ | Donation to Their Ball SSTARS Youth Program | $50,000 |
| Jackie Robinson Foundation New York, NY | Four Year Scholarships | $50,000 |
| The Roots Fund Inc Stamford, CT | Dontation to Support Annual Dinner | $10,000 |
| Harvard Black Law Students Assocations Cambridge, MA | Support Law Students | $10,000 |
| Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation New York, NY | Arts Program Development | $10,000 |
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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 | $157,494 | $297,466 | $589,850 | $442,876 | 7 | $442,876 | — | $20,638 |
| 2024 | $595,793 | $1,164,019 | $752,968 | $602,028 | 11 | $602,028 | — | $14,770 |
| 2023 | $10,697 | $154,452 | $1,154,868 | $1,065,355 | 35 | $1,065,355 | — | $25,464 |
| 2022 | $1,033,593 | $333,348 | $788,497 | $568,400 | 18 | $664,543 | — | $69,815 |
| 2021 | $1,585,790 | $2,415,938 | $1,014,905 | $828,000 | 6 | — | — | $29,855 |
| 2020 | $58,713 | $22,740 | $38,671 | $23,077 | 6 | — | $2 | $2,972 |
| 2019 | $74,644 | $61,808 | $23,906 | $21,000 | 3 | — | $7 | $2,362 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brooklyn Nets reported a distributable amount of $21K 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
The Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty Foundation’s stated mission is to improve quality of life for people of all ages, with a focus on health and wellness, food insecurity and homelessness, and equitable development. The foundation says it partners with nonprofit organizations across New York City’s five boroughs.
Its grants also show support for organizations with varied missions. The Smithsonian Institution describes its mission as preserving heritage, discovering knowledge, and sharing resources. The Campaign Against Hunger says it works to end hunger in Central Brooklyn through food distribution and information and support for families. New York Cares describes its work as meeting community needs by mobilizing New Yorkers in volunteer service.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 7 grants totaling $442,876. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
The largest reported grants were $200,000 to the Smithsonian Institution to support the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s mission, and $112,876 to Levy to fund Thanksgiving meals for people in need. Other grants included $50,000 to The Cellus Foundation for its Ball SSTARS youth program and $50,000 to the Jackie Robinson Foundation for four-year scholarships. The foundation also reported $10,000 grants to The Roots Fund, Harvard Black Law Students Associations, and Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sam Zussman as president, Jeffrey Gewirtz as secretary, Daakeia Clarke as vice president, and Peter Stern as treasurer.
The Brooklyn Nets is led by Sam Zussman, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sam Zussman
President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey B. Gewirtz
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daakeia Clarke
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Stern
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: John Abbamondi (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Brett Yormark (2019–2020) — Director & President-
- Former: Eu-Gene Sung (2019–2020) — CFO -
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Brooklyn Nets
How much does The Brooklyn Nets give each year?
The Brooklyn Nets gave $443K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $602K across 11 grants.
What is The Brooklyn Nets's typical grant size?
The Brooklyn Nets's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $63,268, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Brooklyn Nets give grants?
The Brooklyn Nets's top state is District of Columbia, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (39%) and New Jersey (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Brooklyn Nets give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 7 grants with a stated purpose on The Brooklyn Nets's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Brooklyn Nets's largest grantees?
The Brooklyn Nets's largest 2025 grantees include Smithsonian Institution ($200,000), Levy ($112,876) and The Cellus Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Brooklyn Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets reported $157K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $21K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Brooklyn Nets fund?
The Brooklyn Nets & New York Liberty Foundation’s stated mission is to improve quality of life for people of all ages, with a focus on health and wellness, food insecurity and homelessness, and equitable development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brooklyn Nets?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; 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 Brooklyn Nets's EIN?
The Brooklyn Nets's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5370246. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Brooklyn Nets 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Brooklyn Nets's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brooklyn Nets funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brooklyn-nets-morg_81b7dfeaab0b4a46996b74a9fd4cbcf7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205370246_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brooklyn Nets funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brooklyn-nets-morg_81b7dfeaab0b4a46996b74a9fd4cbcf7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Brooklyn Nets'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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