The BWF Foundation
The BWF Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 28 grants totaling $212,697, including grants to New York, Washington, DC, and California organizations.
The BWF Foundation at a glance
In short: The BWF Foundation gave $213K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in New York. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $212,697
- +155.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +47.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,596
- +73.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,988
- Total assets
- $43,131
- -60.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (19 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (74% 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 BWF Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 165 West 46Th Street 1202, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 575-1044
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The BWF Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Calhoun Schools Inc ($43K). Together the top 10 received $156K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 95 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 21% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 5% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The BWF Foundation open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 19 of 28 grantees (68%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 29% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 250% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $37K (2021) to $213K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $213K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Calhoun Schools Inc New York, NY | General Support | $43,172 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Broadway League New York, NY | General Support | $18,000 |
| The Peoples Theatre New York, NY | General Support | $14,280 |
| Poderistas Community Fund San Francisco, CA | General Support | $10,942 |
| Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Inc Washington, DC | General Support | $10,032 |
| Stella Adler School New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Iati Theatre New York, NY | General Support | $8,557 |
| Thalia Spanish Theatre New York, NY | General Support | $8,360 |
| United We Dream Network Washington, DC | General Support | $7,532 |
Ready to take the next step with The BWF 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 | $43,131 | $219,555 | $285,231 | $212,697 | 28 | $279,781 | $53,544 | $2,364 |
| 2024 | $108,807 | $219,715 | $148,209 | $83,250 | 19 | $145,416 | $119,320 | $2,089 |
| 2023 | $37,301 | $178,594 | $152,096 | $97,000 | 21 | $151,461 | $24,359 | $1,837 |
| 2022 | $10,803 | $107,818 | $132,775 | $60,750 | 19 | $130,465 | $3,612 | $2,574 |
| 2021 | $35,760 | $14,125 | $81,492 | $37,231 | 8 | — | $23,126 | $4,205 |
| 2020 | $102,471 | $115,718 | $127,175 | $79,390 | 11 | — | $21,117 | $4,287 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The BWF Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated work spans theatre and the arts, youth leadership, immigrant and working-class communities, and education. For example, Thalia Spanish Theatre says it serves the Spanish-speaking community in New York through theatrical productions, drama, musicals, and dance. United We Dream Network describes itself as a youth-led organization that empowers and organizes young people, including those from immigrant communities. Make the Road New York says it builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $212,697. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $43,172, with a median grant of $4,988.
Among the largest reported grants were $43,172 to Calhoun Schools Inc.; $25,000 to New Venture Fund; $18,000 to The Broadway League; $14,280 to The Peoples Theatre; and $10,942 to Poderistas Community Fund. The listed purposes for these grants were general support. New Venture Fund describes its work as providing fiscal sponsorship, operational expertise, and administrative support to projects working on issues including conservation, education, youth development, global health, public policy, disaster recovery, civil rights, and the arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barry Weissler as president, Fran Weissler as vice president, and Brett England and Sierra M as employees.
The BWF Foundation is led by Barry Weissler, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barry Weissler
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brett England
Employee
Director → Employee, 2024
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $41K (2025)
Sierra M.
Employee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
$4K (2025)
Fran Weissler
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $41K, to Brett England (Employee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The BWF Foundation
How much does The BWF Foundation give each year?
The BWF Foundation gave $213K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $83K across 19 grants.
What is The BWF Foundation's typical grant size?
The BWF Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,988, and its average grant was $7,596, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The BWF Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The BWF Foundation give grants?
The BWF Foundation gives mostly in New York: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (22 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does The BWF Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The BWF Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The BWF Foundation's largest grantees?
The BWF Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Calhoun Schools Inc ($43,172), New Venture Fund ($25,000) and The Broadway League ($18,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The BWF Foundation?
The BWF Foundation reported $43K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $280K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The BWF Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated work spans theatre and the arts, youth leadership, immigrant and working-class communities, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The BWF Foundation?
The foundation 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 BWF Foundation's EIN?
The BWF Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4036563. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The BWF 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.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The BWF Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The BWF Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bwf-foundation-morg_d1b55435a48a4a8daca819652fa6796c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134036563_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The BWF Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bwf-foundation-morg_d1b55435a48a4a8daca819652fa6796c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 BWF 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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