The Cestone Family Foundation Inc
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including services for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, cancer care, education, the arts, environmental protection, and crisis response.
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Cestone Family Foundation Inc gave $706K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $37K), top state New York. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $706,000
- +30.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -17.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $37,158
- +58.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,070,304
- -0.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (48% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Cestone Family Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a letter with the organization’s history and tax-exempt status through the application contact listed on the filing. The foundation states that awards have no restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Bank Of America Private Bank - Atte
Mailing address: PO Box 1517 - Mailcode Taobeb, Pennington, NJ 08534
Phone: (646) 855-1011
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cestone Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Tahirih Justice Center ($200K). Together the top 10 received $585K.
Grant Size Distribution
145 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 145 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For filing year 2024, the shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New York, 48%; Virginia, 28%; New Jersey, 14%; Pennsylvania, 6%; and the District of Columbia, 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Cestone Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $34K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 156% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $333K (2020) to $706K (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $706K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tahirih Justice Center Falls Church, VA | Support for Immigrant Survivors of Gender-Based Violence | $200,000 |
| NYU Langone New York, NY | Breast Cancer Center | $100,000 |
| Mount Saint Dominic Academy Caldwell, NJ | Educational Opportunities for Young Women | $50,000 |
| Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | 2024-2025 SEASON | $50,000 |
| New York Presbyterian Fund Brooklyn, NY | Support for Cancer Services | $50,000 |
| Exploring the Arts Inc Astoria, NY | Arts Internship Program | $35,000 |
| Great Swamp Watershed Association New Vernon, NJ | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc New York, NY | Internship | $25,000 |
| The Carnegie Hall Corporation New York, NY | 2024-2025 SEASON | $25,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Cestone Family Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,070,304 | $776,237 | $849,430 | $706,000 | 19 | $788,850 | $671,913 | $507,109 |
| 2023 | $8,143,497 | $190,689 | $709,742 | $540,500 | 23 | $654,271 | $154,410 | $450,115 |
| 2022 | $8,660,977 | $641,194 | $674,743 | $498,650 | 43 | $609,513 | $535,938 | $461,151 |
| 2021 | $8,693,997 | $829,161 | $630,459 | $457,000 | 45 | $567,432 | $802,745 | $525,389 |
| 2020 | $8,496,496 | $386,234 | $488,994 | $333,450 | 15 | — | $330,167 | $467,459 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cestone Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $507K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Tahirih Justice Center describes its work as combining free legal services, social services case management, policy analysis, and research-based training and education for clients. Exploring the Arts says it expands equitable access to arts education in historically underserved public middle and high schools. The Great Swamp Watershed Association says it works to protect and improve the Passaic River region through education, science, land preservation, stewardship, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $706,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median of $25,000. Its largest listed grant was $200,000 to the Tahirih Justice Center for support for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Other notable grants included $100,000 to NYU Langone for its Breast Cancer Center; $50,000 to an individual recipient Dominic Academy for educational opportunities for young women; and $50,000 each to the Metropolitan Opera for its 2024–2025 season and the New York Presbyterian Fund for cancer services.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing lists a letter with the applicant’s history and tax-exempt status as the required materials, with no restrictions on awards. The stated application contact is Bank of America Private Bank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Maria A Cestone as president and director, and Michele J Cestone as treasurer and director.
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc is led by Maria A. Cestone, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Maria A. Cestone
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michele J. Cestone
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $75K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $75K, to Michele J Cestone (Treasurer/Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Cestone Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Cestone Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc gave $706K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $541K across 23 grants.
What is The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $37,158, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cestone Family Foundation Inc that year got $34K on average.
Where does The Cestone Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (28%) and New Jersey (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Pittsburgh, PA (2 grants).
Does The Cestone Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 16% of The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Tahirih Justice Center ($200,000), NYU Langone ($100,000) and Mount Saint Dominic Academy ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Cestone Family Foundation Inc?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $789K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $507K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cestone Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cestone Family Foundation Inc?
Submit a letter with the organization’s history and tax-exempt status through the application contact listed on the filing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Cestone Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-6703196. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cestone Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cestone-family-foundation-inc-morg_6251d450ef354fbbaaf38ae3713cf3d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_226703196_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cestone Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cestone-family-foundation-inc-morg_6251d450ef354fbbaaf38ae3713cf3d0},
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 Cestone Family 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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