The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation
THE DALE AND MAX BERGER is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It made 23 grants totaling $1,009,500 in 2024, with recipients including educational institutions, legal-service organizations, and groups working in areas such as democracy and journalism.
Key facts about The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation
In short: The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $44K), mostly in New York. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-1612011
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,009,500
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- Average grant
- $43,891
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (5 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Total assets
- $18,890,765
- Primary geography
- New York (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$18.9M
+14.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
-41.9% YoY
Grant Count
23
+4.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$44K
-44.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 23 grantees (22%) 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 $16K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 78% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 54% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own stated missions include making young people’s voices and votes a force in democracy (The Andrew Goodman Foundation), providing free legal help to women living in poverty in New York City (Her Justice), and fostering independent journalism (The American Independent Foundation). Skidmore College describes its mission as educating predominantly full-time undergraduates and preparing them to become informed, responsible citizens.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $1,009,500. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $500,000 to Columbia Law School, $100,000 to United Jewish Appeal, $75,000 to The Andrew Goodman Foundation, and $50,000 each to the Anti-Defamation League Foundation, Baruch College, and Filmmakers Collaborative. These grants were listed for general support.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 6% to California, and 5% to Washington, DC. Alabama and Connecticut each accounted for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $725K (2020) to $2.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Columbia Law School ($500K). Together the top 10 received $920K.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 104 (73%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Law School New York, NY | General Support | $500,000 |
| United Jewish Appeal New York, NY | General Support | $100,000 |
| The Andrew Goodman Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Support | $75,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Baruch College New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Filmmakers Collaboriative San Francisco, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Her Justice New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Media Matters for America Washington, DC | General Support | $25,000 |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| The American Independent Foundation Washington, DC | General Support | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Total grant dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23 | $1,009,500 |
| 2023 | 22 | $1,737,500 |
| 2022 | 19 | $1,725,750 |
The foundation’s EIN is 46-1612011. Its filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $18,890,765 | $16,523,528 | $12,783,561 |
| Revenue | $3,525,754 | $5,569,175 | $1,957,338 |
| Expenses | $1,127,813 | $1,846,138 | $1,834,538 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,021,750 | $1,760,550 | $1,737,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,797,562 | $1,652,802 | $1,107,161 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,007,324 | $850,148 | $783,208 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Max W Berger and Dale Berger as trustees.
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dale Berger
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Max W. Berger
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: Max Berger Co Blbg 1251 6Th Avenu, New York, NY 10020
Phone: (212) 840-3456
Frequently asked questions about The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation
How much does The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation give each year?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 22 grants.
What is The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $43,891, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation give grants?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (6%) and District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (14 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Columbia Law School ($500,000), United Jewish Appeal ($100,000) and The Andrew Goodman Foundation Inc ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation reported $18.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dale and Max Berger Family 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 Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's EIN?
The Dale and Max Berger Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1612011. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Dale and Max Berger Family 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.
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