The Deeds Foundation
The Deeds Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including arts and cultural institutions, hunger-relief organizations, and organizations addressing other community needs.
The Deeds Foundation at a glance
In short: The Deeds Foundation gave $459K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in New York. 2% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $459,000
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,195
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $4,567,320
- +7.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (1 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (81% 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 Deeds Foundation
- 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: 188 East 70Th Street Apt 13D, New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 249-7212
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Deeds Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Morgan Library & Museum ($65K). Together the top 10 received $293K.
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 192 grants of 195 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 81% of grant dollars, followed by Connecticut at 12%, and the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and Idaho at 2% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Deeds Foundation open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 41 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 98% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 145% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $279K (2018) to $459K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $459K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Morgan Library & Museum New York, NY | Fairfax Murray Society & General Support | $65,000 |
| Americares Stamford, CT | Hurricane Melissa Relief $20,000; General Support $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Master Drawings Association New York, NY | General Support | $33,000 |
| American Federation for Aging Research New York, NY | General Support | $30,000 |
| Scan Harbor New York New York, NY | General Support | $28,000 |
| New York City Ballet New York, NY | New Combinations Fund | $25,000 |
| Catholic Charities Archdiocese of NY New York, NY | Feeding Our Neighbors Program and General Support | $20,000 |
| City Harvest New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Cornelia Connelly Center New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Common Pantry of New York New York, NY | General Support | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Deeds 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 | $4,567,320 | $956,056 | $650,189 | $459,000 | 41 | $459,000 | $795,335 | $317,453 |
| 2024 | $4,261,453 | $513,211 | $472,654 | $426,000 | 41 | $426,000 | $469,619 | $320,087 |
| 2023 | $4,220,896 | $225,052 | $420,391 | $366,000 | 38 | $366,000 | $190,943 | $296,260 |
| 2022 | $4,416,235 | $551,138 | $422,326 | $355,500 | 38 | $355,500 | $512,423 | $307,344 |
| 2021 | $4,287,423 | $678,634 | $462,358 | $350,000 | 37 | $350,000 | $627,736 | $342,033 |
| 2020 | $4,092,557 | $495,064 | $318,956 | $294,850 | 38 | — | $472,905 | $271,377 |
| 2019 | $3,968,477 | $702,145 | $340,652 | $290,000 | 41 | — | $651,931 | $258,291 |
| 2018 | $3,604,427 | $375,009 | $339,813 | $279,250 | 39 | — | $329,105 | $274,235 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Deeds Foundation reported a distributable amount of $317K 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 with varied missions. The Master Drawings Association says it promotes interest in art and art literature through a scholarly journal; Food Bank For New York City says it works to help New Yorkers achieve food security; and the Lee Pesky Learning Center says it works with families, schools, and communities to address obstacles to learning. Other 2025 recipients included The Frick Collection, which operates an art museum and library program, and The Doe Fund, which describes its work as helping people break cycles of homelessness, substance use, and criminal justice involvement.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 41 grants totaling $459,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $65,000, with a median of $6,000. Its largest awards included $65,000 to The Morgan Library & Museum for the Fairfax Murray Society and general support; $50,000 to Americares for hurricane relief and general support; and $33,000 to the Master Drawings Association for general support. Other notable grants included $30,000 to the American Federation for Aging Research, $28,000 to Scan-Harbor New York, and $25,000 to New York City Ballet.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Laura S. Bennett as president and director; Mark Brady as vice president, secretary, and director; and David Laughlin as treasurer and director.
The Deeds Foundation is led by Laura S. Bennett, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2018); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Laura S. Bennett
President & Director
V-Pres & Director → Vice President & Director, 2020
Vice President & Director → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2018
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Brady
Vice President, Secretary & Director
Vice President, Treasurer, Director & Assistant Secretary → Vice President, Secretary & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Laughlin
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Diane Allen Nixon (2018–2024) — President & Director · Filing note: Thru June 2024
- Former: Alexander M. Laughin (2018–2023) — Vice President, Acting Treasurer, Secretary & Director
- Former: Robert L. Cahill Jr. (2018–2019) — Vice President, Treasurer, Director & Assistant Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 Deeds Foundation
How much does The Deeds Foundation give each year?
The Deeds Foundation gave $459K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $426K across 41 grants.
What is The Deeds Foundation's typical grant size?
The Deeds Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $11,195, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Deeds Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Deeds Foundation give grants?
The Deeds Foundation gives mostly in New York: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (32 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Deeds Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of The Deeds Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Deeds Foundation's largest grantees?
The Deeds Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Morgan Library & Museum ($65,000), Americares ($50,000) and Master Drawings Association ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Deeds Foundation?
The Deeds Foundation reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $459K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $317K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Deeds Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Deeds Foundation?
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 Deeds Foundation's EIN?
The Deeds Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3752427. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Does The Deeds 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
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS December 9, 2019)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Deeds Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Deeds Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-deeds-foundation-morg_00d0c86438dc4c2b8d04392e89e3b127
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133752427_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Deeds Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-deeds-foundation-morg_00d0c86438dc4c2b8d04392e89e3b127},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Deeds 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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