The Ellen and Gary Davis Foundation
The Ellen and Gary Davis Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenwich, Connecticut, established in 1992. Founded by financier Gary Davis and his wife Ellen, the foundation focuses on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors including education, health and medical research, Jewish causes, youth initiatives, and the arts.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.4M
+9.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+191.3% YoY
Grant Count
35
-23.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$37K
+282.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:
- Education — particularly higher education
- Health and Medical Research — including immunotherapy and epilepsy research
- Jewish Causes
- Youth
- Arts and Culture
- Human Services
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Grantmaking
How to Apply
** The foundation does not maintain a public website and does not provide a clear public mechanism for grant applications, making it difficult for grantseekers to identify submission procedures or contact information.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Connecticut, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $3,409,913 (as of most recent filing)
- Total Annual Giving: $1,297,500 (2024)
- Tax-Exempt Status: Since December 1993
- EIN: 06-1357318
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,409,913 | $3,129,493 | $2,381,246 |
| Revenue | $1,147,577 | $1,217,695 | $1,059,658 |
| Expenses | $1,355,757 | $484,448 | $473,907 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,299,420 | $450,236 | $404,605 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,002,660 | $884,651 | $532,191 |
| Distributable Amount | $172,454 | $114,746 | $110,838 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
224 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founders & Key Figures:
Gary Davis — Founder; financier who established AIG Trading Group and later founded DKR Capital in Connecticut. He is a trustee of Cornell University and holds an endowed professorship there (Gary S. Davis Professorship of Government).
Ellen Davis — Co-founder and active principal, investor, and advisor for early-stage businesses. She serves on the Weill Cornell Medicine board of overseers and is active on multiple boards.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GARY DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELLEN DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| RICHARD J BRONSTEIN | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has demonstrated sustained commitment to Cornell University and Weill Cornell Medicine:
Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core Established at Weill CornellEndowed the **Gary S. Davis Professorship of Government** at Cornell University
Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core Established at Weill CornellEstablished the **Gary and Ellen Davis Curator of Photography** at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art in Ithaca
Ellen And Gary Davis Foundation - Full Filing - Nonprofit ExplorerCreated a joint fellowship at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and Weill Cornell Medicine focused on epilepsy research
Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core Established at Weill CornellIn 2016, made a $2 million gift to Weill Cornell Medicine to support immunotherapy research, which led to the establishment of the **Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core**
Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core Established at Weill CornellRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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