The Eshe Fund
The Eshe Fund is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2024 filing lists a present emphasis on biomedical research, educational scholarships, and support for museums and civic organizations.
The Eshe Fund at a glance
In short: The Eshe Fund gave $302K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), mostly in Rhode Island. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $301,955
- +6.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -18.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,227
- +30.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $2,771,437
- -7.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (73% 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 Eshe Fund
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists a letter and a request for guidelines as the application materials, with Sarah K. Steiner, president, as the contact. It lists no deadline. The stated present emphasis is biomedical research, educational scholarships, and museum and civic organization support.
- Contact
Application contact: Sarah K Steiner President
Mailing address: 401 East 74 Street Apt 9P, New York, NY 10021
Phone: (917) 776-5175
Website: https://www.eshefund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Eshe Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Fund of the Eshe Fund ($220K). Together the top 10 received $298K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($4,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 73 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported by recipient state as Rhode Island, 73%; New York, 17%; Massachusetts, 10%; and Connecticut, 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Eshe Fund open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $284K (2023) to $365K (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $302K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Fund of the Eshe Fund Warwick, RI | For Charitablepurposes | $220,000 |
| Bedford Research Foundation Bedford, MA | For Charitablepurposes | $30,000 |
| Museum of the City of New York New York, NY | Museum Programs | $30,000 |
| The New York Public Library New York, NY | Library Programs | $5,000 |
| Lehman College Foundation Bronx, NY | Scholarship Fund | $5,000 |
| Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | Museum Programs | $3,500 |
| League of Conservation Voters New York, NY | Educational Programs | $2,000 |
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $4,000 |
| The Baruch College Fund New York, NY | Scholarship Fund | $1,000 |
| American Museum of Natural History New York, NY | Museum Programs | $650 |
Ready to take the next step with The Eshe Fund?
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 | $2,771,437 | $143,357 | $374,826 | $301,955 | 13 | $301,955 | $317,598 | $312,527 |
| 2023 | $3,002,906 | $132,936 | $347,353 | $283,910 | 16 | $283,910 | $234,159 | $276,250 |
| 2022 | $3,216,383 | $144,113 | $384,241 | $327,050 | 16 | $327,050 | $79,253 | $285,866 |
| 2021 | $3,649,946 | $157,182 | $436,200 | $365,000 | 14 | $365,000 | $78,997 | $326,111 |
| 2020 | $3,928,963 | $163,227 | $383,248 | $320,000 | 14 | — | $58,294 | $286,343 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Eshe Fund reported a distributable amount of $313K for 2024 — 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 2024 filing identifies a present emphasis on biomedical research, educational scholarships, and museum and civic organization support.
The grants include support for organizations with varied missions. Bedford Research Foundation, which received $30,000 in 2024, describes its work as stem cell research, prostate disease research, and HIV research. The Museum of the City of New York, also awarded $30,000, says it fosters understanding of urban life by celebrating, documenting, and interpreting New York City’s past, present, and future. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, awarded $3,500, says it collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across times and cultures. The Baruch College Fund, awarded $1,000, says it promotes the educational welfare of students at Bernard M. Baruch College.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund reported 13 grants totaling $301,955. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $220,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest award was $220,000 to the Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Fund of the Eshe Fund in Warwick, Rhode Island, for charitable purposes. Other notable grants included $30,000 each to Bedford Research Foundation and the Museum of the City of New York, and $5,000 each to the New York Public Library for library programs and the Lehman College Foundation for a scholarship fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sarah K. Steiner as president and director; Elizabeth Steiner as director; Rebecca S. Weintraub as treasurer and director; Henry H. Steiner as secretary and director; and David M. S. Weintraub as director.
The Eshe Fund is led by Sarah K. Steiner, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sarah K. Steiner
President & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David M. S. Weintraub
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Steiner
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Henry H. Steiner
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca S. Weintraub
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Eshe Fund
How much does The Eshe Fund give each year?
The Eshe Fund gave $302K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $284K across 16 grants.
What is The Eshe Fund's typical grant size?
The Eshe Fund's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $23,227, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Eshe Fund that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Eshe Fund give grants?
The Eshe Fund gives mostly in Rhode Island: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (17%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Bronx, NY (2 grants).
Does The Eshe Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Eshe Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Museum Programs" (4 grants), "Scholarship Fund" (4 grants) and "For Charitablepurposes" (3 grants).
Who are The Eshe Fund's largest grantees?
The Eshe Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Vanguard Charitable Donor Advised Fund of the Eshe Fund ($220,000), Bedford Research Foundation ($30,000) and Museum of the City of New York ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($4,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Eshe Fund?
The Eshe Fund reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $302K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $313K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Eshe Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 filing identifies a present emphasis on biomedical research, educational scholarships, and museum and civic organization support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Eshe Fund?
The filing lists a letter and a request for guidelines as the application materials, with Sarah K. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Eshe Fund's EIN?
The Eshe Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3247309. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Eshe Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Eshe Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Eshe Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-eshe-fund-morg_8ad94565d9684eaa8cdb20abdb866757
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133247309_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Eshe Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-eshe-fund-morg_8ad94565d9684eaa8cdb20abdb866757},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Eshe Fund'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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