The Essel Foundation
The Essel Foundation is a private foundation established in 1966 and based in Purchase, New York. It operates as a 501(c)(3) exempt organization focused on supporting research and higher education initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$270.4M
+145.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.8M
+11.8% YoY
Grant Count
8
+14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.8M
-2.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary purpose is to support research in neuroscience, biological psychiatry, and higher education. Key funding areas include:
- Neuroscience research
- Biological psychiatry
- Higher education
- Education nonprofits
- STEM education
Grantmaking
Based on recent activity, the foundation makes unrestricted grants to selected organizations. Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Maryland, and Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2023):
- Total assets: $109,687,173
- Total revenues: $4,405,736
- Total expenses: $6,885,594
- Total giving: $14,787,000 (based on 2024 data)
- Number of employees: 0
Earlier Data (2024):
- Total assets: $270,426,353
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $270,426,353 | $109,969,634 | $94,117,548 |
| Revenue | $175,731,821 | $30,673,863 | $6,662,124 |
| Expenses | $18,243,172 | $14,255,859 | $14,771,280 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $14,855,220 | $13,255,265 | $13,483,316 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,417,248 | $6,252,507 | $2,916,040 |
| Distributable Amount | $12,316,883 | $6,158,563 | $4,950,486 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JANICE LIEBER | secretary | — | — |
| MARY E RUBIN | TREASURER | — | — |
| GEOFFREY SIMON | president | — | — |
Contact Information
Address: 2500 Westchester Avenue, Purchase, NY 10577-2540
Telephone: 813-784-6834
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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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