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
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Essel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Lieber Institute for Brain Dev-see Attached ($10,813,926), Brain & Behavior Research Foundation-see Attached ($2,934,612), Columbia University ($400,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| THE LIEBER INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT BALTIMORE, MD | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $186,074 |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $400,000 |
| THE CARTER CENTER INC ATLANTA, GA | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $157,000 |
| POYNTER INSTITUTE ST PETERSBURG, FL | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $180,000 |
| BRAIN & BEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $65,388 |
| SAN FRANCISCO STUDY CENTER SAN FRANCISCO, CA | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $50,000 |
| BRAIN & BEHAVIOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION-SEE ATTACHED NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $2,934,612 |
| THE LIEBER INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN DEV-SEE ATTACHED BALTIMORE, MD | UNRESTRICTED GRANT | $10,813,926 |
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Essel Foundation fund?
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
How do I apply for a grant from The Essel Foundation?
Based on recent activity, the foundation makes unrestricted grants to selected organizations. Recent grants include: • The Lieber Institute (LIBD): $4,921,125 (2023) • Brain and Behavior Research Foundation: $500,000 (2023) • The Carter Center: $155,000 (2023) The foundation made six grants in 2023. Historical grant amounts have ranged from approximately $8,191 to $9,976,729.
Where does The Essel Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in New York, Maryland, and Georgia.
What size grants does The Essel Foundation award?
In 2024, The Essel Foundation awarded 8 grants totaling $14.8M — an average of about $1.8M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Essel Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Essel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Essel Foundation's EIN?
The Essel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6191234. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Essel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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