The Essex Avenue Foundation
The Essex Avenue Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2024, it reported 77 grants totaling $27,752,688 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in housing, education, health, food systems, and environmental areas.
The Essex Avenue Foundation at a glance
In short: The Essex Avenue Foundation gave $27.8M across 77 grants in 2024 (avg $360K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $27,752,688
- +18.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 77
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $360,425
- +6.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $300,000
- Total assets
- $616,149,256
- +11.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (63% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Essex Avenue Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Essex Avenue Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Escuela Comunitaria Del Bronx Bronx Community Scho ($1.9M). Together the top 10 received $11.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
208 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 48 grants of 208 (23%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, New York recipients received 63% of grant dollars. The next-largest recipient-state shares were the District of Columbia and Virginia at 5% each, and Illinois and Florida at 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 77 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Essex Avenue Foundation gives
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 438% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 72% 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 (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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.2M (2021) to $27.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 77 grants totaling $27.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Escuela Comunitaria Del Bronx Bronx Community Scho Bronx, NY | General & Unrestricted | $1,895,108 |
| Breaking Ground Housing Development Fund Corporati New York, NY | Working Capital Fund | $1,000,000 |
| City and Country School Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $1,000,000 |
| The New York Foundling New York, NY | the Home of Integrated Behavioral Health and the Road to Success program | $1,000,000 |
| Ali Forney Center New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $750,000 |
| Health in Harmony Inc Portland, OR | General & Unrestricted | $750,000 |
| We Care Solar Berkeley, CA | General & Unrestricted | $750,000 |
| Coalition for the Homeless Inc New York, NY | Eviction Prevention Fund and General support | $700,000 |
| Jubilee Justice Inc Alexandria, LA | Black Farmers Rice Project | $700,000 |
| Refed Inc Chicago, IL | General & Unrestricted | $700,000 |
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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 | $616,149,256 | $92,084,172 | $28,034,101 | $27,752,688 | 77 | $27,964,626 | $4,084,097 | $39,107,480 |
| 2023 | $552,099,185 | $114,892,724 | $23,643,818 | $23,424,750 | 69 | $23,630,818 | $1,892,724 | $29,707,370 |
| 2022 | $460,850,279 | $100,018,578 | $17,651,298 | $17,445,002 | 56 | $17,651,298 | $6,179 | $23,481,795 |
| 2021 | $378,482,999 | $128,800,528 | $5,327,529 | $5,158,000 | 6 | $5,314,561 | $60 | $15,267,638 |
| 2020 | $255,010,000 | $255,010,000 | — | — | — | — | — | $111,525 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Essex Avenue Foundation reported a distributable amount of $39.1M 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 foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, Ali Forney Center says it works to protect LGBTQ youth from homelessness and support their safety and independence. The Coalition for the Homeless describes its work as advocacy and direct services for homeless people and families, including emergency food and clothing, eviction prevention, and housing.
Other grantees describe work in distinct areas: We Care Solar designs and implements solar energy programs to improve healthcare and education; ReFED works to catalyze evidence-based action to stop food waste; and GreenWave trains and supports regenerative ocean farmers. City Parks Foundation says it uses sports, arts, community-building, and education programs to invigorate New York City parks.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 77 grants totaling $27,752,688. Grant amounts ranged from $6,500 to $1,895,108, with a median of $300,000. It reported 69 grants totaling $23,424,750 in 2023 and 56 grants totaling $17,445,002 in 2022.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $1,895,108 to Escuela Comunitaria del Bronx; $1,000,000 each to Breaking Ground Housing Development Fund Corporation, City and Country School, and The New York Foundling; and $750,000 each to Ali Forney Center, Health in Harmony, and We Care Solar. The New York Foundling grant supported the Home of Integrated Behavioral Health and the Road to Success program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ann Jenkins as director and president; Greta Jenkins, Leo Jenkins, Michael Jenkins, and Sophia Jenkins as directors; Valerie Crosswhite as secretary; and Elizabeth Lasorte as treasurer.
The Essex Avenue Foundation is led by Ann Jenkins, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ann Jenkins
Director & President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greta Jenkins
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Jenkins
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sophia Jenkins
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leo Jenkins
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lasorte
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Crosswhite
Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/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 Essex Avenue Foundation
How much does The Essex Avenue Foundation give each year?
The Essex Avenue Foundation gave $27.8M across 77 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $23.4M across 69 grants.
What is The Essex Avenue Foundation's typical grant size?
The Essex Avenue Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $300,000, and its average grant was $360,425, across 77 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Essex Avenue Foundation give grants?
The Essex Avenue Foundation gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (30 grants), Bronx, NY (6 grants), Brooklyn, NY (5 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does The Essex Avenue Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 60% of The Essex Avenue Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (46 of 77) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Essex Avenue Foundation's largest grantees?
The Essex Avenue Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Escuela Comunitaria Del Bronx Bronx Community Scho ($1,895,108), City and Country School Inc ($1,500,000 across 2 grants) and Refed Inc ($1,200,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Essex Avenue Foundation?
The Essex Avenue Foundation reported $616.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $28.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $39.1M (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 Essex Avenue Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, Ali Forney Center says it works to protect LGBTQ youth from homelessness and support their safety and independence. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Essex Avenue Foundation?
The foundation 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 Essex Avenue Foundation's EIN?
The Essex Avenue Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1891431. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Essex Avenue 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Essex Avenue Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-essex-avenue-foundation-morg_90ac926c198c41f195d2d4327a734cf9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851891431_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Essex Avenue Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-essex-avenue-foundation-morg_90ac926c198c41f195d2d4327a734cf9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Essex Avenue 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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