The Fairholme Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Coral Gables, FL EIN: 01-0718240

The Fairholme Foundation is a private foundation established in 2002 and based in Coral Gables, Florida. It operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Key facts about The Fairholme Foundation

EIN: 01-0718240
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $11,772,650
Grants made (2024): 23
Average grant: $511,854
Median grant: $50,000
New grantees (estimate): 61% first-time grantees (14 of 23, 2024)
Total assets: $244,340,479
Primary geography: Florida (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Fairholme Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Fairholme Foundation's 23 itemized 2024 grants were Florida (95%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Miami, FL (4 grants), Panama City, FL (2 grants) and Coral Gables, FL (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is The Fairholme Foundation open to new grantees?

61%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 14 of 23 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $58K; repeat grants $1.2M. How we count

Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.

22% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving grew 61% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with The Fairholme Foundation

How to evaluate The Fairholme Foundation as a funder
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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$244.3M

-2.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$11.8M

+0.4% YoY

Grant Count

+53.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$512K

-34.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fairholme Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding interests include:

Education
Arts & Culture
Health
Social & Human Services
Community Development
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Grantmaking

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation provides support nationally, with particular emphasis on Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

Grant Distribution by State

Florida $11.1M (95%)

New York $275K (2%)

Massachusetts $250K (2%)

Maryland $100K (1%)

New Jersey $5K (0%)

Share of all 23 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Connecticut Florida Massachusetts Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York Oklahoma Texas

Cities

MiamiCoral GablesNew YorkChestnut HillEast HamptonPinecrestDallasFort LauderdaleMiami BeachMilburnOklahoma CityPanama CityAmherstDefuniak SpringsDoralEdgewaterFreeportGrassy KeyMiami GardensMillburn

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Income (Most Recent Data):

Total assets: $244,340,479
Total giving: $11,772,650
Foundation income: $1,033,084 (as of December 2022)

Tax-Exempt Status: The foundation has been tax-exempt since July 2002 and holds 501(c)(3) designation.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$244,340,479	$250,882,800	$278,300,267
Revenue	$1,844,931	$6,038,044	$1,279,606
Expenses	$11,786,649	$11,828,728	$12,745,925
Qualifying Distributions	$11,772,650	$11,725,500	$12,735,200
Net Investment Income	$1,924,056	$5,999,816	$1,268,881
Distributable Amount	$12,937,079	$11,761,601	$11,727,211

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

February 28, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

84 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc ($10,400,000), Beaver Country Day School ($250,000), Florida State University ($250,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BERKOWITZ CONTEMPORARY FOUNDATION INC South Miami, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$10,400,000
BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL Chestnut Hill, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$250,000
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Tallahasse, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$250,000
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF MIAMI Miami, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$110,000
GOG FOUNDATION Edgewater, MD	GENERAL PURPOSE	$100,000
WNET New York, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$100,000
WORLDWIDE FRIENDS FOUNDATION New York, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$100,000
ICA MIAMI Miami, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$75,000
TEMPLE JUDEA Coral Gables, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$50,000
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART New York, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel include:

Bruce Berkowitz - Trustee
Tracey Berkowitz - Trustee

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Bruce Berkowitz	Trustee	5	—
Tracey Berkowitz	Trustee	20	—

Contact Information

Address: 14 Tahiti Beach Island Road, Coral Gables, FL 33143-6540
Telephone: 305-667-5437
EIN: 01-0718240

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Fairholme Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Arts & Culture • Health • Social & Human Services • Community Development • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

How do I apply for a grant from The Fairholme Foundation?

The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does The Fairholme Foundation make grants?

The foundation provides support nationally, with particular emphasis on Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

What size grants does The Fairholme Foundation award?

In 2024, The Fairholme Foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $11.8M — an average of about $512K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Fairholme Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Fairholme Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.