The Fairholme Foundation

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.

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

The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. Prospective grantees should approach the foundation directly for more information regarding funding opportunities.

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 $43.5M (95%)

Massachusetts $1.6M (3%)

New York $637K (1%)

Michigan $110K (0%)

Connecticut $100K (0%)

Maryland $100K (0%)

New Jersey $6K (0%)

Oklahoma $600 (0%)

+1 more states

States

Connecticut Florida Massachusetts Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York Oklahoma Texas

Cities

AmherstChestnut HillCoral GablesDallasDefuniak SpringsDoralEast HamptonEdgewaterFort LauderdaleFreeportGrassy KeyMiamiMiami BeachMiami GardensMilburnMillburnMysticNew YorkOklahoma CityOvertown Miami

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

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 include Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc ($10,400,000), Beaver Country Day School ($250,000), Florida State University ($250,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL CHESTNUT HILL, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$250,000
BEIT RUTH NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$25,000
BERKOWITZ CONTEMPORARY FOUNDATION INC SOUTH MIAMI, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$10,400,000
OPPORTUNITY PROJECT INC MILLBURN, NJ	GENERAL PURPOSE	$5,000
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF MIAMI MIAMI, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$110,000
GOG FOUNDATION EDGEWATER, MD	GENERAL PURPOSE	$100,000
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI ATHLETICS CORAL GABLES, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$2,500
NATIONAL MS SOCIETY NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$150
TEMPLE JUDEA CORAL GABLES, FL	GENERAL PURPOSE	$50,000
WNET NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$100,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel include:

Bruce Berkowitz - Trustee
Tracey Berkowitz - Trustee

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 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?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: $11,772,650 (most recent reporting year) • Typical award range: $100 to $12,050,000 • Median grant amount: $12,000 • Grant count: Approximately 12 grants in recent reporting periods **Application Process:** The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. Prospective grantees should approach the foundation directly for more information regarding funding opportunities.

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.