The Fairholme Foundation
The Fairholme Foundation is a private foundation based in Coral Gables, Florida. In 2024, it reported 23 grants totaling $11,772,650, with 95% of grant dollars going to recipients in Florida.
The Fairholme Foundation at a glance
In short: The Fairholme Foundation gave $11.8M across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $512K), mostly in Florida. 57% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $11,772,650
- +0.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +53.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $511,854
- -34.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $244,340,479
- -2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (13 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Fairholme 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: 14 Tahiti Beach Island Road, Coral Gables, FL 33143
Phone: (305) 667-5437
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Fairholme Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc ($10.4M). Together the top 10 received $11.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 84 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida, 2% to New York, 2% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Maryland. New Jersey received 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Fairholme Foundation open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 23 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $61K; repeat grants $1.1M. 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 grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.5M (2020) to $12.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $11.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| 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 |
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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 | $244,340,479 | $1,844,931 | $11,786,649 | $11,772,650 | 23 | $11,772,650 | $1,924,056 | $12,937,079 |
| 2023 | $250,882,800 | $6,038,044 | $11,828,728 | $11,725,500 | 15 | $11,725,500 | $5,999,816 | $11,761,601 |
| 2022 | $278,300,267 | $1,279,606 | $12,745,925 | $12,735,200 | 12 | $12,735,200 | $1,268,881 | $11,727,211 |
| 2021 | $289,766,586 | $285,369 | $7,305,591 | $7,292,594 | 19 | $7,292,594 | $459,975 | $12,768,018 |
| 2020 | $296,786,251 | $-1,180,605 | $2,549,352 | $2,518,392 | 15 | — | $301,061 | $9,446,497 |
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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Beaver Country Day School describes itself as an independent coeducational school serving students in grades 6–12, while Friendship Circle of Miami says it supports children and adults with disabilities and their families. WNET describes its work as delivering lifelong learning and meaningful experiences through public-service media.
The GOG Foundation says it promotes quality and integrity in research on gynecologic malignancies. Worldwide Friends Foundation describes Israel Friends and Ukraine Friends as humanitarian missions launched in response to emergencies. The Lotus Endowment Fund says it supports the Sundari Foundation and its initiatives, including Lotus House Women’s Shelter. The Whitney Museum of American Art says it presents and collects art from the United States and champions living artists.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $11,772,650. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $10,400,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest grant was $10,400,000 to Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc. in South Miami, Florida, for general purposes.
Other notable 2024 grants included $250,000 each to Beaver Country Day School and Florida State University; $110,000 to Friendship Circle of Miami; $100,000 each to the GOG Foundation, WNET, and Worldwide Friends Foundation; and $75,000 to ICA Miami. The listed grants were for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Bruce Berkowitz and Tracey Berkowitz as trustees.
The Fairholme Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bruce Berkowitz
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tracey Berkowitz
Trustee
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 Fairholme Foundation
How much does The Fairholme Foundation give each year?
The Fairholme Foundation gave $11.8M across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $11.7M across 15 grants.
What is The Fairholme Foundation's typical grant size?
The Fairholme Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $511,854, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Fairholme Foundation that year got $61K on average.
Where does The Fairholme Foundation give grants?
The Fairholme Foundation gives mostly in Florida: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. 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).
Does The Fairholme Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Fairholme Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Fairholme Foundation's largest grantees?
The Fairholme Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc ($10,400,000), Beaver Country Day School ($250,000) and Florida State University ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Fairholme Foundation?
The Fairholme Foundation reported $244.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $11.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $12.9M (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 Fairholme Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. The 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Fairholme 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 Fairholme Foundation's EIN?
The Fairholme Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0718240. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Fairholme 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Fairholme Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Fairholme Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-fairholme-foundation-morg_2396707759274c568fd4621265fae90f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010718240_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Fairholme Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-fairholme-foundation-morg_2396707759274c568fd4621265fae90f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Fairholme 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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