The Feinross Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker New York, NY EIN: 61-1616420

The Feinross Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing shows grants to organizations working in areas including religious and community activities, education, and anti-hate efforts.

Key facts about The Feinross Family Foundation

In short: The Feinross Family Foundation gave $125K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in New York. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
61-1616420
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$124,500
Grants made (2025)
20
Average grant
$6,225
Median grant
$2,000
New grantees (estimate)
7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2025)
Total assets
$2,549,373
Primary geography
New York (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation stated on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; 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.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.5M

+13.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$125K

-2.9% YoY

Grant Count

20

-20.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$6K

+21.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Feinross Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $135K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Feinross Family Foundation open to new grantees?

7%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $9K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for religious, community, and educational purposes, university education programs, and efforts to fight hate crime. Grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: the Anti-Defamation League says it works to fight antisemitism and other forms of hate; Birthright Israel Foundation says it raises funds for educational trips to Israel for young Jewish adults; and Byram Hills Education Foundation says it funds innovative grants to enhance children’s educational experiences.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $124,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median grant of $2,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 16% to Massachusetts, and 1% each to Florida and Washington, DC.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkAmherstIthacaNew YprkBrooklynWashingtonArmonkPhiladelphiaFort LauderdaleBoca RatonHerrimanMemphisMiami BeachMt KiscoNew WorkTarrytown

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K26 grants2020 21 grants2021 18 grants2022 23 grants2023 25 grants2024 20 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $87K (2022) to $128K (2024). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $125K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy: $55K across 3 grantsAjc Global Jewish Advocacy$55K · 3 grantsUja Federation of New York: $25K across 2 grantsUja Federation of New York$25K · 2 grantsUniversity of Massachusetts: $20K across 2 grantsUniversity of Massachusetts$20K · 2 grantsCornell University: $10KCornell University$10KBirthright Israel Foundation: $4K across 2 grantsBirthright Israel Foundation$4K · 2 grantsAnti-Defamation League: $3K across 2 grantsAnti-Defamation League$3K · 2 grantsByram Hills Education Foundation: $2KByram Hills EducationFoundation$2KBoca Jewish Int'l Film Festival: $2KBoca Jewish Int'l FilmFestival$2KFriends of Idf: $1KFriends of Idf$1KThe Forward: $1KThe Forward$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy ($55K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $122K.

Grant Size Distribution

107 grants across all recorded years

107<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy New York, NYReligious, Community and Educational$35,000
Uja Federation of New York New Yprk, NYReligious, Community and Educational$20,000
Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy New York, NYReligious, Community and Educational$15,000
University of Massachusetts Amherst, MAReligious, Community and Educational$15,000
Cornell University Ithaca, NYUniversity Education Programs$10,000
Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy New York, NYReligious, Community and Educational$5,000
Uja Federation of New York New Yprk, NYReligious, Community and Educational$5,000
University of Massachusetts Amherst, MAReligious, Community and Educational$5,000
Birthright Israel Foundation New York, NYReligious, Community and Educational$2,000
Birthright Israel Foundation New York, NYReligious, Community and Educational$2,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $2,549,373 $619,128 $130,122 $124,500 (20 grants)
2024 $2,249,224 $208,652 $131,451 $128,250 (25 grants)
2023 $2,172,023 $534,171 $103,663 $100,350 (23 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$2,549,373$2,249,224$2,172,023
Revenue$619,128$208,652$534,171
Expenses$130,122$131,451$103,663
Qualifying Distributions$130,122$131,451$103,663
Net Investment Income$174,250$169,205$131,049
Distributable Amount$135,357$119,211$107,243

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 3, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 14, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 5, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 27, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Melissa F Ross as director.

The Feinross Family Foundation is led by Melissa F. Ross, Director on every filing since 2022 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Melissa F. Ross

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    No compensation reported

Former officers (4)
  • Former: Carol Fein Ross (2020–2021) — President
  • Former: Hillary Ross Posternak (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Lindsey Ross Neimand (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Sander B. Ross (2020–2021) — Treasurer

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 240 East 47Th St Apt 18E, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (914) 924-7784

Frequently asked questions about The Feinross Family Foundation

How much does The Feinross Family Foundation give each year?

The Feinross Family Foundation gave $125K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $128K across 25 grants.

What is The Feinross Family Foundation's typical grant size?

The Feinross Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $6,225, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Feinross Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.

Where does The Feinross Family Foundation give grants?

The Feinross Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants), New Yprk, NY (2 grants) and Amherst, MA (2 grants).

Does The Feinross Family Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Feinross Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Religious, Community and Educational" (11 grants).

Who are The Feinross Family Foundation's largest grantees?

The Feinross Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ajc Global Jewish Advocacy ($55,000 across 3 grants), Uja Federation of New York ($25,000 across 2 grants) and University of Massachusetts ($20,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Feinross Family Foundation?

The Feinross Family Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $130K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $135K (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 Feinross Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for religious, community, and educational purposes, university education programs, and efforts to fight hate crime. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Feinross Family Foundation?

The foundation stated on its 2024 filing that it 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 Feinross Family Foundation's EIN?

The Feinross Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1616420. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Feinross Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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