The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. In 2024, it gave $159,950 through 21 grants to charitable organizations, with listed grant purposes including medical research, foreign affairs, economic research, homelessness, religion, and education.
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation gave $160K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in New York. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $159,950
- +6.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +23.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,617
- -13.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,083,909
- -9.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (10 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (73% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Gary and Carol Ross 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: C/O G Ross 151 East 58Th Street, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (646) 604-8200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Washington Institute for Near East Policy ($25K). Together the top 10 received $141K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 109 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 23% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 4% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 21 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
- In 2021 it paid out 9% 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 $105K (2020) to $164K (2021). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $160K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Institute for Near East Policy Washington, DC | Foreign Affiars | $25,000 |
| HSS Foundation New York, NY | Medical Research | $23,200 |
| Columbia University Foley Retina Research Found New York, NY | Medical Research | $20,000 |
| Columbia University Dept of Ophthal New York, NY | Medical Research | $20,000 |
| Energy Policy Research Foundation Washington, DC | Economic Research | $12,000 |
| NYU Langhorne Health New York, NY | Medical Research | $11,000 |
| Covenant House New Yyork, NY | Homelessness | $10,000 |
| The Energy Forum New York, NY | Economic Research | $10,000 |
| Congregation Emanu-El of NYC New York, NY | Religous | $5,000 |
| Long Island University Brooklyn, NY | Education | $5,000 |
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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 | $1,083,909 | $50,305 | $162,837 | $159,950 | 21 | — | $49,793 | — |
| 2023 | $1,196,441 | $535,181 | $151,390 | $150,000 | 17 | — | $35,041 | — |
| 2022 | $812,650 | $8,337 | $112,562 | $110,000 | 24 | $2,528 | $8,303 | — |
| 2021 | $916,875 | $750,025 | $165,833 | $164,300 | 26 | $1,514 | $6 | $16,942 |
| 2020 | $332,683 | $11,381 | $116,284 | $104,650 | 21 | — | $1,381 | $18,696 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for medical research, foreign affairs and relations, economic research, homelessness, religion, and education.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Long Island University says it provides access to private higher education and prepares people for service to their communities and the world. We Are All Music Foundation says its mission is to strengthen and save lives through music. The Histiocytosis Association says it raises awareness about histiocytic disorders, provides education and emotional support, and funds research. The Whitney Museum of American Art says it presents and collects art from the United States and champions living artists. The Council on Foreign Relations describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $159,950. Grants ranged from $100 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among the largest grants were $25,000 to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy for foreign affairs; $23,200 to HSS Foundation and $20,000 each to Columbia University Foley Retina Research Foundation and Columbia University’s Department of Ophthalmology for medical research; and $12,000 to the Energy Policy Research Foundation for economic research. Other notable grants included $11,000 to NYU Langhorne Health for medical research and $10,000 each to Covenant House for homelessness and The Energy Forum for economic research. Long Island University, We Are All Music Foundation, and the Council on Foreign Relations each received $5,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gary N Ross as president and Carol Ross as vice president.
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation is led by Gary N. Ross, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gary N. Ross
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Ross
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Gary and Carol Ross Foundation
How much does The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation give each year?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation gave $160K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $150K across 17 grants.
What is The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,617, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation give grants?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation gives mostly in New York: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (14 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Recurring purposes include "Medical Research" (5 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Washington Institute for Near East Policy ($25,000), HSS Foundation ($23,200) and Columbia University Foley Retina Research Found ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $50K.
What does The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for medical research, foreign affairs and relations, economic research, homelessness, religion, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gary and Carol Ross 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 Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's EIN?
The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3340740. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Gary and Carol Ross 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
Live grants for the work The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gary-and-carol-ross-foundation-morg_a44f726c141b481ba25fd807a4143fdb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843340740_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gary and Carol Ross Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gary-and-carol-ross-foundation-morg_a44f726c141b481ba25fd807a4143fdb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Gary and Carol Ross 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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