The Great Foundation
The Great Foundation was a New York, NY private foundation launched in 2015. It described its work as inspiring people to create positive change through educational activities and opportunities promoting social welfare in New York City. The foundation stated that it liquidated and terminated operations as of December 31, 2024.
The Great Foundation at a glance
In short: The Great Foundation gave $91K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $90,567
- +36.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- +160.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,322
- -47.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $250
- Primary geography
- New York (86% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Great Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 5014, New York, NY 10185
Phone: (212) 257-4330
Website: https://www.great-foundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Great Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Tiger Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $82K.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 108 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The remaining reported shares were Connecticut (4%), Massachusetts (3%), New Jersey (1%), and South Carolina (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Great Foundation gives
- 8% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 46% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $66K (2023) to $500K (2022). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $91K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Tiger Foundation New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $50,000 |
| People's Theatre Project New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $12,500 |
| Mount Sinai Health System New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $5,000 |
| Children's Aid New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $4,000 |
| Nativity Preparatory School Boston Jamaica Plain, MA | General Purpose Fund | $2,500 |
| Thrive for Life Prison Project New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $2,500 |
| Sacred Heart Academy New York, NY | General Purpose Fund | $2,200 |
| Diocese of Bridgeport Kensington, CT | General Purpose Fund | $1,500 |
| Birthday Buds Sullivans Island, SC | General Purpose Fund | $1,126 |
| Sandy Hook Promise Foundation Newtown, CT | General Purpose Fund | $1,100 |
Ready to take the next step with The Great Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation stated that after its final distributions in 2024, its remaining assets were zero.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — | $105,098 | $90,567 | 39 | $40,567 | — | $2,758 |
| 2023 | $105,098 | $12 | $66,200 | $66,200 | 15 | $66,200 | $12 | $6,318 |
| 2022 | $171,286 | $2,586 | $797,330 | $500,000 | 1 | $785,482 | — | $31,300 |
| 2021 | $966,030 | $50,402 | $924,023 | $169,206 | 22 | $907,198 | — | $65,632 |
| 2020 | $1,839,251 | $621 | $472,033 | $243,357 | 31 | — | — | $100,906 |
| 2019 | $2,310,663 | $696 | $11,356 | — | — | — | — | $114,174 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Great Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to awaken and motivate individuals to lead by example and inspire others, with the goal of igniting positive change on a global scale. It says it aims to encourage New Yorkers to act compassionately and provide relief to poor, distressed, and underprivileged people in their communities.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. For example, People’s Theatre Project says it makes theatre with and for immigrant communities to build a more just and equitable world; Mount Sinai Health System describes its mission as providing patient care and advancing medicine through education, research, and outreach; and Thrive for Life Prison Project says it works to transform lives behind and beyond prison walls. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 39 grants totaling $90,567. The median grant was $250; individual grants ranged from $51 to $50,000. Its largest grants included $50,000 to The Tiger Foundation, $12,500 to People’s Theatre Project, $5,000 to Mount Sinai Health System, and $4,000 to Children’s Aid. The listed grants were for general-purpose funds.
The foundation said the $50,000 grant to another private foundation in June 2024 met a prior-year commitment. It then made final cash distributions totaling $40,567 to qualified public charities on July 9, 2024.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thomas Hansen and James Feeney as trustees.
The Great Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Thomas Hansen
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Feeney
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Gary Friedman Co Daniel Greenberg (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Gary Friedman Co Friedman Kaplan (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Great Foundation
How much does The Great Foundation give each year?
The Great Foundation gave $91K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $66K across 15 grants.
What is The Great Foundation's typical grant size?
The Great Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $250, and its average grant was $2,322, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Great Foundation give grants?
The Great Foundation gives mostly in New York: 86% 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 (13 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and East Dennis, MA (2 grants).
Does The Great Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Great Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Great Foundation's largest grantees?
The Great Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Tiger Foundation ($50,000), People's Theatre Project ($12,500) and Mount Sinai Health System ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does The Great Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to awaken and motivate individuals to lead by example and inspire others, with the goal of igniting positive change on a global scale. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Great Foundation?
The foundation states 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 ↑
How much is The Great Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Great Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Great Foundation's EIN?
The Great Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0894119. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Great 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.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Great Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Great Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-great-foundation-morg_7eb901828a2c4a2190c960d80369e388
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810894119_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Great Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-great-foundation-morg_7eb901828a2c4a2190c960d80369e388},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Great 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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