The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)
The Harold Burson Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including press freedom, humanitarian crisis response, communications-field development, and military-family support, as described by the recipient organizations.
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) at a glance
In short: The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) gave $319K across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $318,750
- +330.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $39,844
- +384.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $2,344,690
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (39% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Written requests should include proof of exempt status. No restrictions on awards are listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Scott Pollard
Mailing address: 3 World Trade Ctr, Fl 29, New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 885-0315
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Committee to Protect Journalists ($75K). Together the top 8 received $319K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 63 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in California (39%), New York (30%), Washington, DC (24%), Florida (4%), and Arizona (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) gives
- Giving grew 92% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 124% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $74K (2024) to $319K (2025). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $319K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Committee to Protect Journalists New York, NY | To support the Committee to Protect Journalists | $75,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | To support the World Central Kitchen | $75,000 |
| The Lagrant Foundation Los Angeles, CA | To support the The Lagrant Foundation | $75,000 |
| Blue Star Families Encinitas, CA | To support Blue Star Families | $50,000 |
| Arthur Page Society New York, NY | Page Spring Seminar & Annual Conference Sponsorship | $20,000 |
| McCain Institute Arizona State University Tempe, AZ | Sponsorship of the McCain Institutes New York Dinner | $10,000 |
| Institute for Public Relations Gainesville, FL | To support Institute for Public Relations | $10,000 |
| The Seminar Clermont, FL | To support the seminar for senior communications and public affairs executives | $3,750 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,344,690 | $572,955 | $402,719 | $318,750 | 8 | $318,750 | $515,929 | $257,382 |
| 2024 | $2,174,454 | $335,030 | $130,020 | $74,000 | 9 | $74,000 | $284,228 | $230,857 |
| 2023 | $1,969,444 | $83,080 | $277,374 | $240,425 | 24 | $240,425 | $333,994 | $198,116 |
| 2022 | $1,922,446 | $68,830 | $217,254 | $166,160 | 13 | $166,160 | $273,322 | $203,319 |
| 2021 | $1,867,539 | $60,834 | $150,403 | $106,170 | 9 | $106,170 | $411,217 | $207,755 |
| 2020 | $1,637,998 | $31,237 | $188,520 | $148,300 | 14 | — | $21,030 | $163,019 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) reported a distributable amount of $257K for 2025 — 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 formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Committee to Protect Journalists says it promotes press freedom worldwide and defends journalists’ ability to report safely. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. The LAGRANT Foundation says it works to increase ethnic-minority representation in communications through academic and professional development. Blue Star Families says it connects and strengthens military families and communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 8 grants totaling $318,750. Awards ranged from $3,750 to $75,000, with a median of $35,000. The largest grants were $75,000 each to the Committee to Protect Journalists, World Central Kitchen, and the LAGRANT Foundation, and $50,000 to Blue Star Families. Other 2025 grants included $20,000 to the Arthur Page Society, $10,000 to the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, $10,000 to the Institute for Public Relations, and $3,750 to The Seminar.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Azuree Montoute-Lewis as president, Stacey Ryan-Cornelius as vice president, and Scott Pollard as secretary.
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) is led by Azuree Montoute-Lewis, President on the 2025 filing; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Azuree Montoute-Lewis
President
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Scott Pollard
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Stacey Ryan-Cornelius
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Annamaria Desalva (2024) — President
- Former: Azuree Montoute (2024) — Secretary
- Former: Kelli Parsons (2024) — Vice President
- Former: Andrew Scharf (2020–2023) — CFO
- Former: Peter Greer (2020–2023) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)
How much does The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) give each year?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) gave $319K across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $74K across 9 grants.
What is The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s typical grant size?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $39,844, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) give grants?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s top state is California, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (30%) and District of Columbia (24%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s largest grantees?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s largest 2025 grantees include Committee to Protect Journalists ($75,000), World Central Kitchen ($75,000) and The Lagrant Foundation ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $319K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $257K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation) fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Committee to Protect Journalists says it promotes press freedom worldwide and defends journalists’ ability to report safely. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)?
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s EIN?
The Harold Burson Foundation (FKA John W Hill Hill and Knowlton Foundation)'s EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161529. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
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