The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. In 2025, it made grants to charitable organizations working in areas including nature conservation, animal welfare, health, humanitarian relief, and water and sanitation.
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust gave $357K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), top state New York. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $357,000
- +25.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,750
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,918,157
- +16.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust
- 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: PO Box 1532, Pennington, NJ 08534-0691
Phone: (888) 866-3275
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was World Wildlife Fund Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $229K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 119 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (45%) and the District of Columbia (21%), followed by California (8%), Tennessee (6%), and Florida (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $210K (2019) to $357K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $357K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| World Wildlife Fund Inc Washington, DC | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Humane Society of the United States Washington, DC | General Operating | $24,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders USA Inc New York, NY | General Operating | $23,000 |
| Warner Library Tarrytown, NY | General Operating | $22,000 |
| North Shore Animal League America Inc Port Washington, NY | General Operating | $20,000 |
| The Salvation Army West Nyack, NY | General Operating | $20,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Inc Memphis, TN | General Operating | $20,000 |
| International Medical Corps (IMF) Los Angeles, CA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Voice of Triumph Ministries Inc Yulee, FL | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Care Atlanta, GA | General Operating | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust?
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 | $6,918,157 | $1,419,020 | $446,561 | $357,000 | 28 | $390,287 | $1,368,256 | $369,195 |
| 2024 | $5,948,016 | $393,139 | $371,225 | $284,000 | 24 | $335,533 | $355,538 | $357,813 |
| 2023 | $5,927,381 | $345,750 | $370,450 | $285,000 | 24 | $328,749 | $314,643 | $327,041 |
| 2022 | $5,952,573 | $699,371 | $392,489 | $307,500 | 24 | $353,218 | $664,605 | $329,470 |
| 2021 | $5,645,225 | $553,045 | $352,723 | $255,000 | 19 | $304,105 | $518,715 | $360,441 |
| 2020 | $5,443,800 | $743,598 | $320,559 | $240,655 | 20 | — | $713,409 | $305,137 |
| 2019 | $5,018,488 | $309,047 | $281,284 | $210,000 | 21 | — | $277,145 | $288,518 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $369K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. North Shore Animal League America says it works to save pets’ lives through adoption, rescue, education, medical care, spay/neuter services, and advocacy. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions address clean water and sanitation, humanitarian crisis response, girls’ and young women’s leadership, and women’s health.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $357,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Listed grant purposes were generally operating support, including one award identified as general purpose.
The largest 2025 awards included $50,000 to the World Wildlife Fund, $24,000 to the Humane Society of the United States, $23,000 to Doctors Without Borders USA, $22,000 to Warner Library, and $20,000 each to North Shore Animal League America, the Salvation Army, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and International Medical Corps.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Drake, Joan Mahony, and Bank of America N.A. as co-trustees.
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bank Of America N A
Co-Trustee
Trustee → Co-Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$57K (2019) → $74K (2025)
Joan Mahony
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$4K (2019) → $4K (2025)
Mary Drake
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$4K (2019) → $4K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $74K, to Bank of America N a (Co-Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust
How much does The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust give each year?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust gave $357K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $284K across 24 grants.
What is The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,750, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust give grants?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's top state is New York, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include World Wildlife Fund Inc ($50,000), Humane Society of the United States ($24,000) and Doctors Without Borders USA Inc ($23,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $390K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $369K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust?
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 Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's EIN?
The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7019957. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-helen-schlaffer-foundation-trust-morg_cd3ecc834b33458cbe35c53ec71c7267
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207019957_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-helen-schlaffer-foundation-trust-morg_cd3ecc834b33458cbe35c53ec71c7267},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Helen Schlaffer Foundation Trust'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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