The Herrnstein Family Foundation
The Herrnstein Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in areas including higher education, health, biological research, and conservation, with the largest grants going to organizations in New York and Massachusetts.
Key facts about The Herrnstein Family Foundation
In short: The Herrnstein Family Foundation gave $5.8M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $416K), mostly in New York. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-1591770
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,829,241
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- Average grant
- $416,374
- Median grant
- $37,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2025)
- Total assets
- $79,536,305
- Primary geography
- New York (65% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. 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
$79.5M
+21.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.8M
+135.2% YoY
Grant Count
14
+40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$416K
+68.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herrnstein Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Herrnstein Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $203K; repeat grants $452K. How we count
Medians: $203K first-time, $38K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 172% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 175% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Stony Brook Foundation says it advances the mission and goals of SUNY Stony Brook by managing philanthropic gifts. Pivot Works describes its work as partnering with Madagascar’s government to transform the local health system and improve services for vulnerable populations. Conservation Lands Foundation says it works to protect, restore, and expand National Conservation Lands through education, advocacy, and partnerships. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory describes its work as biological-sciences research, particularly in molecular biology and genetics.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $5,829,241. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $3,600,000, with a median of $37,500. The largest awards included $3,600,000 to Stony Brook Foundation, $1,526,741 to Pivot Works, and $400,000 to President & Fellows of Harvard College. Other listed awards included $75,000 to Conservation Lands Foundation, $55,000 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and $50,000 each to Children and Screens and Partners in Health.
Review Cycle
, and award restrictions are listed as N/A.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 34% to recipients in Massachusetts, and 1% to recipients in Colorado. Texas and Tennessee each accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2022) to $5.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $5.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stony Brook Foundation Inc ($3.6M). Together the top 10 received $5.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 63 (62%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stony Brook Foundation Inc Stony Brook, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $3,600,000 |
| Pivot Works Inc Randolph, MA | To Help the Support Organizations Healthcare Mission. | $1,526,741 |
| President & Fellows of Harvard College Cambridge, MA | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $400,000 |
| Conservation Lands Foundation Inc Durango, CO | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $75,000 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $55,000 |
| Children and Screens Jericho, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $50,000 |
| Partners in Health Boston, MA | To Help the Support Organizations Healthcare Mission | $50,000 |
| Autism Nature Trail Castile, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $25,000 |
| Long Island Explorium Port Jefferson, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $25,000 |
| Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America Saint James, NY | To Fulfill the Organization's Exempt Mission | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,829,241 | 14 |
| 2024 | $2,477,966 | 10 |
| 2023 | $2,554,341 | 12 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $79,536,305 | $65,559,246 | $47,345,240 |
| Revenue | $15,596,516 | $9,980,546 | $8,613,969 |
| Expenses | $6,122,622 | $2,675,818 | $2,698,308 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,837,241 | $2,486,550 | $2,561,672 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,361,292 | $2,791,825 | $1,512,559 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,326,982 | $2,800,523 | $1,630,068 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robeson M. Herrnstein as president and secretary, and James R. Herrnstein as vice president and treasurer.
The Herrnstein Family Foundation is led by Robeson M. Herrnstein, President & Secretary since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robeson M. Herrnstein
President & Secretary
President, Member & Secretary → President & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James R. Herrnstein
Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President & Member → Vice President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Application contact: Robeson M Herrnstein
Mailing address: C/O Cohnreznick Llp 1301 6Th Ave 10, FL, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 826-6000
Frequently asked questions about The Herrnstein Family Foundation
How much does The Herrnstein Family Foundation give each year?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation gave $5.8M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.5M across 10 grants.
What is The Herrnstein Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $37,500, and its average grant was $416,374, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herrnstein Family Foundation that year got $203K on average.
Where does The Herrnstein Family Foundation give grants?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (34%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants).
Who are The Herrnstein Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stony Brook Foundation Inc ($3,600,000), Pivot Works Inc ($1,526,741) and President & Fellows of Harvard College ($400,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Herrnstein Family Foundation?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation reported $79.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Herrnstein Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Stony Brook Foundation says it advances the mission and goals of SUNY Stony Brook by managing philanthropic gifts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herrnstein Family Foundation?
The foundation states that 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 Herrnstein Family Foundation's EIN?
The Herrnstein Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1591770. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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