The Holborn Foundation
The Holborn Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in New York, Washington, and Vermont, including organizations receiving support for general operating expenses and support, as well as a gala.
The Holborn Foundation at a glance
In short: The Holborn Foundation gave $383K across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $48K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $382,500
- -36.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- -69.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $47,813
- +107.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $40,000
- Total assets
- $5,919,732
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (71% 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 Holborn 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. No application process or required materials are stated.
- Contact
Mailing address: 114 West 47Th Street Ny8-114-10-02, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 852-1000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Holborn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends of Independent Schools and Better Education ($100K). Together the top 8 received $383K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 109 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 26% to recipients in Washington, and 3% to recipients in Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Holborn Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $363K (2020) to $1.7M (2023). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $383K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Independent Schools and Better Education Seattle, WA | General Operating Expenses | $100,000 |
| Exodus Transitional Community Poughkeepsie, NY | General Operating Expenses | $75,000 |
| The Group 1 Acting Company New York, NY | Underwrite 2025 Gala | $70,000 |
| Literacy Inc New York, NY | General Operating Expenses | $50,000 |
| Summer Search Bronx, NY | General Operating Expenses | $30,000 |
| Brooklyn Children's Museum Brooklyn, NY | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| The Little Orchestra Society New York, NY | General Operating Expenses | $20,000 |
| The Rural Education Action Project Montpelier, VT | General Operating Expenses | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Holborn Foundation?
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 | $5,919,732 | $284,381 | $419,626 | $382,500 | 8 | $397,155 | $284,381 | $397,409 |
| 2024 | $6,054,972 | $2,653,647 | $642,982 | $598,500 | 26 | $611,850 | $653,647 | $382,985 |
| 2023 | $4,042,078 | $829,179 | $1,688,093 | $1,656,200 | 29 | $1,668,057 | $791,855 | $309,049 |
| 2022 | $4,900,239 | $548,358 | $391,920 | $365,500 | 24 | $377,894 | $536,195 | $346,158 |
| 2021 | $4,735,955 | $486,273 | $393,954 | $368,550 | 22 | — | $472,210 | $392,082 |
| 2020 | $4,643,919 | $115,104 | $387,433 | $363,000 | 32 | — | $97,753 | $331,192 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Holborn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $397K 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 working in areas including education and literacy, services for formerly incarcerated people, and arts and cultural activities.
Exodus Transitional Community describes its mission as supporting formerly incarcerated men and women as they reintegrate into their communities and work toward social and economic well-being. Literacy Inc. says it equips children with foundational literacy skills by empowering families and mobilizing the community. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 8 grants totaling $382,500. Grant amounts ranged from $12,500 to $100,000, with a median of $40,000. The largest grants included $100,000 to Friends of Independent Schools and Better Education for general operating expenses; $75,000 to Exodus Transitional Community for general operating expenses; $70,000 to The Group 1 Acting Company to underwrite its 2025 gala; and $50,000 to Literacy Inc. for general operating expenses. Other 2025 recipients were Summer Search ($30,000), Brooklyn Children’s Museum ($25,000), The Little Orchestra Society ($20,000), and The Rural Education Action Project ($12,500).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gillett A Gilbert as trustee and Marcella A Boelhouwer as secretary.
The Holborn Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gillett A. Gilbert
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcella A. Boelhouwer
Secretary
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John N. Gilbert Jr. (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 Holborn Foundation
How much does The Holborn Foundation give each year?
The Holborn Foundation gave $383K across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $599K across 26 grants.
What is The Holborn Foundation's typical grant size?
The Holborn Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $40,000, and its average grant was $47,813, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Holborn Foundation give grants?
The Holborn Foundation gives mostly in New York: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Washington (26%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Holborn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of The Holborn Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 8) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Holborn Foundation's largest grantees?
The Holborn Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Independent Schools and Better Education ($100,000), Exodus Transitional Community ($75,000) and The Group 1 Acting Company ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Holborn Foundation?
The Holborn Foundation reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $397K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $397K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Holborn Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including education and literacy, services for formerly incarcerated people, and arts and cultural activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Holborn 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 Holborn Foundation's EIN?
The Holborn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7213630. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Holborn 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Holborn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
Assets
—
Grants
65
Total Given
$7.2M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
FJC
New York, NY
FJC supports nonprofits and fiscally sponsored charitable projects across areas including arts, education, social services, health, religion, and the environment, with grantmaking concentrated in New York and also reaching other U.S. states. In 2025, grants had a median of $17,200 and ranged from $5,040 to $2.8 million. The profile does not state whether FJC accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$462.3M
Grants
747
Total Given
$41.7M
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds charitable organizations working on just societies, healthy families and communities, and a healthy natural world, including climate solutions, ocean conservation, and science. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, and half of grant dollars went to California recipients. It accepts unsolicited requests, but less than 1% of its grants come from them.
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
The New York Community Trust funds nonprofit programs in areas such as arts, education, health, the environment, workforce development, and youth development, including projects that improve services, build organizational capacity, or advance policy and systems change. Its competitive grants mainly serve New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, with some national and international environmental funding; the 2024 median grant was $20,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco the Peninsula Marin & Sonoma
San Francisco, CA
The Federation funds Jewish life and identity, antisemitism response, crisis relief, human services, and justice and inclusion, with work in the Bay Area, Israel, and beyond. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,050 to $2,405,915, with a median of $22,750. It frequently issues requests for proposals and welcomes inquiries about new Bay Area programs; no current organization grant opportunities were listed.
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
1,032
Total Given
$94.5M
More similar funders
More Funders in New York
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Holborn 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.
The Holborn Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?