The James & Merryl Tisch
The James & Merryl Tisch is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of them in New York State.
Key facts about The James & Merryl Tisch
In short: The James & Merryl Tisch gave $30.4M across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $3.4M), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3693587
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $30,391,241
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- Average grant
- $3,376,805
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $1,559,786
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. 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
$1.6M
+723.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$30.4M
+49.7% YoY
Grant Count
9
-10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3.4M
+66.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The James & Merryl Tisch reported a distributable amount of $2.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The James & Merryl Tisch gives
- Giving grew 114% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including a museum, a university, a public library, a police foundation, and Jewish communal and charitable organizations. The listed grant purposes use the same broad description: “to further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.”
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The Metropolitan Museum of Art says it collects, studies, conserves, and presents art to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. NYU identifies education, research and scholarship, and patient care as its primary missions. Friends of the Israel Defense Forces says it supports the health, well-being, and education of Israel’s protectors. The New York City Police Foundation says it advances crime prevention, community relationships, and NYPD wellness and training. Center for Educational Innovation says it works to improve public education, including in New York City.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 9 grants totaling $30,391,241. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $30,185,741, with a median of $7,500. The largest listed grant was $30,185,741 to Jewish Communal Fund. Other notable grants included $120,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, $50,000 to Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation, and $10,000 to UJA-Federation of New York.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The James & Merryl Tisch?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in New York State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8.5M (2020) to $30.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $30.4M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Communal Fund ($30.2M). Together the top 9 received $30.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 45 (58%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Communal Fund New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $30,185,741 |
| Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $120,000 |
| Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $50,000 |
| UJA-Federation of New York New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $10,000 |
| New York University New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $7,500 |
| Friends of the Israel Defense Forces New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $5,500 |
| New York Public Library New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $5,000 |
| New York City Police Foundation New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $5,000 |
| Center for Educational Innovation New York, NY | To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes. | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,391,241 | 9 |
| 2024 | $20,305,123 | 10 |
| 2023 | $18,075,166 | 9 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,559,786 | $189,489 | $507,342 |
| Revenue | $10,113,855 | $7,951,039 | $20,482,479 |
| Expenses | $30,420,574 | $20,336,988 | $18,169,603 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $30,391,241 | $20,305,123 | $18,075,166 |
| Net Investment Income | $138,022 | $182,174 | $4,555,542 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,486,764 | $2,597,689 | $2,294,812 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- James S. Tisch — President, Director
- Merryl H. Tisch — Senior Vice President, Director
- Alan H. Hirschfeld — Assistant Secretary
- Barry L. Bloom — Treasurer
- Barbara Lawrence — Secretary
The James & Merryl Tisch is led by James S. Tisch, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James S. Tisch
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Merryl H. Tisch
Snr. Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alan H. Hirschfeld
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Barbara Lawrence
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Barry L. Bloom
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 712 Fifth Avenue 12Th Floor, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 521-2930
Frequently asked questions about The James & Merryl Tisch
How much does The James & Merryl Tisch give each year?
The James & Merryl Tisch gave $30.4M across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $20.3M across 10 grants.
What is The James & Merryl Tisch's typical grant size?
The James & Merryl Tisch's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $3,376,805, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The James & Merryl Tisch give grants?
The James & Merryl Tisch gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants).
Does The James & Merryl Tisch give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on The James & Merryl Tisch's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The James & Merryl Tisch's largest grantees?
The James & Merryl Tisch's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Communal Fund ($30,185,741), Metropolitan Museum of Art ($120,000) and Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is The James & Merryl Tisch?
The James & Merryl Tisch reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The James & Merryl Tisch fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including a museum, a university, a public library, a police foundation, and Jewish communal and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The James & Merryl Tisch?
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 James & Merryl Tisch's EIN?
The James & Merryl Tisch's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3693587. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The James & Merryl Tisch 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.
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