The James & Merryl Tisch
The James & Merryl Tisch Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1992 in Delaware and New York. Located in New York City, the foundation was founded by James S. Tisch, President and CEO of Loews Corporation, and his wife Dr. Merryl H. Tisch, an educator and civic leader. The foundation operates with a selective, invitation-only grantmaking approach and maintains a low public profile.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$189K
-62.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$20.3M
+12.3% YoY
Grant Count
10
+11.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.0M
+1.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving primarily supports:
- Education (strongest priority area)
- Children and youth services
- Jewish organizations and causes
- The arts and culture
- Health associations and healthcare
- Social services
- Policy organizations
Grantmaking
In 2024, notable grants included:
Grant Range
$3,000 to $19,805,123
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's giving primarily centers on New York City, with some funding activity in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total assets: $189,489
- Total revenues: $7,951,039
- Total expenses: $20,336,988
- Total giving: $20,305,123
- Annual grants made: $9,956,850
2023 Data:
- Revenue: $20.5M
- Expenses: $18.2M
- Annual giving: $18,075,166 (9 awards made)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $189,489 | $507,342 | $249,804 |
| Revenue | $7,951,039 | $20,482,479 | $2,533,039 |
| Expenses | $20,336,988 | $18,169,603 | $14,327,307 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $20,305,123 | $18,075,166 | $14,232,670 |
| Net Investment Income | $182,174 | $4,555,542 | $2,478,402 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,597,689 | $2,294,812 | $2,822,212 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- James S. Tisch - Founder, President and CEO of Loews Corporation; Chairman of WNET; Board member of The New York Public Library
- Dr. Merryl H. Tisch - Founder, educator and civic leader; Chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees; formerly served as Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents
The foundation was established by the late Laurence A. Tisch, co-owner of Loews Corporation and former CEO of CBS television network (1986-1995), along with James S. and Wilma S. Tisch.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES S TISCH | PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MERRYL H TISCH | SNR. VICE PRESIDENT, DIREC | — | — |
| ALAN H HIRSCHFELD | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | — | — |
| BARRY L BLOOM | TREASURER | — | — |
| BARBARA LAWRENCE | SECRETARY | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Tisches have made transformational gifts to major New York institutions:
**The New York Public Library:** Merryl and James Tisch made a significant gift to transform education programs with a focus on literacy and digital equity
Merryl and James Tisch Gift Will Transform Education Programs at The New**WNET:** The couple gave $15 million to create Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center
LAURIE M. TISCH ILLUMINATION FUND LAUNCHES $10 MILLION PLAY TO THRIVE INITIATIVE**Educational Institutions:** Supported Merryl's alma mater Barnard College and James's alma mater University of Pennsylvania
**Mount Sinai School of Medicine:** Made a seven-figure gift supporting the Tisch Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center
Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center Receives Comprehensive Cancer Center DesignationRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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