The Jm Kaplan Fund Inc
The J.M. Kaplan Fund Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY, established in 1950. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity dedicated to catalytic grantmaking across multiple sectors including environment, cultural heritage, social justice, and human rights.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$143.6M
+2.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.4M
+16.1% YoY
Grant Count
275
+6.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$27K
+9.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund's guiding philosophy is captured in its founding principle: "Our family goal should be to search for the realization of an ideal society, knowing it is a quest that always eludes man but one that he must compulsively seek."
The foundation focuses on four primary areas:
Environment — Championing the protection of threatened natural resources and working to reduce the global impacts of climate change.
Heritage Conservation — Preserving and conserving cultural heritage.
Social Justice — Defending social progress by uplifting communities facing growing threats.
Innovation — Supporting early-stage innovations through the J.M.K. Innovation Prize, which seeks visionary solutions in cultural heritage, human rights, and natural and built environments.
The fund also maintains the Concord Group, whose grantmaking is currently focused on community-building.
Grantmaking
The fund offers program-related investments to encourage ventures of particular interest and maintains a trustee-initiated grants program that considers grant requests invited by trustees.
Grant Range
s & Activity**
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across the United States and internationally, with particular concentration in New York, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. International grantmaking extends to locations including Baghdad and London, with additional support in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023)
- Total assets: $139,934,026 to $143,637,527
- Total revenue: $7,116,856
- Total expenses: $11,507,986
Financial Position The foundation operates with expenses exceeding annual revenue, drawing on its substantial asset base to support its grantmaking activities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $143,637,527 | $139,934,026 | $135,414,726 |
| Revenue | $11,111,914 | $7,116,856 | $7,612,529 |
| Expenses | $11,323,097 | $11,507,986 | $9,002,448 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $10,386,349 | $9,015,901 | $11,200,402 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,215,501 | $4,136,053 | $2,080,621 |
| Distributable Amount | $7,052,410 | $6,747,129 | $7,216,828 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Jm Kaplan Fund Inc
Furthermore Grants in Publishing
THE JM KAPLAN FUND INC
Amount
US $1,500 - US $12,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
The Alice Award Grant
THE JM KAPLAN FUND INC
Amount
US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
The J.M.K. Innovation Prize Grant
THE JM KAPLAN FUND INC
Amount
Up to US $175,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff
- Peter Davidson — Chairman
- Julia Bator — Executive Director (assumed role November 2023)
- William Falahee — Director of Finance
- Elizabeth Wolffe — Program Director
- Angela Carabine — Grants Administrator
Trustees
- J Matthew Davidson
- Brad Davidson
- Elizabeth Davidson Pickering
- Caio Fonseca
- Isabel Fonseca
- Quina Fonseca
The foundation maintains a staff of approximately 5 full-time employees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PETER DAVIDSON | CHAIRMAN | 5 | $9,000 |
| J MATTHEW DAVIDSON | TRUSTEE | 5 | $9,000 |
| BRAD DAVIDSON | TRUSTEE | 5 | $9,000 |
| ELIZABETH DAVIDSON PICKERING | TRUSTEE | 5 | $9,000 |
| CAIO FONSECA | TRUSTEE | 5 | $6,000 |
| ISABEL FONSECA | TRUSTEE | 5 | $9,000 |
| QUINA FONSECA | TRUSTEE | 5 | $8,000 |
| JULIA BATOR | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $300,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The J.M. Kaplan Fund announced its 2025 Innovation Prize awardees, marking a decade of supporting bold ideas. The 2025 cohort includes 10 early-stage innovators confronting pressing challenges with determination, optimism, and ingenuity.
J.M Kaplan Fund Announces 2025 Innovation Prize Awardees | Biodiversity FundersThe Furthermore Grants in Publishing program has an application deadline of March 1, 2026.
J. M Kaplan Fund\u2019s Furthermore Grants, Due Mar. 1, 2026 \u2013 Office\The foundation's City Life Program, which concentrated on public spaces and public services throughout New York City's five boroughs with focus on parks, streets, rail, bus, and water transport, is currently on hiatus.
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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