The Joel Foundation
The Joel Foundation is a private foundation based in White Plains, New York. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations including public-school support and arts and music organizations, as well as organizations working in health care, musicians’ assistance, and environmental protection.
The Joel Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joel Foundation gave $1.9M across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $84K), mostly in New York. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,923,861
- +179.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +35.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $83,646
- +106.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $4,295,685
- -11.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (11 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Joel Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 445 Hamilton Ave 700, White Plains, NY 10601
Phone: (212) 307-8000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Joel Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Nassau Boces ($619K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 76 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 4% to Tennessee, and 1% each to California and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Joel Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 23 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $133K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 35% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 413% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 683% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $375K (2021) to $1.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau Boces Garden City, NY | General | $619,450 |
| Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Brooklyn, NY | General | $275,000 |
| The Fund for Public Schools New York, NY | General | $250,000 |
| Long Island Music Hall of Fame Stonybrook, NY | General | $250,000 |
| The Covenant School Nashville, TN | General | $81,911 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY | General | $80,000 |
| Exploring the Arts Astoria, NY | General | $75,000 |
| The Perlman Music Program New York, NY | General | $25,000 |
| Sweet Relief Musicians Fund Brea, CA | General | $25,000 |
| The Everglades Foundation Palmetto Bay, FL | General | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Joel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,295,685 | $1,470,566 | $2,007,679 | $1,923,861 | 23 | $1,923,861 | $1,034,212 | $281,487 |
| 2023 | $4,832,798 | $694,910 | $757,867 | $688,050 | 17 | $688,050 | $667,081 | $312,104 |
| 2022 | $4,895,755 | $1,023,525 | $872,736 | $818,000 | 16 | $851,000 | $1,001,833 | $330,445 |
| 2021 | $4,744,966 | $1,393,375 | $411,507 | $375,000 | 12 | $375,000 | $176,621 | $241,101 |
| 2020 | $3,762,539 | $78,392 | $1,059,995 | $1,037,904 | 8 | — | $58,295 | $229,657 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $281K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, The Fund for Public Schools says it supports New York City public schools through private philanthropic investment, while Exploring the Arts says its mission is to expand equitable access to arts education in historically underserved public middle and high schools. The Perlman Music Program describes providing talented young musicians with instruction and mentoring.
Other 2024 recipients describe work in health and the environment: the Endometriosis Foundation of America says it works to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, support surgical training, and fund research; the Everglades Foundation says it works to restore and protect the Everglades through science, advocacy, and education. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund describes providing financial assistance and case management to qualified musicians facing medical or related expenses.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $1,923,861 in 2024. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $619,450, with a median of $25,000. Its largest reported grants included $619,450 to Nassau BOCES, $275,000 to Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, $250,000 to The Fund for Public Schools, and $250,000 to Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Each was listed for general purposes.
Other reported 2024 grants included $81,911 to The Covenant School, $80,000 to Hospital for Special Surgery, and $75,000 to Exploring the Arts. The foundation also gave $25,000 each to The Perlman Music Program, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, The Everglades Foundation, Kaufman Music Center, The Third Street Music School, the Endometriosis Foundation of America, and Lenox Hill Hospital. The Jazz Foundation of America received $15,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William M Joel as Director, Alexis Joel as Vice President, Todd R Kamelhar as Treasurer, and Lee V Eastman as Secretary.
The Joel Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William M Joel
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexis Joel
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee V Eastman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd R Kamelhar
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Joel Foundation
How much does The Joel Foundation give each year?
The Joel Foundation gave $1.9M across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $688K across 17 grants.
What is The Joel Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joel Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $83,646, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joel Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does The Joel Foundation give grants?
The Joel Foundation gives mostly in New York: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants).
Does The Joel Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Joel Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Joel Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joel Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Nassau Boces ($619,450), Brooklyn Conservatory of Music ($275,000) and The Fund for Public Schools ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Joel Foundation?
The Joel Foundation reported $4.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $281K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Joel Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joel Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Joel Foundation's EIN?
The Joel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0795952. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Joel 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Joel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Joel Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-joel-foundation-morg_0cd6c506ba4446c3bbd5ae147c608469
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460795952_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Joel Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-joel-foundation-morg_0cd6c506ba4446c3bbd5ae147c608469},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Joel 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.
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