The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Manlius, New York, that funds tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York. Its principal grantmaking priority is education, with additional support for community initiatives, arts and culture, and youth programs.
Key facts about The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc
In short: The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc gave $322K across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in New York. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-6112704
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $321,775
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- Average grant
- $8,251
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (14 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $10,519,243
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The Foundation accepts unsolicited proposals from qualifying organizations through its online grant application system. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The stated annual schedule is a letter of inquiry by February 1, an invited grant application by April 1, and a…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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
$10.5M
+17.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$322K
+22.1% YoY
Grant Count
39
+8.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+12.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $479K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 38 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
Education is the Foundation’s primary and longstanding grantmaking priority. Its stated education strategy includes support for early childhood education, tutoring, literacy, college access, internships, scholarships, fellowships, and journalism focused on underrepresented populations and first-generation students. Secondary areas are community initiatives, arts and culture, and youth initiatives. It also considers proposals involving people with disabilities and universal access, the environment, and historic preservation; these are tertiary areas, and the Foundation says funding is often limited and gives priority to proposals with an educational focus.
The Foundation funds tax-exempt organizations. Examples of supported organizations’ work include the Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, which describes its mission as providing access to justice through volunteer legal service, and Joseph’s House for Women, which describes providing long-term residential care to pregnant and parenting women facing homelessness. Other 2025 grantees include Huntington Family Centers, which describes year-round programming for families and children, and Clear Path for Veterans, which describes connecting and supporting military members, veterans, and their families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 39 grants totaling $321,775. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median of $10,000. Its website describes grant amounts as generally ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, with most around $10,000; first-time grants typically range from $5,000 to $10,000.
Review Cycle
The stated annual schedule is a letter of inquiry by February 1, an invited grant application by April 1, and a decision by July 1. Those dates for 2026 have passed.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc
Ready to take the next step with The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation focuses primarily on organizations serving Central New York, defined on its website as Onondaga County and the surrounding counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in New York State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $254K (2019) to $370K (2022). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $322K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cayuga Museum of History and Art ($20K). Together the top 10 received $120K.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 209 grants of 209 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cayuga Museum of History and Art Auburn, NY | Creative Explorers Education Programming | $20,000 |
| Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY Inc Syracuse, NY | Access to Justice Fellowship | $14,000 |
| Joseph's House for Women Inc Syracuse, NY | Lifecycle Assessment and Organizational Readiness Review | $13,025 |
| YMCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County Syracuse, NY | Power Scholars Academy | $12,500 |
| Center for Community Alternatives Syracuse, NY | Youth Violence Prevention and Peer Leadership Program | $10,000 |
| Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County Fulton, NY | Safe Harbor Program | $10,000 |
| Clear Path for Veterans Inc Chittenango, NY | Empowering Veterans and Military Families | $10,000 |
| Everson Museum of Art Syracuse, NY | Educational Outreach | $10,000 |
| Fulton Family YMCA Fulton, NY | Technology Infrastructure Impreovements | $10,000 |
| Huntington Family Centers Inc Syracuse, NY | Supporting Youth Programs | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,519,243 | $716,333 | $563,420 | $321,775 |
| 2024 | $8,920,164 | $404,112 | $496,031 | $263,557 |
| 2023 | $8,675,317 | $413,397 | $545,406 | $311,250 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,519,243 | $8,920,164 | $8,675,317 |
| Revenue | $716,333 | $404,112 | $413,397 |
| Expenses | $563,420 | $496,031 | $545,406 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $465,283 | $399,657 | $439,955 |
| Net Investment Income | $629,819 | $309,228 | $312,296 |
| Distributable Amount | $478,850 | $432,691 | $413,585 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 8, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 20, 2023)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jonathan L. Snow as president; David H. Snow as vice president and treasurer; and Keegan Snow as secretary. Directors listed on the filing are James Macfie, Marion Hancock Fish, Angus M. Burton, Valerie A. Macfie, and Emelie M. Williams. The Foundation’s website lists Elizabeth Snow as program officer.
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc is led by Jonathan L. Snow, President on every filing since 2019; all 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jonathan L. Snow
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$22K (2019) → $28K (2025)
Angus M. Burton
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Emelie M. Williams
Director
Secretary → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$3K (2019) → $2K (2025)
Marion Hancock Fish
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Valerie A. Macfie
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$1K (2019) → $2K (2025)
James Macfie
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$1K (2022) → $2K (2025)
David H. Snow
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $8K (2025)
Keegan Snow
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $28K, to Jonathan L Snow (President). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Application contact: Jonathan L Snow
Mailing address: 131 West Seneca Street Suite B 215, Manlius, NY 13104
Phone: (315) 471-5256
Website: https://johnbensnow.org
Frequently asked questions about The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc
How much does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc give each year?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc gave $322K across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $264K across 36 grants.
What is The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $8,251, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc give grants?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc 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 Syracuse, NY (21 grants), Auburn, NY (3 grants), Fulton, NY (3 grants) and Oswego, NY (2 grants).
Does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Cayuga Museum of History and Art ($20,000), Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY Inc ($14,000) and Joseph's House for Women Inc ($13,025), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc reported $10.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $465K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $479K (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 John Ben Snow Foundation Inc fund?
Education is the Foundation’s primary and longstanding grantmaking priority. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited proposals from qualifying organizations through its online grant application system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's EIN?
The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6112704. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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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