The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc

MANLIUS, NY EIN: 13-6112704 Website

The John Ben Snow Foundation is a private foundation established in 1948 by John Ben Snow, a businessman who rose through the ranks of the Woolworth organization and later built the Speidel chain of newspapers. Based in Manlius, New York, the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that has been operating continuously since its inception under the terms of its original charter. The Foundation focuses on making grants to tax-exempt organizations serving Central New York.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.9M

+2.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$264K

-15.3% YoY

Grant Count

-7.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

-8.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $433K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Primary Focus Area: Education remains the overarching grantmaking priority since the Foundation's inception. The Foundation supports primary and secondary education, literacy, and vocational training as essential ingredients to improving life outcomes and reducing barriers that limit equitable opportunities.

Secondary Focus Areas:

Arts and Culture
Community Initiatives
Youth Programs

Tertiary Focus Areas:

People with Disabilities and Universal Access
Environment
Historic Preservation

The Foundation notes that tertiary areas receive limited funding, with priority given to proposals that incorporate an educational focus.

Grantmaking

Most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. The Foundation reports typical awards between $800–$30,000, with no stated minimum or maximum grant amounts.

Grant Range

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York, defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties: Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $1.2M (99%)

Idaho $8K (1%)

Pennsylvania $5K (0%)

States

Idaho New York Pennsylvania

Cities

AlbanyAuburnBaldwinsvilleBrewertonCazenoviaChittenangoCortlandEast SyracuseFultonJamesvilleLiverpoolManliusMarcellusNew YorkOswegoPhoenixPittsburghPulaskiRichlandRochester

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $8,920,164
Total Revenues: $404,112
Total Expenses: $496,031
Total Giving: $263,557

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $8.68 Million
Total Revenues: $413,000
Total Expenses: $545,000
Total Liabilities: $25,000

The Foundation has zero employees and maintains a lean operational structure.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2021
Total Assets	$8,920,164	$8,675,317	$9,719,606
Revenue	$404,112	$413,397	$636,152
Expenses	$496,031	$545,406	$563,618
Qualifying Distributions	$399,657	$439,955	$455,350
Net Investment Income	$309,228	$312,296	$535,325
Distributable Amount	$432,691	$413,585	$485,395

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

163 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc

Foundation

John Ben Snow Foundation Grant

THE JOHN BEN SNOW FOUNDATION INC

Amount

US $5,000 - US $10,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ywca of Syracuse & Onondaga Co Inc ($16,357), Catholic Charities of Onondaga County ($10,000), Center for Community Alternatives ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION PITTSBURGH, PA	CREATING A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY	$5,000
AUBURN PUBLIC THEATRE INC AUBURN, NY	AUBURN PUBLIC THEATER YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS	$5,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SYRACUSE SYRACUSE, NY	SAFE SPACES FOR CHILDREN	$8,000
BRADY SOCIAL ENTERPRISES INC SYRACUSE, NY	BRADY MARKET KITCHEN LEADERSHIP CONSULTING AND SUPPORT	$6,250
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ONONDAGA COUNTY SYRACUSE, NY	CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOOD PANTRIES	$10,000
CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES SYRACUSE, NY	YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND PEER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM	$10,000
CENTRAL NEW YORK JAZZ ARTS FOUNDATION INC SYRACUSE, NY	CNY JAZZ EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS	$4,000
CHADWICK RESIDENCE INC SYRACUSE, NY	CHADWICK TRANSISTIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM	$10,000
CLEAR PATH FOR VETERANS INC CHITTENANGO, NY	FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM	$10,000
CNY ARTS INC SYRACUSE, NY	ARTS LEADERSHIP FELLOWSHIP CONTINUATION	$7,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board of Directors:

Jonathan Snow, President
David Snow, Vice-President and Treasurer
Keegan Snow, Secretary
Angus Burton
Marion Hancock Fish
Valerie MacFie
Emelie Williams

Staff:

Elizabeth Snow, Program Officer

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JONATHAN L SNOW	PRESIDENT	5	$26,750
DAVID H SNOW	VICE PRESIDENT / TREASURER	5	$8,000
KEEGAN SNOW	SECRETARY	1	$3,100
JAMES MACFIE	DIRECTOR	1	$1,500
MARION HANCOCK FISH	DIRECTOR	1	$1,500
ANGUS M BURTON	DIRECTOR	1	$1,500
VALERIE A MACFIE	DIRECTOR	1	$1,500
EMELIE M WILLIAMS	DIRECTOR	1	$1,500

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

The Foundation has continued active grantmaking in 2024 and 2025, with recent grant announcements supporting initiatives across its focus areas including early childhood education, mental health services, and literacy programs within its Central New York service region.

Oswego County TodayJohn Ben Snow Foundation Awards $10,000 in Grants for

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc fund?

The Foundation's mission centers on collaborative grantmaking that responds to the changing needs of targeted populations, with particular emphasis on closing the opportunity gap for individuals who are under-resourced. **Primary Focus Area:** Education remains the overarching grantmaking priority since the Foundation's inception. The Foundation supports primary and secondary education, literacy, and vocational training as essential ingredients to improving life outcomes and reducing barriers t…

How do I apply for a grant from The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc?

**Grant Sizes:** Most grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. The Foundation reports typical awards between $800–$30,000, with no stated minimum or maximum grant amounts. **Grant Preferences:** The Foundation gives preference to proposals seeking funds for: • New or enhanced programs • One-time, short-term grants to sustain a program until funding is stabilized • Matching grants used to encourage participation of other donors • "Last dollars" towards capital campaigns **Restrictions:** The Foundat…

Where does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc make grants?

The Foundation focuses funding for tax-exempt organizations primarily serving Central New York, defined as Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties: Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego.

What size grants does The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc awarded 36 grants totaling $264K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The John Ben Snow Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $433K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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 2020–2024.