The Johnson Foundation
The Johnson Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including religious, medical, and charitable-purpose recipients.
The Johnson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Johnson Foundation gave $435K across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $54K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $435,000
- +21.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $54,375
- +36.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $4,011,364
- -6.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Johnson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 115 East 9Th Street 8A, New York, NY 10003
Phone: (917) 539-5548
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Johnson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Archdiocese of New York ($200K). Together the top 8 received $435K.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 39 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% to California, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Johnson Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 225% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $255K (2023) to $435K (2025). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $435K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Archdiocese of New York New York, NY | Religious | $200,000 |
| NYU Langone Health New York, NY | Medical | $100,000 |
| Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Mount Sinai D Research Fund New York, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | Medical | $10,000 |
| St Josephs Church New York, NY | Religious | $10,000 |
| IWO Jima Association of America Quantico, VA | Charitable | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,011,364 | $171,161 | $446,645 | $435,000 | 8 | $439,952 | $141,962 | $195,772 |
| 2024 | $4,289,802 | $248,381 | $365,346 | $359,000 | 9 | $361,428 | $146,410 | $46,563 |
| 2023 | $4,406,767 | $116,326 | $263,615 | $255,000 | 4 | $259,165 | $112,576 | $215,017 |
| 2022 | $4,558,729 | $37,633 | $395,580 | $384,500 | 10 | $388,929 | $83,537 | $240,850 |
| 2021 | $4,916,676 | $120,257 | $424,316 | $420,000 | 8 | — | $118,338 | $271,340 |
| 2020 | $5,220,735 | $165,030 | $353,800 | $348,400 | 13 | — | $160,773 | $266,848 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Johnson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $196K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The sources do not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to religious, medical, and charitable-purpose recipients. Among the grantees, Pepperdine University describes itself as a Christian university committed to academic excellence and Christian values, preparing students for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. The Iwo Jima Association of America describes its mission as preserving the history of the Battle of Iwo Jima and educating younger generations about the battle and World War II.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $435,000 through 8 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $30,000. The largest grants included $200,000 to the Archdiocese of New York for religious purposes, $100,000 to NYU Langone Health for medical purposes, and $50,000 each to the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation and Pepperdine University for charitable purposes.
Other 2025 grants included $10,000 each to Mount Sinai D Research Fund, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and St. Joseph’s Church, and $5,000 to the Iwo Jima Association of America.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher Johnson as director, president, and chairman; Peter James Johnson Jr. as director, vice president, and secretary; Veronica Johnson as director and treasurer; and Blanche A. Johnson and Vernoica F. Johnson as directors and assistant secretaries.
The Johnson Foundation is led by Christopher Johnson, Director, President & Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher Johnson
Director, President & Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blanche A. Johnson
Director & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter James Johnson Jr.
Director, Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Veronica F. Johnson
Director & Treasurer
Director, Treasurer, Director & Assistant Secretary → Director & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vernoica F. Johnson
Director & Assistant Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Johnson Foundation
How much does The Johnson Foundation give each year?
The Johnson Foundation gave $435K across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $359K across 9 grants.
What is The Johnson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Johnson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $54,375, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Johnson Foundation give grants?
The Johnson Foundation gives mostly in New York: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants).
Does The Johnson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 8 grants with a stated purpose on The Johnson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (4 grants).
Who are The Johnson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Johnson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Archdiocese of New York ($200,000), NYU Langone Health ($100,000) and Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Johnson Foundation?
The Johnson Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $440K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $196K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Johnson Foundation fund?
The sources do not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to religious, medical, and charitable-purpose recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Johnson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Johnson Foundation's EIN?
The Johnson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3696561. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Johnson 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 October 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 May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
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