The Johnson Street Foundation
The Johnson Street Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 filing reports 31 grants totaling $2,222,500. The funder’s website describes support for programs addressing trauma among very young children and immigrant families, with an emphasis on caregiver-infant attachment and early childhood well-being.
The Johnson Street Foundation at a glance
In short: The Johnson Street Foundation gave $2.2M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $72K), mostly in New York. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,222,500
- -57.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +19.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $71,694
- -64.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $62,500
- Total assets
- $60,648,519
- +9.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Johnson Street Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website likewise says it does not accept unsolicited proposals, though it welcomes one-page letters of intent. Organizations invited to submit a proposal are asked for a narrative of no more than three to five pages, project and agency budgets, evaluation plans, financial and board information, and a list of other supporters. Grants are for one year, with renewals possible for successful projects; the website expects organizations to seek funding from other sources.
- Contact
Mailing address: Lubcher Ganis-126 E 56Th St 3 Fl, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (347) 748-1300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Johnson Street Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New York University ($150K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 60 grants of 129 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website says the funder primarily supports programs in the New York metropolitan area and also funds work with immigrant families wherever they are located. In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 7% to New Jersey, 6% to Texas, 4% to Minnesota, and 4% to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Johnson Street Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 24 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $88K; repeat grants $94K. How we count
Medians: $88K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2020) to $5.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset Park Health Council Inc Brooklyn, NY | Grant: Healthy Steps Sunset Park & 7TH Ave | $150,000 |
| El Paso Child Guidance Center Inc El Paso, TX | Grant: Attachment Vitamins | $125,000 |
| University Settlement Society of New York New York, NY | Grant: CPP & P-CPP in Butterflies Program | $105,000 |
| Center for Victims of Torture Saint Paul, MN | Grant: Proyecto Mariposa | $100,000 |
| Justice Innovation Inc New York, NY | Grant: Strong Starts Bronx | $100,000 |
| New York University New York, NY | Grant: SP# 25-1640 | $100,000 |
| Safe Horizon Inc New York, NY | Grant: Bigen. Mental Health Parents & Children | $100,000 |
| South Ward Alliance Newark, NJ | Grant: Circle Security Prog. & HLTHY Beginnings Brick | $100,000 |
| The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Tucson, AZ | Grant: Psychosocial & Legal Services | $100,000 |
| The International Rescue Committee Inc New York, NY | Grant: Attachment Vitamins NYC & Sacramento | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Johnson Street 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,648,519 | $976,691 | $2,568,408 | $2,222,500 | 31 | $2,319,216 | $918,999 | $3,004,951 |
| 2024 | $55,456,736 | $15,270,297 | $5,373,823 | $5,239,871 | 26 | $5,328,717 | $11,615,818 | $2,124,678 |
| 2023 | $40,605,216 | $3,146,665 | $1,981,498 | $1,897,500 | 28 | $1,967,329 | $1,378,556 | $1,789,017 |
| 2022 | $32,193,491 | $615,422 | $2,224,799 | $2,033,050 | 22 | $2,203,977 | $594,600 | $1,692,163 |
| 2021 | $40,530,294 | $495,932 | $2,842,428 | $2,548,136 | 22 | $2,802,343 | $483,345 | $1,886,943 |
| 2020 | $35,565,557 | $505,896 | $1,889,604 | $1,627,758 | 23 | — | $544,989 | $1,570,789 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Johnson Street Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The funder’s website says it focuses on preventing or mitigating trauma among children ages zero to three, including through programs that improve caregiver-infant attachment, reduce early childhood stress, and provide psychosocial services to unaccompanied immigrant minors and immigrant families with infants and toddlers. It says it primarily funds programs in the New York metropolitan area, as well as programs serving immigrant families regardless of where they are located.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. The Center for Justice Innovation describes its work as creating a fair, effective, and humane justice system and building strong communities. Safe Horizon says it supports victims of crime and abuse and works to prevent violence and promote justice. Forestdale describes its mission as ensuring children have the assets they need to thrive.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $2,222,500. Grants ranged from $37,500 to $150,000, with a median of $62,500. Notable awards included $150,000 to Sunset Park Health Council for Healthy Steps in Sunset Park and 7th Avenue; $125,000 to El Paso Child Guidance Center for Attachment Vitamins; and $100,000 each to Center for Victims of Torture, Justice Innovation, New York University, Safe Horizon, South Ward Alliance, the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, and the International Rescue Committee.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth Buckner and Leonard Orr as directors and Susan Baer as executive director. The funder’s website identifies Baer as its executive director.
The Johnson Street Foundation is led by Susan Baer, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Baer
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
24 hrs/week
$40K (2021) → $80K (2025)
Elizabeth Buckner
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Orr
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frank Wolf (2020–2022) — Executive Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $80K, to Susan Baer (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Johnson Street Foundation
How much does The Johnson Street Foundation give each year?
The Johnson Street Foundation gave $2.2M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5.2M across 26 grants.
What is The Johnson Street Foundation's typical grant size?
The Johnson Street Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $62,500, and its average grant was $71,694, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Johnson Street Foundation that year got $88K on average.
Where does The Johnson Street Foundation give grants?
The Johnson Street Foundation gives mostly in New York: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Jersey (7%) and Texas (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants), Brooklyn, NY (7 grants) and Newark, NJ (2 grants).
Does The Johnson Street Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of The Johnson Street Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Johnson Street Foundation's largest grantees?
The Johnson Street Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New York University ($150,000 across 2 grants), South Ward Alliance ($150,000 across 2 grants) and Sunset Park Health Council Inc ($150,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Johnson Street Foundation?
The Johnson Street Foundation reported $60.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.0M (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 Johnson Street Foundation fund?
The funder’s website says it focuses on preventing or mitigating trauma among children ages zero to three, including through programs that improve caregiver-infant attachment, reduce early childhood stress, and provide psychosocial services to unaccompanied immigrant minors and immigrant families with infants and toddlers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Johnson Street Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Johnson Street Foundation's EIN?
The Johnson Street Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7579596. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Johnson Street 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Johnson Street Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-johnson-street-foundation-morg_17fa1dc9a8de4dc6a72a664be8b24a87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_137579596_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Johnson Street Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-johnson-street-foundation-morg_17fa1dc9a8de4dc6a72a664be8b24a87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Johnson Street 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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