The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2024, it reported giving $25,000 in grants to 20 preselected charitable organizations.
Key facts about The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc
In short: The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc gave $25K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $1K), top state New York. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 22-3770822
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $25,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- Average grant
- $1,250
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024)
- Total assets
- $395,508
- Primary geography
- New York (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$396K
-2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$25K
+11.1% YoY
Grant Count
20
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1K
-11.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $20K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 138% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 128% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, New Literary Project says it invests in students, teachers, readers, and authors and equips writers across generations. The Watershed Institute says it works to protect and restore water and the natural environment in central New Jersey through conservation, advocacy, science, and education. Save a Friend to Homeless Animals describes its work as protecting homeless companion animals through rescue, shelter, health and welfare services, spay/neuter, adoptions, and fostering.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $25,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $2,000, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest listed awards were $2,000 each to Bard College, The Watershed Institute, The World Theatre, Salmagundi Club, Lockport Public Library, New Literary Project, and Flabush Cats Inc. Other listed grants included $1,000 to the American Humanist Society, the American Philosophical Association, Centurion Ministries, Pushcart Prize Fellowships, and Save a Friend to Homeless Animals.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (42%), New Jersey (28%), Pennsylvania (8%), Nebraska (8%), and California (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $11K (2021) to $25K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $25K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bard College ($2K). Together the top 10 received $17K.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 72 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| The Watershed Institute Pennington, NJ | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| The World Theatre Kearney, NE | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| Salmagundi Club New York, NY | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| Lockport Public Library Lockport, NY | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| New Literary Project Oakland, CA | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| Flabush Cats Inc Brooklyn, NY | To Their General Fund | $2,000 |
| American Humanist Society Washington, DC | To Their General Fund | $1,000 |
| American Philosophical Association Philadelphia, PA | To Their General Fund | $1,000 |
| Centurion Ministries Princeton, NJ | To Their General Fund | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $395,508 | $17,379 | $25,430 | $25,000 | 20 |
| 2023 | $403,559 | $10,253 | $29,196 | $22,500 | 16 |
| 2022 | $422,502 | $14,744 | $23,380 | $17,500 | 14 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $395,508 | $403,559 | $422,502 |
| Revenue | $17,379 | $10,253 | $14,744 |
| Expenses | $25,430 | $29,196 | $23,380 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $25,000 | $22,500 | $17,500 |
| Net Investment Income | $16,854 | $10,223 | $2,984 |
| Distributable Amount | $19,562 | $20,084 | $20,830 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joyce C. Smith as president, secretary, and treasurer. It lists Richard Levao, Gregory Johnson, Arthur Vanderbilt, and Barry Qualls as trustees.
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc is led by Joyce C. Smith, President, Sectry & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joyce C. Smith
President, Sectry & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arthur Vanderbilt
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barry Qualls
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Johnson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Levao
Trustee
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 18 East Shore Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: (609) 303-0146
Frequently asked questions about The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc
How much does The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc give each year?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc gave $25K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $23K across 16 grants.
What is The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,250, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc give grants?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (28%) and Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Princeton, NJ (3 grants), Pennington, NJ (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Does The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Bard College ($2,000), The Watershed Institute ($2,000) and The World Theatre ($2,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc reported $396K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $25K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $20K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, New Literary Project says it invests in students, teachers, readers, and authors and equips writers across generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3770822. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Joyce Carol Oates Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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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