The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Montclair, New Jersey, that makes grants to charitable organizations. Its 2025 grants included support for theatre, literature, public media, climate activism, medical research, and social services.
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc at a glance
In short: The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc gave $6.4M across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $114K), mostly in New York. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,362,000
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $113,607
- -11.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $95,185,120
- +4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (2 of 45, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 572 Valley Road 43019, Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: (973) 509-9509
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Roundabout Theatre Company ($1.0M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $4.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
255 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 255 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 18% to Massachusetts, 6% to California, 3% to Washington, D.C., and 1% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 45 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $188K; repeat grants $139K. How we count
Medians: $188K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $5.3M (2021) to $6.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $6.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Roundabout Theatre Company New York, NY | For the Capital Campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Yiddish Book Center Amherst, MA | For General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Pen America New York, NY | General Operating Support and the Centenary Campaign | $500,000 |
| Storycorps Brooklyn, NY | For General Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Wnyc New York Public Radio New York, NY | Capital Campaign "Hear the Future" | $400,000 |
| Climate Emergency Fund West Hollywood, CA | For General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Columbia University Dept of Ophthalmology New York, NY | Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research | $250,000 |
| Film Forum New York, NY | For General Operating Support | $200,000 |
| New York Philharmonic New York, NY | For Radio Broadcasts | $200,000 |
| Sanctuary for Families New York, NY | For General Operating Support | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc?
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 | $95,185,120 | $10,658,568 | $6,816,411 | $6,362,000 | 56 | $6,413,058 | $10,427,594 | $5,929,122 |
| 2024 | $91,342,188 | $7,678,444 | $6,517,000 | $6,124,000 | 48 | $6,171,964 | $7,417,537 | $5,735,520 |
| 2023 | $90,181,324 | $2,318,882 | $6,100,608 | $5,816,500 | 49 | $5,869,088 | $2,451,357 | $5,348,170 |
| 2022 | $93,961,095 | $707,187 | $6,662,803 | $6,329,000 | 56 | $6,379,711 | $1,824,289 | $5,615,542 |
| 2021 | $99,916,841 | $13,535,608 | $5,784,756 | $5,269,000 | 46 | $5,317,424 | $13,220,865 | $6,355,125 |
| 2020 | $92,165,400 | $13,632,403 | $5,783,079 | $5,308,625 | 43 | — | $13,326,209 | $5,358,446 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.9M 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
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. For example, Roundabout Theatre Company says its mission is to celebrate theatre through classic and new works and education; StoryCorps describes its mission as preserving and sharing people’s stories to build connections and a more compassionate and just world. Climate Emergency Fund says it supports nonviolent climate activists, while Sanctuary for Families describes itself as a service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related gender violence.
Other 2025 recipients include Yiddish Book Center, PEN America, WNYC New York Public Radio, Columbia University’s Department of Ophthalmology, Film Forum, New York Philharmonic, and Abundant Waters. Film Forum describes its work as presenting challenging films and historically important movies to the public. Abundant Waters says it serves needs unmet by the New York City public school system through afterschool arts and athletic workshops.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund made 56 grants totaling $6,362,000. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $50,000. Larger grants included $1,000,000 each to Roundabout Theatre Company for its capital campaign and Yiddish Book Center for general operating support; $500,000 each to PEN America for general operating support and its Centenary Campaign, and to StoryCorps for general operating support; and $400,000 to WNYC New York Public Radio for its “Hear the Future” capital campaign.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Veronica Kaplen and Lawrence Kaplen as trustees.
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lawrence Kaplen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$500 (2020) → $0 (2025)
Veronica Kaplen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$500 (2020) → $0 (2025)
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 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $500, to Veronica Kaplen (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc
How much does The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc give each year?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc gave $6.4M across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6.1M across 48 grants.
What is The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's typical grant size?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $113,607, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc that year got $188K on average.
Where does The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc give grants?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc gives mostly in New York: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (18%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (31 grants), Brooklyn, NY (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and Boston, MA (3 grants).
Does The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's largest grantees?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Roundabout Theatre Company ($1,025,000 across 2 grants), Yiddish Book Center ($1,018,000 across 2 grants) and Storycorps ($600,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc reported $95.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's EIN?
The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4694896. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Kaplen Brothers Fund 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kaplen-brothers-fund-inc-morg_42a3fcebed8e49e78358b1edadddd3c8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454694896_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kaplen-brothers-fund-inc-morg_42a3fcebed8e49e78358b1edadddd3c8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Kaplen Brothers Fund Inc'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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