The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Towson, Maryland. Formed in 1993 under Kathryn Ames’s will, it honors her parents, Max Freedland and Ida Freedland, by supporting charitable organizations located in Israel.
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc gave $467K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in New York. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $466,810
- -31.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- -34.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,097
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $4,981,942
- +4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (50% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s guidelines require a letter of inquiry before a full application. The board and staff review inquiries, and applicants are typically notified within 30 days whether they may submit a full proposal. The website says the full application is available to invited applicants. Eligibility requirements include charitable work in Israel, 501(c)(3) exempt status, and nondiscrimination in providing services based on race, religious affiliation, or ethnic or national origin. The foundation does not fund medical research, disease prevention, capital projects, individuals, special events or benefit dinners, advertising or publications, or impermissible lobbying, legislative, or political activities. The 2024 filing names W Michel Pierson, President, as the contact and refers applicants to attached Schedule 3 for forms, materials, deadlines, and award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- The website says there is no deadline for submitting letters of inquiry.
- Deadline
- The website says there is no deadline for submitting letters of inquiry.
- Contact
Application contact: W Michel Pierson President
Mailing address: 102 West Pennsylvania Avenue Suite, Towson, MD 21204
Phone: (410) 821-3006
Website: https://kathrynames.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc
Who The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was PEF Israel Endowment Funds ($186K across 13 grants). Together the top 10 received $449K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 172 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it supports charitable organizations located in Israel. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (50%), Pennsylvania (19%), California (11%), New Jersey (10%), and Maryland (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 73% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $388K (2021) to $678K (2023). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $467K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism Beverly Hills, CA | Pluralism | $50,000 |
| New Israel Fund Philadelphia, PA | Pluralism | $35,000 |
| Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism Chevy Chase, MD | Pluralism | $20,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds New York, NY | Abused Women | $20,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds New York, NY | Social Welfare | $20,000 |
| American Friends of Ogen University Heights, OH | Emergency Relief | $20,000 |
| American Friends of Leket Israel Teaneck, NJ | Poverty Relief | $18,310 |
| New Israel Fund Philadelphia, PA | Pluralism | $17,500 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds New York, NY | Pluralism | $15,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds New York, NY | Pluralism | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kathryn Ames Foundation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,981,942 | $758,948 | $542,776 | $466,810 | 29 | $499,217 | $720,319 | $682,534 |
| 2023 | $4,765,768 | $371,067 | $764,803 | $678,000 | 44 | $711,212 | $332,844 | $583,484 |
| 2022 | $5,159,504 | $1,137,892 | $524,559 | $438,500 | 33 | $470,460 | $1,100,417 | $560,394 |
| 2021 | $4,546,172 | $734,640 | $461,972 | $388,000 | 29 | $419,759 | $696,520 | $602,946 |
| 2020 | $4,273,504 | $341,177 | $532,383 | $439,381 | 37 | — | $294,494 | $487,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $683K for 2024 — 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 foundation’s stated purpose is to benefit organizations in Israel working for charitable and benevolent purposes. Its guidelines give consideration to projects that enhance tolerance and equality of opportunity, with preference for projects that demonstrate innovation, make the most of resources, and advance systemic improvement.
Examples of supported organizations’ work include the following, as described by the organizations themselves: PEF Israel Endowment Funds says it provides relief to people in need in Israel and supports hospitals, clinics, and educational and religious institutions. American Friends of Ogen says it supports interest-free and low-interest loans and financial education for people and organizations in Israel. American Friends of Leket Israel says it provides assistance to organizations working to feed hungry people.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $466,810. Its website says the average grant is between $5,000 and $15,000 and that grants are usually one-time awards; grantees should not assume that approval means future support.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $50,000 to Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism for pluralism; $35,000 to New Israel Fund for pluralism; $20,000 to Friends of the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism for pluralism; and two $20,000 awards to PEF Israel Endowment Funds, for abused women and social welfare. Other notable awards included $20,000 to American Friends of Ogen for emergency relief and $18,310 to American Friends of Leket Israel for poverty relief.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists W Michel Pierson as President, Robert L Pierson as Secretary/Treasurer, and Julia S Pierson as Vice-President.
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc is led by W Michel Pierson, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
W Michel Pierson
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia S Pierson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$6K (2020) → $6K (2024)
Robert L Pierson
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$55K (2020) → $60K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $60K, to Robert L Pierson (Sec./Treas.). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc
How much does The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc give each year?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc gave $467K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $678K across 44 grants.
What is The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,097, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc give grants?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (19%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (16 grants), Philadelphia, PA (4 grants) and Teaneck, NJ (2 grants).
Does The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Pluralism" (16 grants), "Emergency Relief" (4 grants) and "Social Welfare" (3 grants).
Who are The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include PEF Israel Endowment Funds ($186,000 across 13 grants), New Israel Fund ($77,500 across 4 grants) and Friends of Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $499K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $683K (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 Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to benefit organizations in Israel working for charitable and benevolent purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s guidelines require a letter of inquiry before a full application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1828472. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kathryn-ames-foundation-inc-morg_4fc4cb51421646a9bae67d888eb9f7a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521828472_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kathryn Ames Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kathryn-ames-foundation-inc-morg_4fc4cb51421646a9bae67d888eb9f7a7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Kathryn Ames Foundation 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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