The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Palm Beach, Florida. Its 2024 filing reports 22 grants totaling $1,156,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations in New York and Florida.
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in New York. 91% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,156,000
- -39.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +175.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $52,545
- -77.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $4,984,473
- -10.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 91% first-time grantees (20 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (63% 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 Leni & Peter May Family Foundation
- 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: 320 Dunbar Rd, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone: (212) 451-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Central Park Conservancy ($275K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 39 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (63%), Florida (21%), Connecticut (9%), California (4%), and Ohio (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation open to new grantees?
91%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 22 grantees (91%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $45K; repeat grants $125K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $125K repeat.
- 9% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 364% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $428K (2020) to $1.9M (2023). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central Park Conservancy New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $275,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County West Palm Beach, FL | Exempt Activities | $200,000 |
| The Wnet Group New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $125,000 |
| ADL Fighting Hate for Good New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $100,000 |
| Central Synagogue New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $100,000 |
| The 92NY Street New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $75,000 |
| Conversation on the Green - Common Ground Washington, CT | Exempt Activities | $50,000 |
| Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy Kent, CT | Exempt Activities | $50,000 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center Los Angeles, CA | Exempt Activities | $50,000 |
| The Jewish Museum New York, NY | Exempt Activities | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Leni & Peter May Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,984,473 | $733,300 | $1,340,729 | $1,156,000 | 22 | $1,151,845 | $1,862,121 | $316,820 |
| 2023 | $5,566,487 | $4,408,732 | $1,981,469 | $1,895,000 | 8 | $1,895,000 | $3,043,493 | $189,058 |
| 2022 | $3,102,038 | $154,680 | $116,778 | — | — | — | $39,879 | $181,180 |
| 2021 | $2,994,811 | $450,034 | $107,553 | — | — | — | $342,641 | $197,182 |
| 2020 | $2,595,561 | $44,670 | $509,062 | $427,733 | 9 | — | — | $168,909 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $317K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose own missions include strengthening Jewish identity and meeting community needs, confronting antisemitism and hate, conserving natural areas and farmland, preserving and exhibiting art and Jewish culture, finding permanent homes for children in foster care, and making dance and musical theater accessible.
For example, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County describes its mission as strengthening Jewish identity, energizing relationships with Israel, and meeting human needs that are a particular obligation of the Jewish community. The Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy says it benefits the public through education and conservation of natural areas, wildlife, and working farmland. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption describes itself as dedicated to finding permanent homes for children waiting in North America’s foster care systems.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $1,156,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $275,000, with a median of $25,000.
Among the largest grants were $275,000 to Central Park Conservancy, $200,000 to Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, $125,000 to The WNET Group, $100,000 each to ADL Fighting Hate for Good and Central Synagogue, and $75,000 to The 92NY Street. Other grants included $50,000 each to Conversation on the Green - Common Ground, Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy, and Simon Wiesenthal Center; $30,000 to The Jewish Museum; and $25,000 each to Norton Museum of Art and Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter W. May and Jonathan May as directors, Leni F. May as treasurer, and Leslie May as a director.
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jonathan May
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leslie May
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Peter W. May
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leni F. May
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation
How much does The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation give each year?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.9M across 8 grants.
What is The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $52,545, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation that year got $45K on average.
Where does The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation give grants?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (21%) and Connecticut (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants), Bridgewater, CT (4 grants), West Palm Beach, FL (2 grants) and Palm Beach, FL (2 grants).
Who are The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Central Park Conservancy ($275,000), Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County ($200,000) and The Wnet Group ($125,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $317K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation?
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 Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's EIN?
The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3557827. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Leni & Peter May Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Leni & Peter May Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-leni-and-peter-may-family-foundation-morg_c5aad878e86f425eba941562daf05129
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133557827_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Leni \& Peter May Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-leni-and-peter-may-family-foundation-morg_c5aad878e86f425eba941562daf05129},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Leni & Peter May Family 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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