The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a major private foundation headquartered in New York City. With assets of $7.3 billion, it is one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the United States. The Trust operates as a global philanthropy committed to helping people live better lives today while building stronger, healthier futures for individuals and communities through strategic grantmaking and partnerships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.3B
+0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$445.7M
+2.8% YoY
Grant Count
594
+2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$750K
-0.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To help people live better lives today while building stronger, healthier futures for individuals and communities.
The Trust operates across six primary program areas:
- Crohn's Disease — Finding a cure for Crohn's disease, which impacts more than two million people worldwide
- Israel — Strengthening the health, safety, and security of the people of Israel
- Rural Healthcare — Improving access to quality healthcare in the rural upper Midwest and beyond
- Type 1 Diabetes — Helping the global Type 1 Diabetes community live safer, better, and more fulfilling lives. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program is the largest private foundation funder globally focused on T1D, with more than $1 billion committed to date
- Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa — Funding holistic programs to support the well-being of children and families in remote sub-Saharan Africa
- New York City — Investing in the health and stability of New York City's most critically underserved populations
Grantmaking
The Helmsley Charitable Trust operates as a proactive grantmaker rather than an open-call funder. Program staff identify opportunities and build partnerships instead of accepting unsolicited proposals. The Trust targets high-impact ideas and projects that are often overlooked or too risky for other funders.
Grant Range
Individual grants have ranged from $5,000 to $15.6 million
Average Grant
amount: $627,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust funds organizations across multiple regions:
- Primary focus: New York, Massachusetts, and California
- Domestic reach: Grantmaking extends across 42 states, with particular emphasis on the rural upper Midwest
- International: Israel and Sub-Saharan Africa
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $7.3 billion (2024)
Annual Giving: $450 million (2024)
Revenue: $385 million (2024)
Expenses: $600 million (2024)
Total Liabilities: $621 million (2024)
Staff: Approximately 100-117 employees
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) organization; tax-exempt since May 2000
EIN: 13-7184401
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,300,077,622 | $7,256,835,636 | $8,221,675,612 |
| Revenue | $385,228,530 | $629,133,449 | $839,493,141 |
| Expenses | $600,086,342 | $534,910,918 | $540,117,750 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $484,197,000 | $467,360,847 | $418,370,853 |
| Net Investment Income | $224,697,955 | $119,401,626 | $1,048,760,370 |
| Distributable Amount | $354,779,495 | $367,142,574 | $398,280,992 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sandor Frankel — A lawyer based in New York City and graduate of NYU (Phi Beta Kappa) and Harvard Law School. He has served as a staff member of the White House Task Force on Crime, as Temporary Counsel to the National Commission for Reform of Federal Criminal Laws, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books and received the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Beyond A Reasonable Doubt. Leona Helmsley and the Helmsley organization were clients of his for many years.
The Trust is governed by 7 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SANDOR FRANKEL | TRUSTEE | 25 | $150,000 |
| DAVID PANZIRER | TRUSTEE | 35 | $150,000 |
| WALTER PANZIRER | TRUSTEE | 32 | $150,000 |
| SARAH E PAUL | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $918,521 |
| JACQUELINE F BAUSCH | GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $592,495 |
| ROSALIND M HEWSENIAN | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER THRU 12/31/23 | 40 | $1,148,308 |
| JOSHUA W FENTON | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER FROM 1/1/24 | 40 | $794,891 |
| NICHOLAS J SCHIAVO | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $472,114 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Kahuku Medical Center awarded $6 million from Helmsley Charitable Trust
Kahuku Medical Center awarded $6M from Helmsley Charitable TrustHelmsley Charitable Trust awarded $14.2 million to rural hospitals for advanced X-ray technology
Kahuku Medical Center awarded $6M from Helmsley Charitable TrustHelmsley Charitable Trust granted $11.6 million to expand advanced heart and lung care in Nevada
Kahuku Medical Center awarded $6M from Helmsley Charitable TrustWest O'ahu received $5 million grant to expand critical cancer care
Helmsley Charitable Trust Grants $11.6M to Expand Advanced Heart and LungHelmsley Trust launched New York City Education Program with first $6.4 million in grants
Kahuku Medical Center awarded $6M from Helmsley Charitable TrustSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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