The Link Foundation
The Link Foundation is a private foundation based in Binghamton, New York. It supports doctoral fellowships and educational institutions, with its website describing program areas that include energy, simulation, and ocean engineering and instrumentation research.
The Link Foundation at a glance
In short: The Link Foundation gave $923K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), top state Florida. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $923,085
- -9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,958
- -13.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $21,009,963
- +7.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (4 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Link Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Vicki Griffin and consult the attached Grant Application for required materials and restrictions. The website states that the foundation is committed to its existing programs and cannot accept applications in new areas.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists January 15 within the fiscal year.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists January 15 within the fiscal year.
- Contact
Application contact: Vicki Griffin
Mailing address: PO Box 6005, Binghamton, NY 13902-6005
Phone: (607) 777-2210
Website: https://www.linkfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Link Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Florida Atlantic University Foundat ($312K). Together the top 10 received $870K.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 104 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Binghamton, New York. In 2025, its grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Florida (49%), New Hampshire (21%), New York (11%), Maryland (8%), and California (4%). Its website also describes support for educational institutions in communities where its founders lived.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Link Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 22 grantees (18%) 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 $18K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $19K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $748K (2021) to $1.1M (2022). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $923K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University Foundat Boca Raton, FL | Education | $311,501 |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Education - Energy | $195,334 |
| Smithsonian Institution Fort Pierce, FL | Education - Marine Sciences | $77,500 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Education | $70,000 |
| Ocean Research Conservation Assoc Fort Pierce, FL | Education - Ocean Research & Conservation | $40,000 |
| Binghamton University Foundation Binghamton, NY | Education | $35,350 |
| Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | Educational | $35,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Educational | $35,000 |
| Arizona State University Tempe, AZ | educational | $35,000 |
| Georgia Research Corporation Atlanta, GA | educational | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Link 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,009,963 | $1,324,298 | $1,073,538 | $923,085 | 22 | $973,358 | $1,220,068 | $1,066,818 |
| 2024 | $19,572,724 | $2,467 | $1,149,690 | $1,017,310 | 21 | $1,053,157 | $201,569 | $759,322 |
| 2023 | $17,876,355 | $3,490,155 | $1,100,568 | $986,249 | 21 | $1,004,780 | $3,380,327 | $731,301 |
| 2022 | $17,005,197 | $867,263 | $1,188,329 | $1,073,750 | 20 | $1,085,553 | $755,605 | $1,089,534 |
| 2021 | $20,518,666 | $543,286 | $860,496 | $748,178 | 20 | — | $434,401 | $915,373 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Link Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports programs that foster the theoretical basis, practical knowledge, and application of energy, simulation, and ocean engineering and instrumentation research, and that disseminate research through lectures, seminars, and publications. It says it is currently committed to existing programs and cannot accept applications in new areas.
Its doctoral fellowship programs are in ocean engineering and instrumentation, modeling, simulation and training, and energy. The website identifies the Florida Atlantic University Foundation, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering as administrators of these programs. Other major programs include high school student awards through the Community Foundation for South Central New York and marine science graduate fellowships through the Smithsonian Institution.
The 2025 grants also show support for universities and research institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, which describes its work as education and research across disciplines such as engineering, public health, medicine, and the arts and sciences. Smaller 2025 grants went to community organizations: Broome County Council of Churches says it provides ministries that individual churches might find difficult to offer alone, while United Way of Broome County says it works with community partners to address local needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $923,085. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $311,501, with a median of $22,500. The largest awards included $311,501 to Florida Atlantic University Foundation for education, $195,334 to Dartmouth College for education and energy, and $77,500 to the Smithsonian Institution for education and marine sciences. Other notable grants included $70,000 to Johns Hopkins University and $40,000 to Ocean Research Conservation Association, both for education-related purposes.
The foundation’s website describes its doctoral fellowships as awards made through national competitions. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. It lists Vicki Griffin as the contact for application information and says to see the attached Grant Application for the form, materials, and award restrictions. The website says the foundation cannot accept applications in new areas.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dr Shelley D Dionne as chairman, James Morton as treasurer, Mr Lenny Genna and Dr ANDREW M CLARK as trustees, and Mr James R Van Voorst as secretary.
The Link Foundation is led by Shelley D Dionne, Chairman since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shelley D Dionne
Chairman
Chair → Chairman, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
ANDREW M CLARK
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lenny Genna
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Edmond Morton IV
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James R Van Voorst
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Leonard Genna (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Link Foundation
How much does The Link Foundation give each year?
The Link Foundation gave $923K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 21 grants.
What is The Link Foundation's typical grant size?
The Link Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $22,500, and its average grant was $41,958, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Link Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Link Foundation give grants?
The Link Foundation's top state is Florida, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Hampshire (21%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Binghamton, NY (6 grants) and Fort Pierce, FL (3 grants).
Does The Link Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on The Link Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (7 grants), "Matching Grant" (6 grants) and "Education" (5 grants).
Who are The Link Foundation's largest grantees?
The Link Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Florida Atlantic University Foundat ($311,501), Dartmouth College ($195,334) and Smithsonian Institution ($77,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Link Foundation?
The Link Foundation reported $21.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $973K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Link Foundation fund?
The foundation supports programs that foster the theoretical basis, practical knowledge, and application of energy, simulation, and ocean engineering and instrumentation research, and that disseminate research through lectures, seminars, and publications. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Link Foundation?
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Vicki Griffin and consult the attached Grant Application for required materials and restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Link Foundation's EIN?
The Link Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 53-6011109. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Link Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-link-foundation-morg_e85d802d113447c4996480432f04b5dd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_536011109_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Link Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-link-foundation-morg_e85d802d113447c4996480432f04b5dd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Link 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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