The Long Stems Foundation Inc
The Long Stems Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Fishers Island, New York. It made 29 grants totaling $127,400 in filing year 2024, supporting charitable organizations in several states.
The Long Stems Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Long Stems Foundation Inc gave $127K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in New York. 28% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $127,400
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- Average grant
- $4,393
- Median grant
- $2,250
- Total assets
- $2,536,999
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (8 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (61% 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 Long Stems Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 134, Fishers Island, NY 06390
Phone: (917) 968-9820
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Long Stems Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Penny's Flight Foundation Inc ($15K). Together the top 10 received $97K.
Grant Size Distribution
143 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 143 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 20% to Connecticut, 10% to New Hampshire, 8% to Rhode Island, and 2% to Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Long Stems Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 29 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- Giving grew 44% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $89K (2021) to $127K (2024). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $127K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Penny's Flight Foundation Inc Glen Cove, NY | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Wnet Channel 13 New York, NY | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Girl Rising Brooklyn, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Indian Mountain School Lakeville, CT | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Leadership New Hampshire Concord, NH | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Steamship Historical Society of Ame Warwick, RI | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Untermyer Garden Conservancy Yonkers, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| The Taft School Watertown, CT | General Operating Support | $9,000 |
| Fishers Island Community Center Fishers Island, NY | General Operating Support | $4,000 |
| The Union Chapel Fishers Island, NY | General Operating Support | $3,650 |
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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 | $2,536,999 | $1,623,970 | $157,742 | $127,400 | 29 | $132,400 | $1,595,628 | $123,600 |
| 2022 | $1,082,163 | $135,923 | $146,835 | $101,750 | 27 | $122,182 | $111,270 | $123,328 |
| 2021 | $1,093,075 | $133,744 | $129,019 | $88,500 | 27 | $103,759 | $111,484 | $115,423 |
| 2020 | $1,088,350 | $89,163 | $123,389 | $94,130 | 33 | — | $69,851 | $100,060 |
| 2019 | $1,122,576 | $112,093 | $122,504 | $89,924 | 27 | — | $91,839 | $99,777 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Long Stems Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $124K 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 show support for varied charitable organizations. For example, Pennys Flight Foundation says it advances scientific research and improves the lives of people affected by Neurofibromatosis NF1. Girl Rising says it uses storytelling, educational tools, and support for local organizations to advance girls’ education. Fishers Island Community Center says it provides cultural, educational, athletic, and social activities for island residents.
Other 2024 grantees describe their work as providing education to pre-K through ninth-grade students (Indian Mountain School), educating the whole student (The Taft School), fostering informed citizens and public service (Leadership New Hampshire), and promoting environmental education and awareness (Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $127,400. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median of $2,250. The largest grants included $15,000 each to Penny’s Flight Foundation and WNET Channel 13; $10,000 each to Girl Rising, Indian Mountain School, Leadership New Hampshire, Steamship Historical Society of America, and Untermyer Garden Conservancy; and $9,000 to The Taft School. The listed grants were for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John S W Spofford as president; Daphne S Schwab as vice president and treasurer; Jeremy S W Spofford as vice president; and Melie T Spofford as secretary.
The Long Stems Foundation Inc is led by John S. W. Spofford, President since 2022 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John S. W. Spofford
President
President & Trustee → President, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daphne S. Schwab
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy S. W. Spofford
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melie T. Spofford
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Long Stems Foundation Inc
How much does The Long Stems Foundation Inc give each year?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc gave $127K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is The Long Stems Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,250, and its average grant was $4,393, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Long Stems Foundation Inc that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Long Stems Foundation Inc give grants?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (20%) and New Hampshire (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fishers Island, NY (11 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Long Stems Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Long Stems Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Long Stems Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Penny's Flight Foundation Inc ($15,000), Wnet Channel 13 ($15,000) and Girl Rising ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Long Stems Foundation Inc?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $132K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $124K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Long Stems Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied charitable organizations. For example, Pennys Flight Foundation says it advances scientific research and improves the lives of people affected by Neurofibromatosis NF1. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Long Stems Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Long Stems Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Long Stems Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2570919. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Long Stems Foundation Inc 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 2019 (received by the IRS May 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Long Stems Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-long-stems-foundation-inc-morg_e9e97aaa94f243829da8b19b64d3672f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472570919_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Long Stems Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-long-stems-foundation-inc-morg_e9e97aaa94f243829da8b19b64d3672f},
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 Long Stems 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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