The May Foundation Trust
The May Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Great Neck, New York. Its 2024 filing reports 19 grants totaling $156,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in animal welfare, education and child welfare, disaster relief, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and environmental work.
The May Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: The May Foundation Trust gave $156K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in California. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $156,000
- -32.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -20.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,211
- -14.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $158,135
- -11.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (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 May Foundation Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Barkan 60 Cuttermill Road, Great Neck, NY 11021
Phone: (212) 949-5959
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The May Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wildlife Rescue of Napa Valley ($31K). Together the top 10 received $136K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 92 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the reported distribution of grant dollars by recipient state was California 63%, New York 24%, District of Columbia 8%, Maryland 3%, and Massachusetts 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The May Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 19 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 95% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 214% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 $50K (2021) to $231K (2023). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $156K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Rescue of Napa Valley Napa, CA | Animal Welfare | $31,000 |
| The Resource Foundation New York, NY | Education/Child Welfare | $30,000 |
| Sunrise Horse Rescue Helena, CA | Animal Welfare | $30,000 |
| Ventana Wildlife Society Monterey, CA | Animal Welfare | $10,000 |
| Muttville Senior Dog Rescue San Francisco, CA | Animal Welfare | $10,000 |
| Napa Community Animal Response Team Napa, CA | Disaster Relief | $5,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of Am New York, NY | Reproductive Rights | $5,000 |
| Native Songbird Care & Conservation Sebastopol, CA | Animal Welfare | $5,000 |
| National Center for Lesbian Rights San Francisco, CA | LGBTQ | $5,000 |
| Human Rights Campaign Washington, DC | LGBTQ | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The May Foundation Trust?
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 | $158,135 | $135,662 | $156,000 | $156,000 | 19 | $156,000 | $39,315 | $160,395 |
| 2023 | $178,473 | $182,446 | $230,777 | $230,500 | 24 | $230,500 | $42,703 | $129,710 |
| 2022 | $226,804 | $70,803 | $99,229 | $99,000 | 16 | $99,000 | $40,574 | $127,947 |
| 2021 | $489,581 | $39,312 | $49,825 | $49,650 | 14 | — | $39,129 | $123,221 |
| 2020 | $500,094 | $179,239 | $84,325 | $84,150 | 19 | — | $36,127 | $80,475 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The May Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $160K 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 organizations with varied stated purposes. For example, Sunrise Horse Rescue says it rescues and provides sanctuary for abused and neglected horses in Napa and surrounding counties, while Ventana Wildlife Society describes its work as conserving native wildlife and managing wildlife sanctuaries. The Resource Foundation says it works with donors and nongovernmental organizations to improve opportunities and living standards for disadvantaged people in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.
Other 2024 recipients describe work that includes animal disaster preparedness and response (Napa Community Animal Response Team), ending animal abuse (The Humane League), and advancing LGBTQ+ equality (Human Rights Campaign). The Sierra Club Foundation says it promotes efforts to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $156,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $31,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest grants included $31,000 to Wildlife Rescue of Napa Valley; $30,000 each to The Resource Foundation and Sunrise Horse Rescue; and $10,000 each to Ventana Wildlife Society and Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.
Other reported grants included $5,000 each to Napa Community Animal Response Team, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Native Songbird Care & Conservation, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Human Rights Campaign. The foundation also gave $4,000 each to Good Food Institute and The Humane League.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Colleen May and Michael F. Barkan as trustees.
The May Foundation Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Colleen May
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael F. Barkan
Trustee
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 May Foundation Trust
How much does The May Foundation Trust give each year?
The May Foundation Trust gave $156K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $231K across 24 grants.
What is The May Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
The May Foundation Trust's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,211, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The May Foundation Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does The May Foundation Trust give grants?
The May Foundation Trust gives mostly in California: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (24%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Napa, CA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does The May Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The May Foundation Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Animal Welfare" (7 grants), "Environmental" (3 grants) and "Reproductive Rights" (3 grants).
Who are The May Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
The May Foundation Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Wildlife Rescue of Napa Valley ($31,000), The Resource Foundation ($30,000) and Sunrise Horse Rescue ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The May Foundation Trust?
The May Foundation Trust reported $158K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $156K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $160K (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 May Foundation Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied stated purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The May Foundation Trust?
The foundation states that it 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 May Foundation Trust's EIN?
The May Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-3243700. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The May Foundation Trust 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
(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 May Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-may-foundation-trust-morg_d105bce062354bfe8938d0d1c9103e64
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_113243700_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The May Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-may-foundation-trust-morg_d105bce062354bfe8938d0d1c9103e64},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 May Foundation Trust'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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