The Mollylou Foundation

HARRISON, NY EIN: 13-4011378

The Mollylou Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Harrison, New York. Established in 1999, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across multiple sectors and geographic regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.2M

+4.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$39K

-95.7% YoY

Grant Count

17

-51.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

-91.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mollylou Foundation reported a distributable amount of $287K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services
  • Environmental causes
  • Disaster Preparedness and Relief
  • Historic Buildings
  • Science Education

Grantmaking

The foundation made 20 grants in 2024, with a total giving amount of $39,227. Recent grant recipients include:

Grant Range

depending on the initiative and recipient organization.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking extends across multiple states, with particular activity in:

  • New York
  • District of Columbia
  • Virginia

Grant Distribution by State

13states
+5 more states

Cities

AlexandriaAmherstBala CynwydBerkeleyBethesdaBostonBridgehamptonBridgeportBronxChicagoGreat BarringtonHampton BaysIthacaJacksonvilleLindaleLittletonLos AngelesNew YorkNorfolkOakland

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

  • Total Assets: $6,153,916
  • Total Revenue: $893,289
  • Total Expenses: $154,630
  • Total Liabilities: $2,630
  • Net Income: $73

Revenue Composition (2024):

  • Investment income and dividends: $212,683
  • Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $680,606
  • Total grants and contributions: $0

Year-over-Year Changes (2024 vs. 2023):

  • Investment income increased 461.2%
  • Net gains from asset sales decreased 73%
  • Total grants and contributions decreased 100% from $2,773 in 2023
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$714K$1M$2M$3M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$6,153,916$5,909,642$6,125,807
Revenue$893,289$2,565,393$853,180
Expenses$154,630$1,067,895$285,805
Qualifying Distributions$119,630$1,037,895$285,805
Net Investment Income$1,109,090$2,597,463
Distributable Amount$286,565$261,690$265,612

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$226K$453K$679K$906K8 grants202015 grants202120 grants202235 grants202317 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

MERCY SHIPS$9KSOUTH FORK NATURAL HISTO…$5KSIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER …$3KVISITING NURSE SERVICE O…$3KPEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL T…$3KBELEV ECHAD INC$3KMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING…$3KPHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR…$2KSMILE TRAIN INC$2KTHE WHITE COAT WASTE PRO…$2K

Grant Size Distribution

95 grants across all recorded years

91<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K2$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Mercy Ships ($9,000), South Fork Natural History Society ($5,000), Simon Wiesenthal Center Inc ($3,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
BELEV ECHAD INC NEW YORK, NYGENERAL SUPPORT$2,500
BRIDGEHAMPTON CHILD CARE AND RECREATIONAL CENTER INC BRIDGEHAMPTON, NYGENERAL SUPPORT$100
CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA ALEXANDRIA, VAGENERAL SUPPORT$1,000
COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THE ARTS INC GREAT BARRINGTON, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$300
COMPASSION AND CHOICES LITTLETON, COGENERAL SUPPORT$1,000
GLOBALGIVING FOUNDATION INC WASHINGTON, DCGENERAL SUPPORT$1,000
LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION WOODBURY, NYGENERAL SUPPORT$1,053
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER NEW YORK, NYGENERAL SUPPORT$2,500
MERCY SHIPS LINDALE, TXGENERAL SUPPORT$9,000
PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS INC NORFOLK, VAGENERAL SUPPORT$2,774

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Sidney Lerner is listed as a key contact for the foundation, with an address at 215 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001, New York, New York, 10016.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
HELAINE LERNER CO PKFOD ADVISORYPRESIDENT, TREASURER, DIRECTOR3
ETHEL GARDNER CO PKFOD ADVISORYDIRECTOR1
MARLA MAIDENBAUM CO PKFOD ADVISORYDIRECTOR1
LESLIE SEFF CO PKFOD ADVISORYSECRETARY, DIRECTOR3

Contact Information

Primary Address: 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 301 Harrison, NY 10528-1648

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Mollylou Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Environmental causes • Disaster Preparedness and Relief • Historic Buildings • Science Education

How do I apply for a grant from The Mollylou Foundation?

**Grant Activity (2024)** The foundation made 20 grants in 2024, with a total giving amount of $39,227. Recent grant recipients include: • Mercy Ships: $9,000 (General Support) • South Fork Natural History Society: $5,000 (General Support) • Visiting Nurse Service of New York: $3,000 (General Support) **Grant Characteristics** Typical award amounts range from $100 to $850,637, with significant variation in grant size depending on the initiative and recipient organization.

Where does The Mollylou Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking extends across multiple states, with particular activity in: • New York • District of Columbia • Virginia

What size grants does The Mollylou Foundation award?

In 2024, The Mollylou Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $39K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Mollylou Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Mollylou Foundation reported a distributable amount of $287K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Mollylou Foundation's EIN?

The Mollylou Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4011378. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Mollylou Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

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Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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