The Nathan Seter Foundation
The Nathan Seter Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. In 2024, it made 60 grants totaling $2,013,900 to charitable organizations, including recipients in New York and New Jersey and organizations working in areas such as health support, education, and cultural heritage.
The Nathan Seter Foundation at a glance
In short: The Nathan Seter Foundation gave $2.0M across 60 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in New York. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,013,900
- -8.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 60
- -1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $33,565
- -7.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $22,908,222
- -5.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (14 of 60, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (85% 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 Nathan Seter Foundation
- 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: 1101 New York Avenue Nw, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (212) 231-4703
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Nathan Seter Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Yu ($625K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
293 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 245 grants of 293 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 10% to recipients in New Jersey. The remaining shares went to recipients in DC (2%), California (2%), and Maryland (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 60 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Nathan Seter Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 60 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $36K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 218% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $1.5M (2021) to $2.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 60 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yu New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $625,000 |
| American Friends of IDF Rabbinate New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $186,000 |
| NLI New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $125,000 |
| PEF Israel Endowment Funds Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $125,000 |
| American Committe SZ New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $100,000 |
| United Hatzalah New York, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $100,000 |
| Yilc Cedarhurst, NY | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $90,000 |
| Chai Lifeline Lakewood, NJ | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $54,000 |
| The Lamm Legacy Project Inc Englewood, NJ | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $50,000 |
| American Friends of Ye Jackson, NJ | Unrestricted Use of Recipient | $36,000 |
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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 | $22,908,222 | $2,709,471 | $2,111,780 | $2,013,900 | 60 | $2,013,900 | $2,640,230 | $925,298 |
| 2023 | $24,355,531 | $1,034,778 | $2,353,798 | $2,207,020 | 61 | $2,207,020 | $972,063 | $860,549 |
| 2022 | $25,674,551 | $7,723,161 | $2,006,669 | $1,765,045 | 63 | $1,765,045 | $2,867,322 | $769,791 |
| 2021 | $22,383,522 | $1,162,414 | $1,633,387 | $1,538,350 | 56 | $1,538,350 | $1,112,200 | $1,100,608 |
| 2020 | $22,854,495 | $4,047,859 | $1,815,989 | $1,712,300 | 53 | — | $2,465,540 | $1,236,232 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nathan Seter Foundation reported a distributable amount of $925K 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 included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, PEF Israel Endowment Funds describes its work as providing relief and supporting health services and educational and religious institutions in Israel. Chai Lifeline describes itself as an international health support network providing assistance to children, families, and communities facing illness, crisis, or loss. Johns Hopkins University says its mission is to educate students, foster independent research, and bring the benefits of discovery to the world.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern Jewish women’s leadership (American Friends of Matan), connections between American Jews and Israelis (Connect Israel), fire and life-safety programs (FDNY Foundation), and New York City’s living cultural heritage (City Lore).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 60 grants totaling $2,013,900. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $625,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest grants were $625,000 to YU, $186,000 to American Friends of IDF Rabbinate, $125,000 each to NLI and PEF Israel Endowment Funds, and $100,000 each to American Committee SZ and United Hatzalah. The stated purpose for these listed grants was unrestricted use of the recipient.
Other reported 2024 grants included $54,000 to Chai Lifeline, $25,000 to Johns Hopkins University, and $10,000 each to American Friends of Matan, Connect Israel, and FDNY Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Ross as president and Jonathan Blattmachr as treasurer.
The Nathan Seter Foundation is led by Robert Ross, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Ross
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Blattmachr
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Arnold Simon (2020–2021) — Vice President
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 Nathan Seter Foundation
How much does The Nathan Seter Foundation give each year?
The Nathan Seter Foundation gave $2.0M across 60 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 61 grants.
What is The Nathan Seter Foundation's typical grant size?
The Nathan Seter Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $33,565, across 60 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nathan Seter Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does The Nathan Seter Foundation give grants?
The Nathan Seter Foundation gives mostly in New York: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (18 grants), Brooklyn, NY (10 grants), Far Rockaway, NY (5 grants) and Lakewood, NJ (3 grants).
Does The Nathan Seter Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Nathan Seter Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (60 of 60) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Nathan Seter Foundation's largest grantees?
The Nathan Seter Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Yu ($625,000), American Friends of IDF Rabbinate ($186,000) and NLI ($125,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Nathan Seter Foundation?
The Nathan Seter Foundation reported $22.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $925K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Nathan Seter Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, PEF Israel Endowment Funds describes its work as providing relief and supporting health services and educational and religious institutions in Israel. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nathan Seter Foundation?
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 Nathan Seter Foundation's EIN?
The Nathan Seter Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4150736. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Nathan Seter Foundation 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 Nathan Seter Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-nathan-seter-foundation-morg_043b3f50eacd4a3f9fdfb2ac7df102ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134150736_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Nathan Seter Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-nathan-seter-foundation-morg_043b3f50eacd4a3f9fdfb2ac7df102ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Nathan Seter 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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