The Obernauer Foundation Inc
The Obernauer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Howard Beach, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 28 grants totaling $296,850, supporting organizations that include charities, educational institutions, and research and civic organizations.
The Obernauer Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Obernauer Foundation Inc gave $297K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state District of Columbia. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $296,850
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,602
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $4,597,118
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (3 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Obernauer 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: 157-02 Cross Bay Blvd 203, Howard Beach, NY 11414
Phone: (212) 681-1900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Obernauer Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lift ($76K). Together the top 10 received $267K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 140 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The largest shares of 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in the District of Columbia (33%), Connecticut (24%), Massachusetts (19%), Arizona (12%), and New York (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Obernauer Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 28 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $259K (2019) to $302K (2022). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $297K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lift Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $76,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | General Operating Support | $45,000 |
| Barrow Neurological Foundation Phoenix, AZ | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Committee for Responsible Federal Budget Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Norwalk, CT | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Congregation Emanu-El of the City of NY New York, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Sandra Day O'Connor Institute Phoenix, AZ | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Trinity School New York, NY | General Operating Support | $6,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Bethesda, MD | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Obernauer Foundation Inc?
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 | $4,597,118 | $565,505 | $366,346 | $296,850 | 28 | $296,850 | $500,950 | $320,472 |
| 2024 | $4,399,745 | $395,965 | $337,843 | $272,850 | 25 | $272,850 | $335,305 | $297,039 |
| 2023 | $4,341,719 | $370,909 | $342,900 | $285,850 | 27 | $285,850 | $313,859 | $272,967 |
| 2022 | $4,313,725 | $218,778 | $365,879 | $302,350 | 30 | $302,350 | $156,115 | $286,081 |
| 2021 | $4,463,236 | $536,615 | $323,648 | $261,850 | 30 | $261,850 | $474,817 | $302,059 |
| 2020 | $4,249,607 | $55,390 | $313,438 | $259,100 | 29 | — | $69,601 | $262,065 |
| 2019 | $4,506,398 | $272,977 | $313,198 | $258,540 | 27 | — | $218,319 | $258,848 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Obernauer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $320K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including poverty reduction, education, medical research, and civic engagement. For example, LIFT describes its mission as investing in parents to break the cycle of poverty, while the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute says it promotes civic engagement and education. Wellesley College describes its mission as providing a liberal arts education for women, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is among the medical-research organizations supported.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $296,850. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $76,000, with a median of $2,000. It reported 25 grants totaling $272,850 in 2024 and 27 grants totaling $285,850 in 2023.
The largest 2025 grants included $76,000 to LIFT, $50,000 to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, $45,000 to Yale University, $25,000 to Barrow Neurological Foundation, and $20,000 each to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. These grants were listed for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marne Obernauer Jr. as president and director; Matthew Obernauer and Michael Obernauer as vice presidents and directors; and Mary Jo Esposito as secretary.
The Obernauer Foundation Inc is led by Marne Obernauer Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marne Obernauer Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Matthew Obernauer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Michael Obernauer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary Jo Esposito
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Obernauer Foundation Inc
How much does The Obernauer Foundation Inc give each year?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc gave $297K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $273K across 25 grants.
What is The Obernauer Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $10,602, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Obernauer Foundation Inc that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Obernauer Foundation Inc give grants?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (24%) and Massachusetts (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Pittsburgh, PA (3 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (2 grants).
Does The Obernauer Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Obernauer Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Obernauer Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lift ($76,000), Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($50,000) and Yale University ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Obernauer Foundation Inc?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $297K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $320K (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 Obernauer Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including poverty reduction, education, medical research, and civic engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Obernauer 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 Obernauer Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Obernauer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6149147. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Obernauer Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Obernauer Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-obernauer-foundation-inc-morg_0cba1e91a4ea435bb3c397f90f45d655
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956149147_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Obernauer Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-obernauer-foundation-inc-morg_0cba1e91a4ea435bb3c397f90f45d655},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Obernauer 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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