The Orenstein Family Foundation
The Orenstein Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Darien, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and North Carolina.
The Orenstein Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Orenstein Family Foundation gave $81K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state Massachusetts. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $81,000
- +21.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -23.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,100
- +58.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,370,645
- +0.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Orenstein Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 68 Stephen Mather Road, Darien, CT 06820
Phone: (203) 656-3546
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Orenstein Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Great Harbor Yatch Foundation ($30K). Together the top 10 received $81K.
Grant Size Distribution
42 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 42 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (46%), New York (32%), Connecticut (15%), and North Carolina (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Orenstein Family Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 350% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $18K (2022) to $81K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $81K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Harbor Yatch Foundation Nantucket, MA | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $30,000 |
| Maloto New York, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $25,000 |
| Stamford Hospital Stamford, CT | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $10,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | To Aid Duke University in Its Exempt Functions. | $6,000 |
| Nantucket Land & Water Council Inc Nantucket, MA | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $4,000 |
| Nantucket Shellfish Association Nantucket, MA | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Funcion | $2,000 |
| Syracuse University Syracuse, NY | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $1,000 |
| King School Annual Fund Stamford, CT | To Helo Org. in Its Exempt Function | $1,000 |
| Norwalk Housing Authority Foundation Norwalk, CT | To Help Org.in Its Exempt Function | $1,000 |
| Maria Mitchell Association Nantucket, MA | To Help Org. in Its Exempt Function | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Orenstein Family Foundation?
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 | $1,370,645 | $88,656 | $88,095 | $81,000 | 10 | $81,000 | $81,561 | $75,457 |
| 2024 | $1,370,084 | $47,273 | $79,326 | $66,550 | 13 | $68,350 | $38,265 | $74,420 |
| 2023 | $1,402,137 | $101,399 | $60,778 | $63,250 | 13 | $54,250 | $94,871 | $68,447 |
| 2022 | $1,361,516 | $-26,221 | $28,256 | $18,000 | 3 | $19,167 | $9,099 | $136,670 |
| 2021 | $1,415,993 | $196,833 | $57,895 | $46,833 | 3 | $48,000 | $58,113 | $113,344 |
| 2020 | $1,277,055 | $163,170 | $46,179 | $34,883 | 11 | — | $116,044 | $61,507 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Orenstein Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $75K 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 show support for a range of organizations. For example, Maloto, Inc. describes its mission as improving the lives of vulnerable women and children in northern Malawi through feeding, education, and empowerment. Nantucket Land & Water Council says it works to protect Nantucket’s natural world and rural character, and Nantucket Shellfish Association describes its work as research and education for shellfish conservation and enhancement.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $81,000 through 10 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median grant of $3,000.
The largest reported grants were $30,000 to The Great Harbor Yatch Foundation in Nantucket, Massachusetts; $25,000 to Maloto in New York, New York; $10,000 to Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut; and $6,000 to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Other grants included $4,000 to Nantucket Land & Water Council, $2,000 to Nantucket Shellfish Association, and $1,000 each to Syracuse University, King School Annual Fund, Norwalk Housing Authority Foundation, and Maria Mitchell Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Edward Y Orenstein and Claire Orenstein as trustees.
The Orenstein Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Claire Orenstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward Y. Orenstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Orenstein Family Foundation
How much does The Orenstein Family Foundation give each year?
The Orenstein Family Foundation gave $81K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $67K across 13 grants.
What is The Orenstein Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Orenstein Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $8,100, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Orenstein Family Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Orenstein Family Foundation give grants?
The Orenstein Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (32%) and Connecticut (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (4 grants) and Stamford, CT (2 grants).
Who are The Orenstein Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Orenstein Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Great Harbor Yatch Foundation ($30,000), Maloto ($25,000) and Stamford Hospital ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Orenstein Family Foundation?
The Orenstein Family Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $81K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $75K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Orenstein Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Maloto, Inc. describes its mission as improving the lives of vulnerable women and children in northern Malawi through feeding, education, and empowerment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Orenstein Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Orenstein Family Foundation's EIN?
The Orenstein Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1576951. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Orenstein Family 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Orenstein Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-orenstein-family-foundation-morg_7f860a40ad1b4ff782079506d0478a06
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_061576951_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Orenstein Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-orenstein-family-foundation-morg_7f860a40ad1b4ff782079506d0478a06},
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 Orenstein Family 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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