The Pelson Foundation
The Pelson Foundation is a private foundation based in Albany, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the listed grant purposes generally described as organizational needs.
The Pelson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Pelson Foundation gave $68K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $68,322
- +26.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +27.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,880
- -1.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,811
- Total assets
- $48,452
- -53.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Pelson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No application process or required materials are provided.
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 Great Oaks Blvd Suite 128, Albany, NY 12203
Phone: (518) 218-0187
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Pelson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Metropolitan Musuem ($11K). Together the top 10 received $67K.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 37 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For 2025, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 36% to recipients in New Jersey, and 15% to recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Pelson Foundation gives
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 173% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $25K (2021) to $68K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $68K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Musuem New York, NY | organization needs | $10,750 |
| Urban Arts New York, NY | organization needs | $10,000 |
| College of New Jersey Ewing Township, NJ | organization needs | $10,000 |
| Foundation of Defence Washington, DC | Organizational Needs | $10,000 |
| Sound Start Foundation Mountain Lakes, NJ | organization needs | $6,500 |
| Congregation Emanu-El of New York New York, NY | organization needs | $6,150 |
| Chamber Music Society New York, NY | organization needs | $6,000 |
| Temple B'nai Abraham Livingston, NJ | organization needs | $5,622 |
| Morris Museum Morristown, NJ | organization needs | $1,000 |
| Jewish Federation New York, NY | organization needs | $650 |
Ready to take the next step with The Pelson 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 | $48,452 | $13,029 | $68,416 | $68,322 | 14 | $68,322 | $43,403 | $3,440 |
| 2024 | $103,839 | $39,498 | $54,242 | $54,242 | 11 | $54,242 | $6,721 | $5,134 |
| 2023 | $118,583 | $4,536 | $39,590 | $39,390 | 6 | $39,390 | $4,536 | $6,563 |
| 2022 | $153,637 | $5,421 | $25,044 | $25,025 | 3 | $25,025 | $6,903 | $8,092 |
| 2021 | $173,260 | $12,477 | $25,015 | $25,000 | 3 | $25,000 | $12,462 | $9,374 |
| 2020 | $185,798 | $1,121 | $28,510 | $28,500 | 5 | — | $6,672 | $9,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Pelson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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 were reported for organizational needs. Among the grantees, Sound Start Foundation describes its mission as supporting educational and therapeutic programs for babies and toddlers with hearing loss and their families. It says it supports the Sound Start Babies program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, including early intervention, family-support, and nursery programs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $68,322. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $10,750, with a median of $5,811.
Notable 2025 grants included $10,750 to the Metropolitan Museum, $10,000 each to Urban Arts, the College of New Jersey, and Foundation of Defence, and $6,500 to Sound Start Foundation. The filing lists the purposes for these grants as organizational needs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barbara A. Pelson, Mark A. Pelson, Jonathan A. Pelson, and Daniel A. Pelson as trustees.
The Pelson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara A. Pelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Daniel A. Pelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jonathan A. Pelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mark A. Pelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Pelson Foundation
How much does The Pelson Foundation give each year?
The Pelson Foundation gave $68K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $54K across 11 grants.
What is The Pelson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Pelson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,811, and its average grant was $4,880, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Pelson Foundation give grants?
The Pelson Foundation's top state is New York, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (36%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Morristown, NJ (3 grants).
Does The Pelson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Pelson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Organization Needs" (13 grants).
Who are The Pelson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Pelson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Metropolitan Musuem ($10,750), Urban Arts ($10,000) and College of New Jersey ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Pelson Foundation?
The Pelson Foundation reported $48K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Pelson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were reported for organizational needs. Among the grantees, Sound Start Foundation describes its mission as supporting educational and therapeutic programs for babies and toddlers with hearing loss and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Pelson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Pelson Foundation's EIN?
The Pelson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7880442. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Pelson 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 May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Pelson Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Pelson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Pelson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-pelson-foundation-morg_b285439c9dd440c4b396b5ca4382d571
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237880442_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Pelson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-pelson-foundation-morg_b285439c9dd440c4b396b5ca4382d571},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Pelson 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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