The Realty Foundation of New
THE REALTY FOUNDATION OF NEW is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing lists 32 grants totaling $579,339, with nearly all grant dollars going to recipients in New York.
Key facts about The Realty Foundation of New
In short: The Realty Foundation of New gave $579K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in New York. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3317104
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $579,339
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- Average grant
- $18,104
- Median grant
- $9,375
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 27, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,538,133
- Primary geography
- New York (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.5M
+14.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$579K
+7.4% YoY
Grant Count
32
+10.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
-2.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Realty Foundation of New reported a distributable amount of $143K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Realty Foundation of New open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 27 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 110% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes three direct charitable activities: the REBNY Fellows Leadership Program, which seeks to cultivate diverse talent and build a leadership pipeline in the real-estate sector; an internship program with REBNY and the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program that provides real-estate industry exposure; and a Members in Need Program offering grants to eligible residential brokers and salespeople who are REBNY members and in financial need.
Its 2025 grants also went to organizations with a range of missions. For example, the Citizens Budget Commission describes itself as a nonpartisan civic organization focused on constructive change in New York City and State government finances and services. The New York Housing Conference says it works to advance policies and funding for decent, affordable housing. Grand Central Partnership describes its work as providing services such as public safety, sanitation, streetscape improvements, and business support in Midtown Manhattan.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 32 grants totaling $579,339 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $307,500, with a median grant of $9,375. Recent totals were $539,490 across 29 grants in 2024 and $747,625 across 38 grants in 2023.
Review Cycle
, and says contributions are for various purposes for which the foundation was established.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 2% to California, and 1% to Washington, DC. The listed recipients and the foundation’s stated charitable activities show a substantial New York City focus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 32 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $276K (2022) to $748K (2023). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $579K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Building Skills New York ($308K). Together the top 10 received $444K.
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 182 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building Skills New York New York, NY | Support Construction Jobs & Training | $307,500 |
| Citizens Budget Commission New York, NY | Achieve Change in Finance & Svcs NYC | $20,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | Supports Museum Education Programs | $18,000 |
| Win New York, NY | Support Homeless Program | $17,960 |
| Matt Bajek New York, NY | Financial Assistance | $15,000 |
| Susan Silverman New York, NY | Financial Assistance | $15,000 |
| NAACP New York State New York, NY | Support Services | $15,000 |
| The Inner Circle New York, NY | Support Local NY Charities | $12,500 |
| Allison Foster Brooklyn, NY | Financial Assistance | $12,000 |
| Nylcvef New York, NY | Support Clean Water Renewable Energy | $11,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $579,339 | 32 |
| 2024 | $539,490 | 29 |
| 2023 | $747,625 | 38 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,538,133 | $3,083,518 | $2,554,177 |
| Revenue | $1,189,118 | $1,298,488 | $1,396,445 |
| Expenses | $1,541,706 | $1,723,624 | $1,970,965 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,520,783 | $1,316,254 | $1,938,702 |
| Net Investment Income | $39,674 | $37,615 | $28,744 |
| Distributable Amount | $142,984 | $116,287 | $109,490 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Douglas Durst as chairman; James Whelan as president; Leslie Wohlman Himmel as treasurer; Bruce Beal as secretary; and Leonard Boxer, Daniel Brodsky, Robert A. Knakal, Frederick W. Peters, Amy Rose, and Alan H. Weiner as vice presidents.
The Realty Foundation of New is led by James Whelan, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Whelan
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Durst
Chairman
Secretary → Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alan H. Weiner
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Beal
Secretary
Assistant Secretary → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Brodsky
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donald Zucker
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederick W. Peters
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Boxer
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Wohlman Himmel
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert A. Knakal
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Rose
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Jed Walentas (2024) — Chairman
- Former: Maureen Lauster (2021–2023) — CFO
- Former: William Auerbach (2019–2020) — CFO
- Former: William C. Rudin (2019–2020) — Chairman
- Former: Adam R. Rose (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Joel I. Picket (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: John Banks (2019) — Former President
- Former: Mary Anne Tighe (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Rob Speyer (2019) — Vice President
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.
Contact
Application contact: James Whelan
Mailing address: 570 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 616-5200
Email: jwhelan@rebny.com
Website: https://nationalrealtyclubnyc.org
Frequently asked questions about The Realty Foundation of New
How much does The Realty Foundation of New give each year?
The Realty Foundation of New gave $579K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $539K across 29 grants.
What is The Realty Foundation of New's typical grant size?
The Realty Foundation of New's median grant in 2025 was $9,375, and its average grant was $18,104, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Realty Foundation of New that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Realty Foundation of New give grants?
The Realty Foundation of New gives mostly in New York: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (24 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does The Realty Foundation of New give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on The Realty Foundation of New's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Financial Assistance" (5 grants).
Who are The Realty Foundation of New's largest grantees?
The Realty Foundation of New's largest 2025 grantees include Building Skills New York ($307,500), Citizens Budget Commission ($20,000) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art ($18,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Realty Foundation of New?
The Realty Foundation of New reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $143K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Realty Foundation of New fund?
The foundation describes three direct charitable activities: the REBNY Fellows Leadership Program, which seeks to cultivate diverse talent and build a leadership pipeline in the real-estate sector; an internship program with REBNY and the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program that provides real-estate industry exposure; and a Members in Need Program offering grants to eligible residential brokers and salespeople who are REBNY members and in financial need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Realty Foundation of New?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Realty Foundation of New's EIN?
The Realty Foundation of New's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3317104. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Realty Foundation of New 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.
Here's the math on researching The Realty Foundation of New by hand.
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