The Realty Foundation of New
The Realty Foundation of New is a private foundation based in New York, New York. It supports initiatives focused on a stronger and more equitable New York City, including housing, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion.
The Realty Foundation of New at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $579,339
- +7.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,104
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $9,375
- Total assets
- $3,538,133
- +14.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (97% 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 Realty Foundation of New
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its filing identifies James Whelan as the contact and states that contributions go to preselected charitable organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: James Whelan
Mailing address: 570 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 616-5200
Email: jwhelan@rebny.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Realty Foundation of New funds
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 $434K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($53,998), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 182 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in New York, New York. In 2025, 97% of its grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 2% to California, and 1% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
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.
Giving History
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.
Grants by year
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 |
| 5 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $53,998 |
| NAACP New York State New York, NY | Support Services | $15,000 |
| The Inner Circle New York, NY | Support Local NY Charities | $12,500 |
| Nylcvef New York, NY | Support Clean Water Renewable Energy | $11,500 |
| Citizens Housing & Planning Council New York, NY | Support Affordable Housing | $11,000 |
| Mayors Fund to Advance NYC New York, NY | Support Child Care Program | $10,431 |
Ready to take the next step with The Realty Foundation of New?
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 | $3,538,133 | $1,189,118 | $1,541,706 | $579,339 | 32 | $1,520,783 | $39,674 | $142,984 |
| 2024 | $3,083,518 | $1,298,488 | $1,723,624 | $539,490 | 29 | $1,316,254 | $37,615 | $116,287 |
| 2023 | $2,554,177 | $1,396,445 | $1,970,965 | $747,625 | 38 | $1,938,702 | $28,744 | $109,490 |
| 2022 | $2,468,955 | $2,223,386 | $1,315,158 | $276,348 | 41 | $1,286,522 | $24,112 | $112,287 |
| 2021 | $2,101,792 | $483,225 | $831,962 | $301,002 | 42 | — | $22,246 | $82,606 |
| 2020 | $1,658,164 | $1,088,476 | $820,112 | $431,531 | 55 | — | $23,249 | $66,823 |
| 2019 | $1,384,304 | $836,831 | $838,465 | $408,640 | 47 | — | $23,921 | $61,682 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says it supports initiatives focused on creating a stronger and more equitable New York City, with work in housing, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion.
Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in several areas. The Citizens Budget Commission describes its mission as influencing constructive change in New York City and New York State government finances and services. The New York Housing Conference says it advances policies and funding for developing and preserving affordable housing. The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes its work as collecting, studying, conserving, and presenting art. Building Skills New York received support for construction jobs and training, according to the grant purpose listed in the filing.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $579,339. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $307,500, with a median of $9,375. Its largest grant was $307,500 to Building Skills New York for construction jobs and training. Other notable grants included $20,000 to the Citizens Budget Commission, $18,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and $17,960 to WIN for a homeless program.
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. It lists James Whelan as the contact for its application policy, states that there are no deadlines, and says contributions are for various purposes for which the foundation was established. The filing does not specify application materials.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Douglas Durst, chairman; James Whelan, president; Leslie Wohlman Himmel, treasurer; Bruce Beal, secretary; and Leonard Boxer, Daniel Brodsky, Robert A. Knakal, Frederick W. Peters, Amy Rose, and Alan H. Weiner, 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.
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 (20 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. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($53,998), which are not listed by name. 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’s website says it supports initiatives focused on creating a stronger and more equitable New York City, with work in housing, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Realty Foundation of New?
The foundation 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 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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Realty Foundation of New funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-realty-foundation-of-new-morg_4a49fb2ea00d43db92f2206c9ea96df8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133317104_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Realty Foundation of New funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-realty-foundation-of-new-morg_4a49fb2ea00d43db92f2206c9ea96df8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Realty Foundation of New'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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