The Seymour Foundation Inc
The Seymour Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Albany, New York. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $1,852,713, with listed recipients including organizations working in civil liberties, public space, health care, education, and documentary media.
The Seymour Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Seymour Foundation Inc gave $1.9M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $143K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,852,713
- +101.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $142,516
- +54.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $23,735,911
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Seymour 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: C/O Goldman Sachs Ayco PO Box 15201, Albany, NY 12212-5201
Phone: (518) 640-5000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Seymour Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Civil Liberties Union Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 13 grants of 36 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 8% to recipients in New Jersey. The reported shares for North Carolina and Colorado were each 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Seymour Foundation Inc gives
- 31% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 136% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $920K (2023) to $2.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $1,000,000 |
| Friends of the High Line New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $205,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater NY New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $160,000 |
| Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $150,000 |
| Peoples Portfolio Inc West Orange, NJ | General Charitable Purposes | $150,000 |
| Dalton Schools Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $105,000 |
| FJC New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Day One Early Learning Center Poughkeepsie, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $20,000 |
| Mad Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $5,150 |
| Southern Documentary Fund Durham, NC | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,735,911 | $1,296,721 | $1,920,039 | $1,852,713 | 13 | $1,853,672 | $809,577 | $1,365,799 |
| 2023 | $24,737,047 | $823,933 | $990,594 | $920,000 | 10 | $920,750 | $646,536 | $1,297,275 |
| 2022 | $25,077,715 | $706,257 | $2,008,229 | $1,955,000 | 11 | $1,955,000 | $629,425 | $1,338,446 |
| 2021 | $26,379,687 | $704,587 | $2,074,813 | $2,005,000 | 1 | $2,005,000 | $549,284 | $1,530,211 |
| 2020 | $27,786,418 | $498,500 | $1,626,703 | $1,475,000 | 1 | — | $447,663 | $1,357,416 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Seymour Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — 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 available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants were reported for general charitable purposes. Grantee descriptions show support for varied organizations: the ACLU Foundation describes its mission as promoting understanding of civil liberties and civil rights, while Friends of the High Line says it builds and maintains public space on the High Line. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai describes its work as advancing science, medicine, and health care; Dalton Schools says it provides education responsive to students’ interests, abilities, and needs.
Other 2024 grantees include The People’s Portfolio, which says it documents human rights efforts and champions; FJC, which says it supports the nonprofit sector through philanthropic services; and Southern Documentary Fund, which says it cultivates documentary media made in or about the South.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $1,852,713. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,000,000, and the median grant was $50,000. All listed grants were for general charitable purposes.
The largest grants included $1,000,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, $205,000 to Friends of the High Line, $160,000 to Planned Parenthood of Greater NY, and $150,000 each to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The People’s Portfolio. Dalton Schools received $105,000, and FJC received $50,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Karen Herskovitz as President, Secretary, and Director, and Marisa Kayyem as Treasurer and Director.
The Seymour Foundation Inc is led by Karen Herskovitz, President, Secretary & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Karen Herskovitz
President, Secretary & Director
President & Secretary → President, Secretary & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marisa Kayyem
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Seymour Foundation Inc
How much does The Seymour Foundation Inc give each year?
The Seymour Foundation Inc gave $1.9M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $920K across 10 grants.
What is The Seymour Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Seymour Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $142,516, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Seymour Foundation Inc give grants?
The Seymour Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Does The Seymour Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Seymour Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Seymour Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Seymour Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include American Civil Liberties Union Foundation ($1,000,000), Friends of the High Line ($205,000) and Planned Parenthood of Greater NY ($160,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Seymour Foundation Inc?
The Seymour Foundation Inc reported $23.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Seymour Foundation Inc fund?
The available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants were reported for general charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Seymour 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 Seymour Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Seymour Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2352322. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Seymour Foundation Inc 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Seymour Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Seymour Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-seymour-foundation-inc-morg_5ec9564db14048d18a6bc453a30126e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832352322_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Seymour Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-seymour-foundation-inc-morg_5ec9564db14048d18a6bc453a30126e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Seymour 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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