The Skadden Foundation
The Skadden Foundation is a private foundation based in White Plains, New York. Its main program awards two-year fellowships for law school graduates, outgoing judicial law clerks, and LL.M. candidates to work full time in public interest law, with projects addressing civil legal needs.
The Skadden Foundation at a glance
In short: The Skadden Foundation gave $5.1M across 106 grants in 2024 (avg $48K), top state New York. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,080,991
- +15.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 106
- +6.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $47,934
- +8.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $39,803
- Total assets
- $11,242,596
- -2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (29 of 84, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Skadden Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Kathleen Rubenstein and says to see the application materials and the website’s application-process and eligibility information. The fellowship page currently says the application is closed.
- Review Cycle
- The listed September 19, 2025, 11:59 p.m. deadline is a past cycle.
- Deadline
- The listed September 19, 2025, 11:59 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Kathleen Rubenstein
Mailing address: One Manhattan West 46Th Floor, New York, NY 10001-8602
Phone: (212) 735-3954
Email: skadden.foundation@skadden.com
Website: https://skaddenfellowships.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Skadden Foundation
Who The Skadden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc ($549K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 18 grants to individuals ($71,998), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
536 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 381 grants of 536 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing shows grant dollars distributed across the country. New York received 38% of grant dollars, California 16%, Washington, D.C. 9%, and Massachusetts and Illinois 6% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 106 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Skadden Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 29 of 84 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $72K. How we count
Medians: $39K first-time, $61K repeat.
- 56% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $4.1M (2021) to $5.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 106 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | Payment for Fellows | $505,860 |
| New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation New York, NY | Payment for Fellows | $213,868 |
| Lawyers Comm for Civil Rights Under Law Washington, DC | Payment for Fellows | $119,468 |
| Public Justice Foundation Oakland, CA | Payment for Fellows | $114,067 |
| Legal Aid Chicago Chicago, IL | Payment for Fellows | $110,001 |
| Greater Boston Legal Boston, MA | Payment for Fellows | $101,457 |
| American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma Foundation Inc Oklahoma City, OK | Payment for Fellows | $89,343 |
| Bronx Legal Services New York, NY | Payment for Fellows | $88,489 |
| Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund New York, NY | Payment for Fellows | $88,109 |
| Housing Works Inc Brooklyn, NY | Payment for Fellows | $87,691 |
Ready to take the next step with The Skadden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,242,596 | $5,166,870 | $5,653,825 | $5,080,991 | 106 | $5,551,032 | $669,654 | $499,768 |
| 2023 | $11,539,897 | $4,829,722 | $5,010,106 | $4,413,732 | 100 | $4,915,969 | $342,201 | $468,627 |
| 2022 | $10,756,355 | $439,936 | $4,771,774 | $4,184,216 | 113 | $4,634,322 | $329,459 | $691,047 |
| 2021 | $17,466,149 | $9,717,143 | $4,588,356 | $4,053,850 | 99 | $4,520,667 | $761,436 | $557,835 |
| 2020 | $12,207,642 | $4,711,705 | $4,816,336 | $4,229,436 | 118 | — | $249,775 | $496,916 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Skadden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $500K 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 Foundation’s fellowship program supports public-interest legal work through two-year awards. Its website describes Fellows as developing projects in response to unmet needs and working under the supervision of experienced legal services professionals.
The Foundation’s grantees include civil liberties organizations, legal aid providers, and groups working on education, housing, and civil rights. For example, the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation describes its mission as defending and promoting civil rights and civil liberties. Legal Aid Chicago says it provides civil legal aid to people living in poverty and other vulnerable groups, while the Education Law Center describes its work as advocacy to secure children’s legal rights to quality public education.
The Foundation’s Flom Incubator Grants, established in 2011, award $15,000 grants to former Skadden Fellows for novel public-interest legal projects. The Foundation’s website reports that 185 such grants have been made.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 106 grants totaling $5,080,991. Grant amounts ranged from $126 to $505,860, with a median of $39,802. The largest awards included $505,860 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc. and $213,868 to the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation. Other large awards included $119,468 to Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, $114,067 to Public Justice Foundation, and $110,001 to Legal Aid Chicago. The listed purposes for these awards were payments for Fellows.
The fellowship application page says the application is closed. Applicants generally must be in the fall of their final year of law school, in an LL.M. program or clerkship, or have graduated from law school within the prior two years. A host organization must be a stand-alone 501(c)(3), employ at least two full-time attorneys devoted primarily to civil legal advocacy who can supervise the project, and meet the stated salary requirements. The Foundation’s 2024 filing directs applicants to the application materials and eligibility information on its website.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kathleen Rubenstein as executive director and secretary; Susan Butler Plum as senior advisor; Lauren E. Aguiar as president; and Stephen Petty as treasurer. Board members listed were Emily M. Lam, Noah Puntus, Paul Lockwood, and Sean C. Doyle.
The Skadden Foundation is led by Kathleen Rubenstein, Executive Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; 2 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kathleen Rubenstein
Executive Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$170K (2020) → $226K (2024)
Lauren E. Aguiar
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Butler Plum
Senior Advisor
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$200K (2020) → $50K (2024)
Emily M. Lam
Board Member
Vice President → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Noah Puntus
Board Member
Vice President → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean C. Doyle
Board Member
Vice President → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Lockwood
Board Member
Vice President → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Petty
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Derek Douglas (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Eric J. Friedman (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Judith Browne Dianis (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Nina Perales (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Robert C. Sheehan (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Sam Williamson IV (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Mei Lin Kwan-Gett (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Melique Jones (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Mark A McDermott (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Martha Minow (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Raymond J McGuire (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Suzanne M. Klahr (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Yael Y Margalit (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Soloman Watson IV (2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $226K, to Kathleen Rubenstein (Executive Director & Secretary). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Skadden Foundation
How much does The Skadden Foundation give each year?
The Skadden Foundation gave $5.1M across 106 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.4M across 100 grants.
What is The Skadden Foundation's typical grant size?
The Skadden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $39,803, and its average grant was $47,934, across 106 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Skadden Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does The Skadden Foundation give grants?
The Skadden Foundation's top state is New York, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (16%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (18 grants), Washington, DC (9 grants), Los Angeles, CA (6 grants) and San Francisco, CA (6 grants).
Does The Skadden Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 106 grants with a stated purpose on The Skadden Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Payment for Fellows" (91 grants).
Who are The Skadden Foundation's largest grantees?
The Skadden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc ($549,407 across 2 grants), New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation ($213,868) and Lawyers Comm for Civil Rights Under Law ($119,468), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 18 grants to individuals ($71,998), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Skadden Foundation?
The Skadden Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $500K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Skadden Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s fellowship program supports public-interest legal work through two-year awards. Its website describes Fellows as developing projects in response to unmet needs and working under the supervision of experienced legal services professionals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Skadden Foundation?
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Kathleen Rubenstein and says to see the application materials and the website’s application-process and eligibility information. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Skadden Foundation's EIN?
The Skadden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3455231. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Skadden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-skadden-foundation-morg_e73a79356eeb42efab0d3dd13a90a391
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133455231_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Skadden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-skadden-foundation-morg_e73a79356eeb42efab0d3dd13a90a391},
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 Skadden 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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