The Stewart J Rahr Foundation
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation is a private foundation established in 2011 and based in New York City. The foundation was created by billionaire philanthropist Stewart Rahr following the sale of his pharmaceutical wholesaling company, Kinray Inc., to Cardinal Health for $1.3 billion in 2010. The foundation operates as a family foundation focused on strategic philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$96.5M
-0.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.9M
-8.9% YoY
Grant Count
22
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$224K
-17.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Stewart J Rahr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is "Supporting our youth, education, and medical research."
Primary funding areas include:
- Medical Research: Disease-related organizations and medical research initiatives, accounting for more than half of annual giving
- Education: Including STEM education and science teacher support
- Youth: Youth-focused organizations and children's health causes
- Health: Broader health-related initiatives
- Jewish Causes: Organizations aligned with Jewish community interests
- Veterans Causes: Support for veteran-focused organizations
- Music and Art Therapies: Creative therapeutic approaches to health and wellness
Grantmaking
The foundation accepts applications through an online contact form on its website. However, the majority of funding is staff-identified and proactive. Applicants are encouraged to connect with foundation staff through additional networking channels to be recognized. Response times vary and can take considerable time. Networking with previous grantees may help expedite the application process for organizations that fit the foundation's profile.
Grant Range
s and Range:**
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the United States, with concentration in Northeastern states, New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- 2023: $96,626,321
- 2024: $96,519,407
Annual Revenues and Expenses (2023):
- Total revenues: $2,387,163
- Total expenses: $5,850,473
- Investment income and dividends: $2,430,915
Liabilities:
- 2023: $1,050,000 (approximately)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $96,519,407 | $96,626,321 | $105,095,940 |
| Revenue | $5,195,739 | $2,387,163 | $4,277,577 |
| Expenses | $5,445,596 | $5,850,473 | $9,325,112 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,936,667 | $5,418,589 | $8,993,533 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,731,713 | $2,403,517 | $4,168,043 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,637,292 | $5,862,024 | $6,684,777 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Make a Wish Metro New York ($1,000,000), Friends of United Hatzalah Inc ($950,000), Nyu Langone Health ($666,667).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BNAI LEVY FOUNDATION BROOKLYN, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF TARAH & TEFILAH RAMAT ESHKO BROOKLYN, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION INC DALLAS, TX | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $150,000 |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS WASHINGTON, DC | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK TRUSTEES OF NEW YORK, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $400,000 |
| DANIEL'S MUSIC FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH INC NEW YORK, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $950,000 |
| GEORGE JACKSON ACADEMY NEW YORK, NY | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $80,000 |
| GRACE SOBER LIVING FOUNDATION PHOENIX, AZ | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| LOS ANGELES BALLET INC LOS ANGELES, CA | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Stewart Rahr - Founder
Stewart Rahr is a native New Yorker and graduate of New York University, where he earned both an undergraduate degree and a law degree. After graduating, he became involved with his parents' generic pharmaceutical company, Kinray Inc., which he eventually took over and expanded significantly. He is particularly moved by causes related to children's health, having suffered from polio as a child. Rahr has become the largest donor in Make-A-Wish Foundation history with a $10 million pledge to Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEWART J RAHR | PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
| STEVEN BURNS | VICE PRESIDENT, TREASURER | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant recipients include:
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces: $1,000,000 (2023)
Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York: $1,000,000 (2023)
Friends of United Hatzalah Inc.: $700,000 (2023)
Stewart Rahr has made significant personal donations to disease research organizations, including a $3 million donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and a $2.2 million donation to the Buoniconti Fund.
Stewart Rahr donates $3 million to Prostate Cancer FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is "Supporting our youth, education, and medical research." Primary funding areas include: • **Medical Research**: Disease-related organizations and medical research initiatives, accounting for more than half of annual giving • **Education**: Including STEM education and science teacher support • **Youth**: Youth-focused organizations and children's health causes • **Health**: Broader health-related initiatives • **Jewish Causes**: Organizations aligned with Jewish comm…
How do I apply for a grant from The Stewart J Rahr Foundation?
**Grant Sizes and Range:** • Typical awards range from $5,000 to $2,500,000 • Most common grants fall between $10,000 and $100,000 • Multi-million dollar grants occasionally awarded to major disease research organizations • Recent notable grants include $1,000,000 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and $1,000,000 to Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Western New York (2023) **Annual Giving:** • 2023: $5.4 million in grants to 20 organizations • 2024: $4.9 million in total giving **Application …
Where does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the United States, with concentration in Northeastern states, New York, the District of Columbia, and California.
What size grants does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation award?
In 2024, The Stewart J Rahr Foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $4.9M — an average of about $224K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Stewart J Rahr Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Stewart J Rahr Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's EIN?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4275648. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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