The Stewart J Rahr Foundation
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its stated mission is “Investing in our world’s future” by supporting youth, education, and medical research. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including medical research, emergency medical services, children’s health, and education.
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation at a glance
In short: The Stewart J Rahr Foundation gave $4.9M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $224K), mostly in New York. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,936,667
- -8.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $224,394
- -17.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $96,519,407
- -0.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (7 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (68% 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 Stewart J Rahr Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 725 5Th Avenue 24Th Fl, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (646) 300-7116
Website: https://rahrfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Stewart J Rahr Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Make a Wish Metro New York ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 152 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 68% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 9% to California, 5% to Pennsylvania, and 3% to Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Stewart J Rahr Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 22 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $109K; repeat grants $278K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 74% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $4.9M (2024) to $9.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $4.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make a Wish Metro New York New York, NY | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000,000 |
| Friends of United Hatzalah Inc New York, NY | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $950,000 |
| NYU Langone Health New York, NY | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $666,667 |
| Melanoma Research Alliance Washington, DC | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $500,000 |
| Prostate Cancer Foundation Santa Monica, CA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $420,000 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York Trustees of New York, NY | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $400,000 |
| Nephcure Kidney International King of Prussia, PA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $250,000 |
| American Heart Association Inc Dallas, TX | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $150,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Inc Memphis, TN | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| George Jackson Academy New York, NY | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $80,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reported 22 grants; the 2023 filing reported 20, and the 2022 filing reported 61.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $96,519,407 | $5,195,739 | $5,445,596 | $4,936,667 | 22 | $4,936,667 | $4,731,713 | $6,637,292 |
| 2023 | $96,626,321 | $2,387,163 | $5,850,473 | $5,418,589 | 20 | $5,418,589 | $2,403,517 | $5,862,024 |
| 2022 | $105,095,940 | $4,277,577 | $9,325,112 | $8,993,533 | 61 | $8,993,533 | $4,168,043 | $6,684,777 |
| 2021 | $102,515,262 | $11,940,383 | $5,833,446 | $4,994,533 | 24 | $4,994,533 | $9,239,382 | $5,845,224 |
| 2020 | $97,316,648 | $1,712,396 | $6,647,060 | $6,001,000 | 25 | — | $993,293 | $6,157,090 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website states its mission as “Investing in our world’s future” and identifies support for youth, education, and medical research.
The 2024 recipients illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Friends of United Hatzalah raises funds for organizations providing medical and trauma-related first responder services, with most of its support going to United Hatzalah of Israel. The Prostate Cancer Foundation funds research on prostate cancer biology and treatment, while NephCure Kidney International supports research into FSGS and nephrotic syndrome. George Jackson Academy describes itself as a needs-blind school for academically capable boys from low-income families in New York City. Daniel’s Music Foundation provides opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy and learn music.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $4,936,667. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest awards included $1,000,000 to Make-A-Wish Metro New York, $950,000 to Friends of United Hatzalah, $666,667 to NYU Langone Health, and $500,000 to the Melanoma Research Alliance. Other notable grants were $420,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, $400,000 to Columbia University, $250,000 to NephCure Kidney International, and $150,000 to the American Heart Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stewart J Rahr as president and Steven Burns as vice president and treasurer.
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation is led by Stewart J. Rahr, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stewart J. Rahr
President
President & Secretary → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Burns
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/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 Stewart J Rahr Foundation
How much does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation give each year?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation gave $4.9M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.4M across 20 grants.
What is The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's typical grant size?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $224,394, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Stewart J Rahr Foundation that year got $109K on average.
Where does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation give grants?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation gives mostly in New York: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (11%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Who are The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's largest grantees?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Make a Wish Metro New York ($1,000,000), Friends of United Hatzalah Inc ($950,000) and NYU Langone Health ($666,667), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Stewart J Rahr Foundation?
The Stewart J Rahr Foundation reported $96.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website states its mission as “Investing in our world’s future” and identifies support for youth, education, and medical research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Stewart J Rahr Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 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.
Does The Stewart J Rahr Foundation 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Stewart J Rahr Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-stewart-j-rahr-foundation-morg_4f256c7e18b54667b47fa11722f4c700
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274275648_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Stewart J Rahr Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-stewart-j-rahr-foundation-morg_4f256c7e18b54667b47fa11722f4c700},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Stewart J Rahr 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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