The Stringer Foundation
The Stringer Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its website says it works to scale up support for courageous, independent journalists worldwide, including through recognition, financial support, community, and safety resources. Its 2025 filing also reports grants to charitable organizations in several U.S. states, including organizations focused on medical research, education and literacy, and social services.
The Stringer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Stringer Foundation gave $1.2M across 16 grants in 2026 (avg $77K), top state New York. 0% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $1,232,500
- +3.6% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 16
- +6.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $77,031
- -2.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $25,348,564
- +11.1% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (37% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Stringer 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. Its filing lists Donald R. Wall as the contact for application inquiries and says no form or materials are required.
- Contact
Application contact: Donald R Wall
Mailing address: 10 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 695-6008
Website: https://stringerjournalism.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Stringer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Johns Hopkins School of Medicine ($313K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 82 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its journalism work as worldwide. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in New York (37%), Maryland (27%), Massachusetts (21%), California (8%), and Tennessee (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Stringer Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 94% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+13%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2023) to $1.2M (2024). In 2026 it made 16 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, MD | Operations | $312,500 |
| Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research New York, NY | Operations | $200,000 |
| National Brain Tumor Society Newton, MA | Operations | $200,000 |
| Youth About Business Nashville, TN | Operations | $95,000 |
| Bronx Letters Foundation Bronx, NY | Operations | $90,000 |
| Read Ahead New York, NY | Operations | $50,000 |
| Reach Out and Read Somerville, MA | Operations | $50,000 |
| Jump Start for Young Children New York, NY | Operations | $45,000 |
| The Salvation Army New York, NY | Operations | $45,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, CA | Operations | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Stringer Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $25,348,564 | $4,291,344 | $1,678,366 | $1,232,500 | 16 | $222,933 | $4,068,411 |
| 2025 | $22,812,967 | $1,450,630 | $1,615,809 | $1,190,000 | 15 | $212,903 | $1,237,724 |
| 2024 | $22,629,207 | $1,200,877 | $1,650,434 | $1,245,000 | 17 | $202,716 | $921,676 |
| 2023 | $22,662,040 | $756,078 | $1,475,994 | $1,090,000 | 17 | $192,996 | $563,081 |
| 2022 | $22,298,258 | $2,265,089 | $1,500,881 | $1,092,950 | 17 | $1,296,916 | $2,061,124 |
| 2021 | $21,812,195 | $872,450 | $1,490,147 | $1,130,625 | 17 | — | $1,480,529 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to scale up holistic, journalist-centered support, contributing to freedom of expression and safer working conditions for journalists worldwide. Its website describes work involving stability, outreach, and safety, and says it offers awards and fellowships, connects journalists at risk to safety resources, and works to increase recognition and opportunities for their stories.
The 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. The National Brain Tumor Society says it invests in research, unites its community, and advocates for patients and care partners. The Bronx Letters Foundation says it supports educational programs for students at a Bronx public high school that emphasizes reading and writing. Reach Out and Read says it incorporates books into pediatric care and encourages families to read aloud together; Read Ahead says it helps New York City youth build literacy and social-emotional skills through mentoring. Mercy Haven says it provides housing, advocacy, education, and life-skills development for people facing homelessness, mental illness, or poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $1,190,000. Grant amounts ranged from $20,000 to $300,000, with a median of $45,000. The largest reported grants were $300,000 to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, $200,000 to Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research, and $200,000 to the National Brain Tumor Society; each was listed for operations. Other grants included $90,000 to Bronx Letters Foundation, $80,000 to Youth About Business, and $50,000 to Reach Out and Read. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 16 grants totaling $1.2 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Hajisava as director, Donald R. Wall as president and director, and Barbara Schachter as director. The foundation’s website identifies Anjan Sundaram as its founder.
The Stringer Foundation is led by Donald R. Wall, President & Director on every filing since 2021; all 3 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Donald R. Wall
President & Director
On filings since 2021
35 hrs/week
$140K (2021) → $168K (2026)
Barbara Schachter
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $15K (2026)
John Hajisava
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $15K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $168K, to Donald R Wall (Pres/DIR). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Stringer Foundation
How much does The Stringer Foundation give each year?
The Stringer Foundation gave $1.2M across 16 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $1.2M across 15 grants.
What is The Stringer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Stringer Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $45,000, and its average grant was $77,031, across 16 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Stringer Foundation give grants?
The Stringer Foundation's top state is New York, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maryland (27%) and Massachusetts (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (3 grants).
Does The Stringer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Stringer Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (16 grants).
Who are The Stringer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Stringer Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Johns Hopkins School of Medicine ($312,500), Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research ($200,000) and National Brain Tumor Society ($200,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Stringer Foundation?
The Stringer Foundation reported $25.3M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $4.3M.
What does The Stringer Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to scale up holistic, journalist-centered support, contributing to freedom of expression and safer working conditions for journalists worldwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Stringer Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Stringer Foundation's EIN?
The Stringer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-3288229. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does The Stringer Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS September 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Stringer Foundation funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Stringer Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Stringer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-stringer-foundation-morg_f39612c539f54df4b39944cc23d37e46
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_113288229_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Stringer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-stringer-foundation-morg_f39612c539f54df4b39944cc23d37e46},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-02. 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 Stringer 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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