The Tierney Family Foundation Inc
The Tierney Family Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in New York, NY, established around 1990 and granted tax-exempt status in 1989. The foundation is located at 645 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-1010.
Key facts about The Tierney Family Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 13-3541596
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $748,186
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- Average grant
- $26,721
- Median grant
- $7,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (11 of 27, 2024)
- Total assets
- $4,974,270
- Primary geography
- New York (62% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who The Tierney Family Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Tierney Family Foundation Inc's 28 itemized 2024 grants were New York (62%), California (16%) and Virginia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and Aspen, CO (3 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is The Tierney Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 27 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 174% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.0M
-16.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$748K
+121.6% YoY
Grant Count
28
+3.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$27K
+113.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Tierney Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $432K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on higher education and social issues. Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Health Care
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
Grantmaking
The foundation does not currently have live grant opportunities listed.
Ready to take the next step with The Tierney Family Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in:
- New York
- California
- Colorado
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 28 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,974,270 |
| Total Giving | $748,186 |
Financial data sourced from most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,974,270 | $5,951,144 | $6,550,843 |
| Revenue | $-17,257 | $-219,277 | $-399,936 |
| Expenses | $793,348 | $380,422 | $346,341 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $752,493 | $358,942 | $266,285 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $431,501 | $434,722 | $438,459 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
115 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Future Fund for Education ($383,000), Womens Alliance for Knowledge Exchange ($110,000), Technoserve Inc ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FUTURE FUND FOR EDUCATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $383,000 |
| WOMENS ALLIANCE FOR KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $110,000 |
| TECHNOSERVE INC ARLINGTON, VA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $50,000 |
| TRINITY SCHOOL NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME NOTRE DAME, IN | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| BUDI FOUNDATION - INDONESIA NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $20,000 |
| METO WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $20,000 |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON DC, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $15,000 |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $15,000 |
| MISCELLANEOUS DARIEN, CT | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $10,170 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Contact Information:
- Telephone: 212-758-5822
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul E Tierney Jr | Secretary | 10 | — |
| Susan E Tierney | President | 10 | — |
| Patricia E Tierney | Vice President | 10 | — |
| Michael P Tierney | Vice President | 10 | — |
| Matthew S Tierney | Vice President | 10 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Tierney Family Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's giving focuses primarily on higher education and social issues. Primary funding areas include: • Education • Health Care • Arts, Culture & Humanities
How do I apply for a grant from The Tierney Family Foundation Inc?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $200 to $383,000. **Total Giving:** $748,186 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing in 2024) **Assets:** $4,974,270 The foundation does not currently have live grant opportunities listed.
Where does The Tierney Family Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation primarily directs grants to organizations in: • New York • California • Colorado
What size grants does The Tierney Family Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, The Tierney Family Foundation Inc awarded 28 grants totaling $748K — an average of about $27K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Tierney Family Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Tierney Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $432K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Tierney Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Tierney Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3541596. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Tierney Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.