The Waterfall Family Foundation
The Waterfall Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Palm Beach, Florida. It supports other organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3) through contributions and states that it does not conduct direct charitable activities.
The Waterfall Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Waterfall Family Foundation gave $65K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New York. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $65,085
- -47.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,603
- -57.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $1,939,430
- +13.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (8 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Waterfall Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 Sunrise Avenue 514, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone: (917) 545-0061
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Waterfall Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New York Historical Society ($20K). Together the top 10 received $52K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 125 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 50% of grant dollars, recipients in Florida 24%, Massachusetts 12%, Connecticut 8%, and the District of Columbia 3%. The listed grants also included an award to the Atlantic Salmon Federation in Calais, Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Waterfall Family Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 25 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $875 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 43% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 51% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2025) to $160K (2023). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $65K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York Historical Society New York, NY | General Support | $20,000 |
| Temple Sinai Stamford, CT | General Support | $5,185 |
| Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Cox Science Center & Aquarium West Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Norton Museum of Art West Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Palm Beach Civic Association Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $2,800 |
| The Society of the Four Arts Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $2,500 |
| Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $2,350 |
| Phillips Academy Andover, MA | General Support | $2,000 |
| Carbonfund Org Foundation East Aurora, NY | General Support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Waterfall Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,939,430 | $335,920 | $110,847 | $65,085 | 25 | $67,992 | $288,065 | $132,674 |
| 2024 | $1,714,357 | $355,919 | $165,849 | $123,340 | 20 | $126,237 | $316,307 | $123,114 |
| 2023 | $1,524,287 | $155,789 | $207,928 | $160,419 | 31 | $163,186 | $111,047 | $105,689 |
| 2022 | $1,576,426 | $104,036 | $183,180 | $114,076 | 26 | $116,788 | $37,644 | $107,271 |
| 2021 | $1,655,570 | $48,775 | $184,577 | $123,490 | 23 | $126,372 | — | $145,219 |
| 2020 | $1,791,372 | $235,487 | $150,076 | $113,784 | 23 | — | $200,072 | $125,067 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Waterfall Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $133K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing states that its primary purpose is to support other Section 501(c)(3) organizations through contributions. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose missions span arts and culture, history, civic affairs, medical research, and environmental protection. For example, the New-York Historical Society says it collects, preserves, and interprets material about U.S. and New York history; the Norton Museum of Art says it offers art collections and programs; and Ocean Conservancy says it works to protect the ocean through science, people, and policy. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated list of the foundation’s own focus areas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $65,085. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $20,000, with a median grant of $1,250. The largest reported awards included $20,000 to the New York Historical Society; $5,185 to Temple Sinai in Stamford, Connecticut; and $5,000 each to the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Cox Science Center & Aquarium, and Norton Museum of Art.
Other notable 2025 grants included $2,800 to the Palm Beach Civic Association, $2,500 to the Society of the Four Arts, $2,350 to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, and $2,000 each to Phillips Academy, Carbonfund.org Foundation, and Ocean Conservancy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan H. Waterfall as president, treasurer, and director; Scott Straus as secretary and director; and Jane Waterfall and John Waterfall Jr. as directors.
The Waterfall Family Foundation is led by Susan H. Waterfall, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan H. Waterfall
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jane Waterfall
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John Waterfall Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Scott Straus
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Waterfall Family Foundation
How much does The Waterfall Family Foundation give each year?
The Waterfall Family Foundation gave $65K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $123K across 20 grants.
What is The Waterfall Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Waterfall Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,250, and its average grant was $2,603, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Waterfall Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Waterfall Family Foundation give grants?
The Waterfall Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (24%) and Massachusetts (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Concord, MA (4 grants), West Palm Beach, FL (2 grants) and Palm Beach, FL (2 grants).
Does The Waterfall Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Waterfall Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Waterfall Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Waterfall Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New York Historical Society ($20,000), Temple Sinai ($5,185) and Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Waterfall Family Foundation?
The Waterfall Family Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $133K (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 Waterfall Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing states that its primary purpose is to support other Section 501(c)(3) organizations through contributions. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose missions span arts and culture, history, civic affairs, medical research, and environmental protection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Waterfall Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Waterfall Family Foundation's EIN?
The Waterfall Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3752549. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Waterfall Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Waterfall Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
IBM International Foundation
Armonk, NY
The IBM International Foundation funds education and workforce programs that build 21st-century and technology job skills, including initiatives for underserved students and job seekers. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $8.48 million, with a median of $100,000, and went to organizations across several U.S. states, especially Delaware and Massachusetts. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$357.7M
Grants
16
Total Given
$11.7M
The Rothschild Family Foundation Inc
Palm Beach, FL
The foundation supports health, community services, Jewish organizations, arts and culture, and Israel-related causes, with recent grants focused on Florida and New York. Its 2026 grants ranged from $1,000 to $27,800, with a median of $10,000; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$583K
Grants
17
Total Given
$196K
The Jay and Mary Goldberg Charitable Trust
New York, NY
The trust supports preselected 501(c)(3) organizations across areas including arts, culture, education, and health, with 2024 grants ranging from $500 to $50,000 and a median of $2,500. Its 2024 grants went to organizations in New York and Florida. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$646K
Grants
24
Total Given
$179K
Hess Philanthropic Fund
New York, NY
The Hess Philanthropic Fund supports preselected charitable organizations in areas including biomedical research, arts, health care, education, and media, primarily in New York. Its 2025 grants ranged from $1 to $5,125,000, with a median of $20,000. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$239.9M
Grants
72
Total Given
$14.9M
Dalia and Larry Leeds Family Foundation
New York, NY
The foundation supports a broad range of charitable work, including health research, education, arts, and history, with most 2024 grant dollars going to organizations in New York. Its 72 grants ranged from $1 to $303,000, with a median of $6,056. It does not accept unsolicited requests and funds only preselected organizations.
Assets
$14.9M
Grants
72
Total Given
$1.4M
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County Inc
West Palm Beach, FL
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County funds Jewish identity and community programs, human services, education, security, and Israel and overseas initiatives, primarily through partner organizations. In 2025, it made 66 grants ranging from $5,030 to $6.58 million, with a median of about $41,600; its work is centered in Palm Beach County, with grants also supporting organizations elsewhere and overseas. Unsolicited applications are invited through its Palm Beach Center to Combat Antisemitism and Hatred for programs in Palm Beach County.
Assets
$220.7M
Grants
66
Total Given
$19.9M
More similar funders
More Funders in Florida
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Waterfall Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-waterfall-family-foundation-morg_fbf68696997a42cfb24a1c8f8826fb8a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043752549_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Waterfall Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-waterfall-family-foundation-morg_fbf68696997a42cfb24a1c8f8826fb8a},
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 Waterfall Family 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.
The Waterfall Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?