The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Established by William Nelson Cromwell in 1930, it primarily supports the publication of books in American legal history, with some emphasis on the colonial period, and also funds legal-history research and digitization projects.
Key facts about The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation
In short: The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation gave $162K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), top state Kentucky. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-6068485
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $161,630
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- Average grant
- $9,508
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,732,337
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (31% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The Foundation’s website directs grant applicants to submit proposals in writing with the requested materials. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The website asks that grant proposals be submitted by September 1 each year.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.7M
+4.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$162K
-11.6% YoY
Grant Count
17
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-11.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $191K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated work includes supporting historical monographs on major questions in American law and legal development, biographies of important legal figures, and publication of important legal documents. It also welcomes proposals to digitize materials important to American legal history, particularly—but not exclusively—materials from the late colonial and early national periods. Digitization projects must meet high scholarly standards and be supervised by a reputable scholarly organization or faculty member.
Examples of supported projects include work by the National Archives (U.K.) to make records and papers relating to Revolutionary War prize ships available online, and digitization of student notebooks from the Litchfield Law School.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 17 grants totaling $161,630. The grants ranged from $1,630 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest awards were $50,000 to Jane E. Calvert for *The Complete Writings and Selected Correspondence of John Dickinson* and $45,000 to the National Archives (U.K.) for the *Prize Papers of the American War of Independence* project. Other reported awards included $5,000 each to William Tanner Allread for the Legal History Article of the Year Prize, Michael A. Blaakman for a Book Prize, Min Tae Cha for a Dissertation Prize, and Katie A. Moore for an Article Prize. The filing also lists $5,000 Early Career Scholar Grants to Nathaniel Donohue, Maia R. Silber, Jennifer W. Reiss, Nicole Breault, Christopher J. McNulty, and Elena Telles Ryan.
Review Cycle
The website asks that grant proposals be submitted by September 1 each year.
Ready to take the next step with The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated focus is American legal history, not a specified geographic area for grantmaking. In the 2024 filing, 31% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky, 9% to New Jersey, 6% to California, and 6% to Connecticut. The filing also reports an unidentified recipient-state category accounting for 29%. A listed 2024 grant went to the National Archives (U.K.).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 17 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $162K (2024) to $201K (2022). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $162K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jane E Calvert - The Dickinson Writings Project ($50K). Together the top 10 received $135K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 76 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jane E Calvert - The Dickinson Writings Project Lexington, KY | Grant - The Complete Writings and Selected Correspondence of John Dickinson | $50,000 |
| The National Archives (UK) | Grant - Prize Papers of the American War of Independence | $45,000 |
| William Tanner Allread San Francisco, CA | Legal History Article of the Year Prize | $5,000 |
| Michael A Blaakman Princeton, NJ | Book Prize | $5,000 |
| Min Tae Cha South Bend, IN | Dissertation Prize | $5,000 |
| Katie A Moore Pasadena, CA | Article Prize | $5,000 |
| Nathaniel Donohue New York, NY | Early Career Scholar Grant | $5,000 |
| Maia R Silber Princeton, NJ | Early Career Scholar Grant | $5,000 |
| Jennifer W Reiss Philadelphia, PA | Early Career Scholar Grant | $5,000 |
| Nicole Breault El Paso, TX | Early Career Scholar Grant Grant | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,732,337 | $345,073 | $220,940 | $161,630 | 17 |
| 2023 | $2,608,204 | $197,993 | $243,310 | $182,869 | 17 |
| 2022 | $2,653,521 | $101,928 | $269,420 | $200,650 | 15 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,732,337 | $2,608,204 | $2,653,521 |
| Revenue | $345,073 | $197,993 | $101,928 |
| Expenses | $220,940 | $243,310 | $269,420 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $174,945 | $199,195 | $218,008 |
| Net Investment Income | $303,117 | $155,681 | $55,325 |
| Distributable Amount | $191,097 | $178,093 | $191,687 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists H. Rodgin Cohen, John S. Kiernan, Charles T. Dowling, Robert B. Fiske, John D. Gordan III, Prof. Sarah Barringer Gordon, Hon. Joseph A. Greenaway, Hon. Caitlin J. Halligan, George A. Davidson, and Prof. John H. Langbein as trustees. Kiernan is listed as chair; Dowling as treasurer and assistant secretary; and Gordan as secretary.
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation is led by John S Kiernan, Trustee & Chair since 2024 (on filings since 2022); none of the 15 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John S Kiernan
Trustee & Chair
Trustee → Trustee & Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles T Dowling
Trustee, Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George A Davidson
Trustee
Trustee & Chair → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
H Rodgin Cohen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jed S Rakoff
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John D Gordan III
Trustee & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph A Greenaway
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen M Sullivan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reena Raggi
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert B Fiske
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Fabian Witt
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John H Langbein
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Barringer Gordon
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Faiza J Saeed
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin J Halligan
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Jose A Cabranes (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Barbara P Robinson (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Michael B Mukasey (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Professor John Fabian Witt (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Professor John H Langbein (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Professor Sarah Barringer Gordon (2020) — Trustee
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.
Contact
Application contact: John D Gordan Iii
Mailing address: 1133 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10128
Phone: (917) 208-9302
Website: http://cromwellfoundation.org/
Frequently asked questions about The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation
How much does The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation give each year?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation gave $162K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $183K across 17 grants.
What is The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's typical grant size?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,508, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation give grants?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's top state is Kentucky, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (9%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Princeton, NJ (3 grants) and New Haven, CT (3 grants).
Does The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Early Career Scholar Grant" (7 grants) and "Legal History Article of the Year Prize" (3 grants).
Who are The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's largest grantees?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Jane E Calvert - The Dickinson Writings Project ($50,000), The National Archives (UK) ($45,000) and William Tanner Allread ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $175K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $191K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated work includes supporting historical monographs on major questions in American law and legal development, biographies of important legal figures, and publication of important legal documents. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation?
The Foundation’s website directs grant applicants to submit proposals in writing with the requested materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's EIN?
The William Nelson Cromwell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6068485. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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