The Winston Foundation Inc
The Winston Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services, primarily in New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.
The Winston Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Winston Foundation Inc gave $4.7M across 91 grants in 2025 (avg $52K), mostly in New York. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,715,000
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 91
- -1.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $51,813
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $83,249,264
- -1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (16 of 91, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (68% 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 Winston Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1285 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 373-3000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Winston Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hospital for Special Surgery ($500K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
461 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 302 grants of 461 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York received 68% of grant dollars, followed by Connecticut at 8%, Florida at 5%, the District of Columbia at 5%, and Massachusetts at 4%. The foundation’s stated geographic focus is primarily New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Winston Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 91 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $67K; repeat grants $49K. How we count
Medians: $33K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $4.0M (2020) to $4.9M (2022). In 2025 it made 91 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY | To further the tax exempt mission of the organization | $500,000 |
| Hamilton College Clinton, NY | Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center | $350,000 |
| The Foundation for City College New York, NY | To support direct expenses of the simon h rifkind center | $300,000 |
| Martin Memorial Foundation Stuart, FL | Marylin and Arthur Levitt Endowed Chair Fund | $200,000 |
| Stamford Hospital Stamford, CT | To further the tax exempt mission of the organization | $180,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation New York, NY | Civil Rights Advocacy and the Defense of Immigrants | $175,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Support work with ukrainian refugee children and their families | $145,000 |
| The Trustees of Reservations Boston, MA | 60k land acquisitions fund, 35k property stewardship fund, 25k president's circle | $120,000 |
| NYU College & Career Lab New York, NY | Support and staffing for the ccl curriculum and internship program | $111,250 |
| NYU Shanghai New York, NY | General Operating, Programs, and Activities per Vice Chancellor | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Winston Foundation Inc?
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 | $83,249,264 | $3,736,663 | $5,103,884 | $4,715,000 | 91 | $4,921,920 | $3,544,979 | $4,890,404 |
| 2024 | $84,516,308 | $2,480,009 | $5,221,988 | $4,650,000 | 92 | $4,984,049 | $2,350,952 | $4,473,565 |
| 2023 | $87,129,879 | $3,254,167 | $5,718,686 | $4,800,000 | 96 | $5,116,577 | $2,891,085 | $4,228,230 |
| 2022 | $89,612,523 | $10,695,459 | $5,340,289 | $4,851,000 | 92 | $5,106,647 | $10,461,817 | $4,364,737 |
| 2021 | $84,404,701 | $14,400,822 | $5,927,724 | $4,775,000 | 90 | — | $14,061,529 | $4,323,277 |
| 2020 | $76,642,186 | $2,985,772 | $4,586,104 | $4,003,000 | 87 | — | $2,675,697 | $4,276,838 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Winston Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4.9M 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 describes its grantmaking focus as education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Its 2025 grants also show support for organizations working in areas including health care, civil rights, refugee assistance, education, and conservation.
Among its 2025 grantees, The Foundation for City College describes itself as an educational foundation supporting students and programs at the City College of New York. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster. The Trustees of Reservations describes itself as a conservation and preservation nonprofit. Other recipients include People for the American Way, which says it mobilizes members and activists around public policies reflecting freedom, fairness, and equal opportunity, and Human Rights First, which describes its work as advancing free and equal societies and protecting people from injustice.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 91 grants totaling $4,715,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $30,000.
The largest reported awards included $500,000 to Hospital for Special Surgery; $350,000 to Hamilton College for the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center; and $300,000 to The Foundation for City College to support direct expenses of the Simon H Rifkind Center. Other notable grants were $200,000 to Martin Memorial Foundation for the Marylin and Arthur Levitt Endowed Chair Fund; $180,000 to Stamford Hospital; $175,000 to the ACLU Foundation for civil rights advocacy and the defense of immigrants; and $145,000 to the International Rescue Committee to support work with Ukrainian refugee children and their families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barbara Rifkind as president, Nancy Harrow as treasurer, and Lauri Levitt Friedland as secretary.
The Winston Foundation Inc is led by Barbara Rifkind, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Rifkind
President
Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $26K (2025)
Lauri Levitt Friedland
Secretary
President → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$35K (2020) → $35K (2025)
Nancy Harrow
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$35K (2024) → $35K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jan Krukowski (2020–2023) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $35K, to Nancy Harrow (Treasurer). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Winston Foundation Inc
How much does The Winston Foundation Inc give each year?
The Winston Foundation Inc gave $4.7M across 91 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.7M across 92 grants.
What is The Winston Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Winston Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $51,813, across 91 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Winston Foundation Inc that year got $67K on average.
Where does The Winston Foundation Inc give grants?
The Winston Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (8%) and Florida (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (37 grants), Westport, CT (6 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Stuart, FL (2 grants).
Who are The Winston Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Winston Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Hospital for Special Surgery ($500,000), Hamilton College ($350,000) and The Foundation for City College ($300,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Winston Foundation Inc?
The Winston Foundation Inc reported $83.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Winston Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its grantmaking focus as education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Its 2025 grants also show support for organizations working in areas including health care, civil rights, refugee assistance, education, and conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Winston Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Winston Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Winston Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161672. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Winston Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Winston Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Winston Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-winston-foundation-inc-morg_ee5baa6c9ea34f28a1f265b5d9c17adc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161672_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Winston Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-winston-foundation-inc-morg_ee5baa6c9ea34f28a1f265b5d9c17adc},
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 Winston Foundation Inc'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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