Van Ameringen Foundation Inc
The van Ameringen Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Established in 1950, it supports mental health programs focused on early intervention, advocacy, and improving access to services for people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities.
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Van Ameringen Foundation Inc gave $9.8M across 125 grants in 2024 (avg $78K), mostly in New York. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,750,000
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 125
- -5.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $78,000
- +1.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $73,958,417
- -2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (31 of 123, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (63% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Van Ameringen Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants must first complete an eligibility quiz; eligible organizations can register on the application portal and submit a letter of inquiry before a full proposal. Foundation staff contact organizations selected to submit full proposals and schedule a site visit. Applications are subject to the Foundation’s mental-health funding focus. Current website guidance asks grantees to wait at least one year after submitting a final report before requesting further support.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 June and November cycle deadlines have passed as of October 2, 2026. The website lists the June cycle’s LOI deadline as February 27 and proposal deadline as April 10. For the November cycle, the LOI deadline was July 17; the application timeline lists September 4 as the proposal deadline, while the key-dates schedule lists September 11.
- Deadline
- The 2026 June and November cycle deadlines have passed as of October 2, 2026.
- Contact
Application contact: Marsha Cohen
Mailing address: 505 Eighth Avenue Suite 2500, New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 758-6221
Website: https://www.vanamfound.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Van Ameringen Foundation Inc
Who Van Ameringen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fountain House Inc ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
670 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 411 grants of 670 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation states that it provides grants exclusively within the five boroughs of New York City and the city limits of Philadelphia, as well as advocacy support at the national level. In 2024, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 30% to Pennsylvania, 3% to Washington, DC, 2% to California, and 1% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 125 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Van Ameringen Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 31 of 123 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $61K; repeat grants $85K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 56% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 285% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $8.3M (2020) to $12.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 125 grants totaling $9.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain House Inc New York, NY | Renewed general suport with a particular focus on the impact of the organizations employement and wellness programs. | $1,000,000 |
| Children's Rights New York, NY | Renewed support of class action litigation center seeking to compel New York to provide medicaid-eligible children with the community-based mental and behavioral health services they are entitled to under the law. | $200,000 |
| Disability Advocates Inc (DBA Disability Rights New York) Rensselaer, NY | Renewed support for a New York public interest law center working to combat discrimination against justice-involved people living with serious mental illness in New York city. | $200,000 |
| NYC Coalition to End Youth and Family Homelessness New York, NY | Continuing support of a philanthropic coalition to end youth and family homelessness in New York city. | $200,000 |
| International Documentary Association Los Angeles, CA | First-time funding for the international documentary association to complete the documentary committed, depicting one town's attempt to treat justice-involved individuals suffering from serious mental illness. | $150,000 |
| New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation New York, NY | First-time funding for New York's aclu to enforce state law prohibiting solitary confinement in New York's prisons and jails. | $150,000 |
| Abolitionist Law Center Pittsburgh, PA | Continued support for advocacy to curtail or abolish solitary confinement in Pennsylvania. | $125,000 |
| Attic Youth Center Philadelphia, PA | Renewed support to double the capacity of a culturally-competent counseling team serving philadelphias lgbtq youth. | $100,000 |
| Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law Washington, DC | Renewed support for national legal advocacy center to ensure that under-represented people with mental health disabilities live with autonomy, dignity and opportunity in welcoming communities that allow them to reach their full potential. | $100,000 |
| Blanton-Peale Institute New York, NY | Renewed support for licensed mental health counseling and training center to fund a bipoc mental health fellowship program in New York city. | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Van Ameringen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $73,958,417 | $6,696,852 | $10,517,303 | $9,750,000 | 125 | $10,681,382 | $6,271,006 | $3,742,141 |
| 2023 | $75,596,358 | $8,175,516 | $9,940,320 | $10,192,500 | 132 | $11,024,704 | $7,679,713 | $3,676,303 |
| 2022 | $77,188,652 | $5,977,954 | $14,931,856 | $12,234,000 | 140 | $13,068,006 | $5,425,569 | $4,274,767 |
| 2021 | $105,671,450 | $11,199,164 | $15,743,381 | $9,419,000 | 137 | $9,992,108 | $10,707,423 | $4,805,396 |
| 2020 | $100,593,165 | $7,016,341 | $6,346,147 | $8,305,000 | 136 | — | $6,447,180 | $4,557,905 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Van Ameringen Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to fund innovative and practical programs for early intervention, advocacy, and increased accessibility of mental health services for people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities. Its guidelines encourage proposals that improve access to mental health services, offer preventive or early-intervention strategies, or advocate for systemic change with local or national impact.
Direct-service grants may support case management, assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric care, training, and supports such as jobs and housing for people and communities confronting significant mental illness. Non-direct-service grants may support advocacy, training, or projects that share research, best practices, and knowledge about improving the mental health safety net and system.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of supported work. Fountain House describes its mission as creating community, innovation, and social change so people most impacted by serious mental illness can lead connected and healthy lives. The Attic Youth Center describes its work as creating opportunities for LGBTQ youth to develop in a safe and supportive community. The New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation describes its mission as defending and promoting civil rights and civil liberties. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the Foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 125 grants totaling $9,750,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $75,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants, the Foundation awarded $1,000,000 to Fountain House for renewed general support, with particular focus on the impact of its employment and wellness programs. It awarded $200,000 each to Children’s Rights for renewed support of litigation concerning children’s access to community-based mental and behavioral health services in New York, Disability Advocates Inc. (DBA Disability Rights New York) for renewed support of legal work involving justice-involved people with serious mental illness, and the NYC Coalition to End Youth and Family Homelessness for continuing support of its philanthropic coalition.
Other grants included $150,000 to the International Documentary Association for the documentary *Committed* and $150,000 to the New York Civil Liberties Union Foundation for work enforcing New York’s law prohibiting solitary confinement. The Foundation also awarded $125,000 to the Abolitionist Law Center for advocacy to curtail or abolish solitary confinement in Pennsylvania, and $100,000 each to The Attic Youth Center and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kenneth A. Kind as president and treasurer, and Maurizio J. Morello as vice president and secretary. Directors listed were Judith Beck, Alexandra Herzan, Christina Kind, Andrew Kindfuller, Valerie Kind-Rubin, Laura McKenna (through July 2024), Clarence J. Sundram, and Eric Galloway.
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc is led by Marsha Cohen, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 11 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marsha Cohen
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$132K (2022) → $299K (2024)
Kenneth A. Kind
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Herzan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Kindfuller
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christina Kind
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clarence J. Sundram
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith Beck
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura McKenna
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Kind-Rubin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Galloway
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maurizio J. Morello
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Hugh Hogan (2020–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Henry Van Ameringen (2020) — Director · Filing note: Thru oct 2020
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $299K, to Marsha Cohen (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Van Ameringen Foundation Inc
How much does Van Ameringen Foundation Inc give each year?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc gave $9.8M across 125 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $10.2M across 132 grants.
What is Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $78,000, across 125 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Van Ameringen Foundation Inc that year got $61K on average.
Where does Van Ameringen Foundation Inc give grants?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (30%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (43 grants), Philadelphia, PA (40 grants), Brooklyn, NY (13 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does Van Ameringen Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 125) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Fountain House Inc ($1,000,000), Children's Rights ($200,000) and Disability Advocates Inc (DBA Disability Rights New York) ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Van Ameringen Foundation Inc?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc reported $74.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $10.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Van Ameringen Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to fund innovative and practical programs for early intervention, advocacy, and increased accessibility of mental health services for people and communities with limited financial means and opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Van Ameringen Foundation Inc?
The Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's EIN?
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6125699. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Van Ameringen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/van-ameringen-foundation-inc-morg_d30274414b1b4c5e858a2eb4bb3af7dd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136125699_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Van Ameringen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/van-ameringen-foundation-inc-morg_d30274414b1b4c5e858a2eb4bb3af7dd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Van Ameringen 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.
Van Ameringen Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?