Vital Projects Fund Inc
Vital Projects Fund Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its stated primary purpose is to support other charitable organizations through contributions; it says it is not involved in direct charitable activities.
Vital Projects Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Vital Projects Fund Inc gave $15.6M across 94 grants in 2025 (avg $166K), top state New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,638,500
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 94
- -21.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $166,367
- +31.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $51,500
- Total assets
- $384,319,086
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (34% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Vital Projects Fund Inc
- 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: 1 Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017-3852
Phone: (973) 472-6250
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vital Projects Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Funds Inc ($3.9M). Together the top 10 received $10.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
608 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 199 grants of 608 (33%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed across multiple states and the District of Columbia. The largest reported shares went to New York (34%), Massachusetts (18%), and Colorado (11%), followed by the District of Columbia and Louisiana (5% each).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 94 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Vital Projects Fund Inc gives
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $14.8M (2022) to $16.6M (2020). In 2025 it made 94 grants totaling $15.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Funds Inc New York, NY | General Support | $3,850,000 |
| Proteus Fund Amherst, MA | General Support | $2,753,000 |
| Chef Ann Foundation Boulder, CO | General Support | $1,250,000 |
| Association for the Public Defender of Maryland Baltimore, MD | General Support | $500,000 |
| Louisiana Parole Project Inc Baton Rouge, LA | General Support | $470,000 |
| Texas Defender Service Houston, TX | General Support | $400,000 |
| Civil Rights Corps Washington, DC | General Support | $350,000 |
| Mitchell Hamline School of Law St. Paul, MN | General Support | $230,000 |
| ACLU of Michigan Foundation Detroit, MI | General Support | $210,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | General Support | $206,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Vital Projects Fund 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 | $384,319,086 | $61,745,240 | $17,305,399 | $15,638,500 | 94 | $16,656,040 | $61,095,881 | $17,465,533 |
| 2024 | $362,947,737 | $50,271,344 | $17,089,845 | $15,142,500 | 120 | $16,547,373 | $49,612,069 | $17,432,633 |
| 2023 | $355,366,295 | $59,706,442 | $16,501,669 | $15,743,550 | 132 | $17,086,018 | $58,530,859 | $16,520,922 |
| 2022 | $357,215,240 | $7,084,980 | $15,563,684 | $14,812,000 | 121 | $16,154,741 | $8,372,111 | $17,659,414 |
| 2021 | $404,580,809 | $22,602,436 | $17,525,918 | $15,445,000 | 141 | $16,558,311 | $21,643,672 | $18,526,743 |
| 2020 | $357,141,423 | $10,695,571 | $19,360,202 | $16,600,000 | 1 | — | $9,893,365 | $16,263,849 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vital Projects Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $17.5M 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 does not state a separate mission in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Proteus Fund describes its work as advancing racial, gender, queer, and disability justice and an inclusive democracy. Chef Ann Foundation says it works to help school food professionals provide fresh, healthy, cooked-from-scratch meals.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in criminal-legal reform and services. Louisiana Parole Project says it provides advocacy, programming, and services for people who have served long prison sentences. Texas Defender Service describes its work as combining direct representation, policy reform, and public education to address mass incarceration and excessive punishment in Texas. Civil Rights Corps says it works to shift power to community-led movements affected by the legal system. Arizona Capital Representation Project provides legal services to people facing or sentenced to death in Arizona.
The Political Report says it educates the public through reporting and other media, presentations, and educational events. Deep South Today describes itself as a nonprofit network of local newsrooms serving underserved areas.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 94 grants totaling $15,638,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $3,850,000, with a median grant of $51,500.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $3,850,000 to Community Funds Inc, $2,753,000 to Proteus Fund, and $1,250,000 to Chef Ann Foundation. Other notable grants included $500,000 to Association for the Public Defender of Maryland, $470,000 to Louisiana Parole Project, $400,000 to Texas Defender Service, and $350,000 to Civil Rights Corps. The Political Report received $200,000, as did Arizona Capital Representation Project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David F. Menschel as president, director, and treasurer; Jay Rivlin as director; and Lauren E. Menschel as secretary and director.
Vital Projects Fund Inc is led by David F. Menschel, President, Director & Treasurer since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David F. Menschel
President, Director & Treasurer
President & Director → President, Director & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$100K (2020) → $50K (2025)
Jay Rivlin
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Lauren E. Menschel
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Marianne Sammarco (2020–2024) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Richard L. Menschel (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ronay Menschel (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert B. Menschel (2020–2022) — Former Director
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 $50K, to David F Menschel (President/Director/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Vital Projects Fund Inc
How much does Vital Projects Fund Inc give each year?
Vital Projects Fund Inc gave $15.6M across 94 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $15.1M across 120 grants.
What is Vital Projects Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Vital Projects Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $51,500, and its average grant was $166,367, across 94 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Vital Projects Fund Inc give grants?
Vital Projects Fund Inc's top state is New York, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (18%) and Colorado (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (18 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants) and Denver, CO (4 grants).
Does Vital Projects Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Vital Projects Fund Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (94 of 94) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Vital Projects Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Vital Projects Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Community Funds Inc ($3,850,000), Proteus Fund ($2,753,000) and Chef Ann Foundation ($1,250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vital Projects Fund Inc?
Vital Projects Fund Inc reported $384.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17.5M (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 Vital Projects Fund Inc fund?
The foundation does not state a separate mission in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Proteus Fund describes its work as advancing racial, gender, queer, and disability justice and an inclusive democracy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vital Projects Fund Inc?
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 Vital Projects Fund Inc's EIN?
Vital Projects Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3711340. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vital Projects Fund 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vital Projects Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vital-projects-fund-inc-morg_ce60f219aebb4d0887280c761497330c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133711340_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vital Projects Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vital-projects-fund-inc-morg_ce60f219aebb4d0887280c761497330c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Vital Projects Fund 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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