Vranos Foundation

PENNINGTON, NJ EIN: 13-3948273

The Vranos Foundation is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey, established in 1997. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as a grantmaking foundation supporting various nonprofit sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$327K

-74.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.6M

+20.4% YoY

Grant Count

-2.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$94K

+22.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vranos Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Community Health
Health and Medical Services
Health and Wellness
International Migration & Refugee Issues
Wildlife Sanctuaries
Fisheries Resources
Management & Technical Assistance

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$1,000 to $1,715,736

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

New York
Connecticut
Pennsylvania

Grant Distribution by State

New York $5.8M (31%)

Massachusetts $5.4M (28%)

Connecticut $3.3M (17%)

Minnesota $1.6M (8%)

California $848K (4%)

Illinois $688K (4%)

North Carolina $545K (3%)

New Jersey $345K (2%)

+10 more states

States

Arizona California Connecticut District of Columbia Iowa Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Minnesota Mississippi North Carolina North Dakota New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Texas Vermont

Cities

BismarckBloomfieldBrattleboroBridgeportBrooklynCambridgeCampbellChicagoDurhamEllingtonEllingtronFairfieldGarden CityHanoverJersey CityLititzLos AngelesMadisonMahwahMalvern

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total assets: $1,288,597
Total revenues: $7,146,014
Total expenses: $3,853,845
Total grants and contributions: $4,046,144
Investment income and dividends: $39,199

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$327,361	$1,288,597	$696,675
Revenue	$6,417,874	$7,146,014	$2,876,321
Expenses	$4,648,866	$3,853,845	$4,908,837
Qualifying Distributions	$4,604,806	$3,824,635	$4,876,654
Net Investment Income	$2,895,794	$3,095,160	$1,371,576
Distributable Amount	$24,438	$49,690	$68,914

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

232 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Harvard University ($1,715,736), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($500,000), Yale University ($250,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
PERUVIAN PAWS ASSOCIATION	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$37,000
AFRICA TRANSFORMATIONAL INITIATIVE LITITZ, PA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$50,000
HARVARD UNIVERSITY CAMBRIDGE, MA	STEM CELL INSTITUTE	$1,715,736
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE WORCESTER, MA	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$50,000
YALE NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL NEW HAVEN, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$25,000
HOPKINS SCHOOL NEW HAVEN, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$100,000
YALE UNIVERSITY NEW HAVEN, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$250,000
CLC OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY STAMFORD, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$25,000
DOMUS STAMFORD, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$35,000
SAVE THE SOUND NEW HAVEN, CT	UNRESTRICTED GENERAL	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES LEDLEY	TRUSTEE	—	—
MICHAEL VRANOS	TRUSTEE	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Vranos Family Foundation has supported Harvard University research focused on reducing the impact of brain aging and developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

New Vranos Family Foundation Grant Focuses on Reducing the Impact of Brain

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vranos Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Community Health • Health and Medical Services • Health and Wellness • International Migration & Refugee Issues • Wildlife Sanctuaries • Fisheries Resources • Management & Technical Assistance

How do I apply for a grant from Vranos Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 49 grants in 2023 • Total giving: $4,601,903 • Grant range: $1,000 to $1,715,736 **Recent Grants (2023):** • Harvard University Stem Cell Institute: $1,700,000 • Haddon's Kiwanis Children and Community Foundation: $255,000 • Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS): $138,667

Where does Vranos Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • Connecticut • Pennsylvania

What size grants does Vranos Foundation award?

In 2024, Vranos Foundation awarded 49 grants totaling $4.6M — an average of about $94K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Vranos Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Vranos Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.