Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports 98 grants totaling $9,123,500, with recipients including educational institutions, health organizations, and legal-service organizations.
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz at a glance
In short: Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz gave $9.1M across 98 grants in 2025 (avg $93K), mostly in New York. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,123,500
- +34.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 98
- +1.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $93,097
- +32.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $34,709,559
- +0.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (26 of 98, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (78% 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 Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
- 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: 51 West 52Nd Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 403-1000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbia Law School ($1.4M). Together the top 10 received $6.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
459 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 308 grants of 459 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New York recipients received 78% of grant dollars. California received 7%, Illinois 4%, Washington, DC 4%, and Massachusetts 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 98 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 26 of 98 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $111K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 521% 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 $6.2M (2023) to $9.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 98 grants totaling $9.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Law School New York, NY | General Program Support | $1,378,000 |
| New York City Partnership Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Program Support | $1,250,000 |
| NYU Langone Health New York, NY | General Program Support | $1,210,000 |
| NYU School of Law New York, NY | General Program Support | $602,500 |
| Prep for Prep New York, NY | General Program Support | $500,000 |
| University of Chicago Law School Chicago, IL | General Program Support | $339,000 |
| The Legal Aid Society New York, NY | General Program Support | $320,500 |
| Inner-City Scholarship Fund New York, NY | General Program Support | $250,000 |
| Children's Aid Society New York, NY | General Program Support | $240,000 |
| Harvard Law School Cambridge, MA | General Program Support | $185,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz?
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 | $34,709,559 | $8,571,041 | $9,124,500 | $9,123,500 | 98 | $9,124,250 | $1,531,440 | $1,750,998 |
| 2024 | $34,579,527 | $8,131,923 | $6,873,083 | $6,804,000 | 97 | $6,804,833 | $1,131,170 | $1,669,139 |
| 2023 | $31,904,315 | $5,336,755 | $6,214,108 | $6,150,500 | 100 | $6,151,250 | $2,521,203 | $1,555,883 |
| 2022 | $31,415,651 | $7,526,178 | $7,381,189 | $7,369,300 | 82 | $7,370,050 | $2,651,868 | $1,696,167 |
| 2021 | $35,804,645 | $5,073,615 | $7,904,967 | $7,880,200 | 82 | — | $285,379 | $1,718,924 |
| 2020 | $32,944,102 | $1,314,143 | $7,572,883 | $7,530,000 | 50 | — | $586,179 | $1,668,944 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education, health, legal services, and other charitable organizations. For example, Prep for Prep describes its mission as expanding educational access and opportunity for promising New York City students. The Legal Aid Society says it provides quality legal representation to low-income New Yorkers, while Inner-City Scholarship Fund says it works to sustain access to Catholic K–12 education in the Archdiocese of New York.
Other 2025 recipients include the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which describes its work as using legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, and Equal Justice Works, which says it creates opportunities for lawyers to pursue public service. The California Fire Foundation says it assists fire victims and conducts fire-safety education campaigns.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 98 grants totaling $9,123,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,378,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards included $1,378,000 to Columbia Law School, $1,250,000 to New York City Partnership Foundation Inc., $1,210,000 to NYU Langone Health, $602,500 to NYU School of Law, and $500,000 to Prep for Prep. These grants were listed for general program support.
Other listed awards included $339,000 to University of Chicago Law School, $320,500 to The Legal Aid Society, $250,000 to Inner-City Scholarship Fund, and $240,000 to Children’s Aid Society.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Martin Lipton as president and director; Herbert M. Wachtell as vice president, secretary, and director; Constance Monte as vice president, treasurer, and director; and Edward D. Herlihy, Daniel A. Neff, and Jodi J. Schwartz as vice presidents and directors.
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is led by Martin Lipton, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Martin Lipton
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Constance Monte
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel A. Neff
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward D. Herlihy
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Herbert M. Wachtell
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jodi J. Schwartz
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz
How much does Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz give each year?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz gave $9.1M across 98 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6.8M across 97 grants.
What is Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's typical grant size?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $93,097, across 98 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz that year got $43K on average.
Where does Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz give grants?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (43 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants), Los Angeles, CA (5 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (98 of 98) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's largest grantees?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's largest 2025 grantees include Columbia Law School ($1,378,000), New York City Partnership Foundation Inc ($1,250,000) and NYU Langone Health ($1,210,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz reported $34.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education, health, legal services, and other charitable organizations. For example, Prep for Prep describes its mission as expanding educational access and opportunity for promising New York City students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz?
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 Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's EIN?
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3099901. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz 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 October 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 August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wachtell-lipton-rosen-and-katz-morg_9db477c066dc4299afa2578c6bf1a6cc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133099901_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wachtell Lipton Rosen \& Katz funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wachtell-lipton-rosen-and-katz-morg_9db477c066dc4299afa2578c6bf1a6cc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz'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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