William R McNeiece III Foundation
The William R McNeiece III Foundation is a private foundation based in Syracuse, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants for scholarships and higher education, as well as support for programs serving people in need.
William R McNeiece III Foundation at a glance
In short: William R McNeiece III Foundation gave $29K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New York. 80% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $29,200
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,920
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $878,906
- +3.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 80% first-time grantees (8 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (93% 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 William R McNeiece III Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing says scholarship applications may be obtained from James Hughes at the Hancock Law Firm. It states there are no restrictions on scholarships. The filing also says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing states that scholarship applications should be submitted no later than May 1; it does not specify a year for that deadline.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing states that scholarship applications should be submitted no later than May 1; it does not specify a…
- Contact
Application contact: James Hughes Esq
Mailing address: 100 Madison St, Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: (315) 565-4844
Email: jim.hughes@hancocklaw.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William R McNeiece III Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Action ($7K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 7% to recipients in Pennsylvania. These figures describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William R McNeiece III Foundation open to new grantees?
80%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 10 grantees (80%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 20% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2021 it paid out 133% 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 $29K (2024) to $54K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $29K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Action Morrisville, NY | Assist with Programs for the Needy | $7,200 |
| Fiver Children's Foundation New York, NY | Summer Higher Education 60 Students | $5,000 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | Higher Education | $4,000 |
| St Lawrence University Canton, NY | Higher Education | $3,000 |
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Higher Education | $2,000 |
| Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA | Higher Education | $2,000 |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Higher Education | $2,000 |
| SUNY ESF Syracuse, NY | Higher Education | $2,000 |
| Binghamton University Binghamton, NY | Higher Education | $1,000 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Higher Education | $1,000 |
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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 | $878,906 | $70,285 | $40,357 | $29,200 | 10 | $40,357 | $59,128 | — |
| 2024 | $847,884 | $45,003 | $36,882 | $29,200 | 12 | $36,882 | $37,321 | — |
| 2021 | $832,258 | $57,238 | $60,738 | $54,250 | 12 | $54,250 | $50,750 | $40,692 |
| 2020 | $769,854 | $-25,344 | $36,265 | $31,000 | 14 | — | $10,450 | $38,554 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for higher education and a grant to assist programs for people in need. The grantees describe their own work in varied terms: Fiver Children’s Foundation says it empowers children from systemically under-resourced communities through youth development; Rochester Institute of Technology says it uses technology, the arts, and design for the greater good; and St. Lawrence University describes its work as preparing students to be critical and creative thinkers. These are the grantees’ missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $29,200. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $7,200, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest awards included $7,200 to Community Action in Morrisville, New York, to assist with programs for people in need; $5,000 to Fiver Children’s Foundation for “Summer Higher Education 60 Students”; and $4,000 to Rochester Institute of Technology for higher education. Other grants included $3,000 to St. Lawrence University and $2,000 each to Colgate University, Messiah University, Skidmore College, and an individual recipient, all for higher education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Hughes Esq. as president, William Branson as vice president, Elizabeth RH Gillett as secretary, and Harry L Hood as treasurer.
William R McNeiece III Foundation is led by James Hughes Esq., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Hughes Esq.
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Branson
V President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Rh Gillett
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harry L. Hood
Treasurer
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 William R McNeiece III Foundation
How much does William R McNeiece III Foundation give each year?
William R McNeiece III Foundation gave $29K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $29K across 12 grants.
What is William R McNeiece III Foundation's typical grant size?
William R McNeiece III Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,920, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William R McNeiece III Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does William R McNeiece III Foundation give grants?
William R McNeiece III Foundation gives mostly in New York: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (7%).
Does William R McNeiece III Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on William R McNeiece III Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Higher Education" (8 grants).
Who are William R McNeiece III Foundation's largest grantees?
William R McNeiece III Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Action ($7,200), Fiver Children's Foundation ($5,000) and Rochester Institute of Technology ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William R McNeiece III Foundation?
William R McNeiece III Foundation reported $879K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $70K.
What does William R McNeiece III Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for higher education and a grant to assist programs for people in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William R McNeiece III Foundation?
The foundation’s 2025 filing says scholarship applications may be obtained from James Hughes at the Hancock Law Firm. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William R McNeiece III Foundation's EIN?
William R McNeiece III Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2914681. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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