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NYC Foundation Funder Map 2026

Published: Last updated: Reviewed: Sources: guidestar.org projects.propublica.org

TLDR

Most NYC nonprofits cannot name the median grant size of the foundations they apply to. This map fixes that — pulling actual 990-PF distributions, not the priorities page — across the largest funders in the New York metro.

Why This Map Exists

New York City has more foundations than any US metro, and the 25 largest collectively distribute over $4 billion in annual grants. Most of that giving is concentrated in a small number of priority areas, and the foundations that look interchangeable on a public-facing priorities page rarely fund the same work in practice.

The most common mistake mid-sized nonprofits make is applying to a foundation based on its stated priorities without checking what it has actually funded over the last three years. The 990-PF tells a different story than the website. This map pulls the 990-PF data and pairs it with what the foundation says it cares about — so you can spot the gap before you spend two months on an LOI that was never going to land.

What’s Inside

  • The 25 largest NYC-area foundations ranked by 2024 distributions
  • Median grant size, range, and typical grant count per cycle
  • The actual program areas funded over the last three years (not the website list)
  • LOI windows, full proposal calendars, and the realistic time-to-decision
  • Which funders actively review unsolicited LOIs and which only fund prior grantees
  • Program-officer turnover patterns — the foundations where relationships reset every 18 months

NYC Foundation Funder Map 2026

A practical map of the New York City foundation landscape — who funds what, median grant sizes, application calendars, and the patterns that decide which LOIs get returned. Delivered by email.

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