Armadas Foundation

Armadas Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2002 — originally incorporated as Masada Foundation before renaming — and headquartered in Flushing, Queens, New York. It is led exclusively by Richard Kirschner (President/Director), Rachelle Kirschner (Treasurer/Director), and Stanley Fleishman (Secretary/Director), all serving without compensation. With $63.5 million in assets as of FY2024 and annual charitable disbursements ranging from $2.7 million to $4 million in recent years, this is a meaningful but entirely private funder.

Critical intelligence for grant seekers: Armadas Foundation does not operate a public application process. There is no functional website (armadas.org resolves to a parked domain placeholder), no published grant guidelines, no application portal, and no disclosed deadlines. The IRS nonprofit registry lists application instructions as "none." The foundation's sole documented grantee in FY2022 — the most recent filing with identified recipients — is the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, which received a $2.7 million grant classified as "general charitable." Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund is a donor-advised fund (DAF) administrator, not a charitable program. This means Armadas is functioning as a DAF-feeder vehicle: the Kirschner family transfers assets to their DAF account, then recommends grants to ultimate charitable recipients at their sole discretion, with no public disclosure of downstream beneficiaries.

The practical implication is stark: there is no open grant cycle, no LOI submission process, no review committee, and no standard progression from first contact to funded grant. The foundation's giving philosophy — insofar as it is discernible — is entirely personal and relationship-driven, controlled by a single family. Organizations that have received support are identified through the Kirschners' personal networks, community ties, or professional relationships, not through formal solicitation.

First-time applicants should not approach Armadas Foundation through any formal channel. The realistic path is personal connection — ideally a warm introduction from a mutual contact, shared institutional affiliation, or community relationship. The Masada Foundation name heritage (referencing the historic Jewish fortress) suggests possible alignment with Jewish communal organizations, Israel-related causes, or Queens/New York civic organizations, though no focus area is publicly stated. Building a genuine relationship with the Kirschner family well before any grant discussion is the essential prerequisite for any funding consideration.

Armadas Foundation's grantmaking history reveals extreme volatility, with annual grants paid ranging from $0 to $6.2 million across documented years — a pattern that reflects personal family decision-making rather than any programmatic grant cycle.

Granular history from IRS 990-PF filings: FY2010 ($921,361 granted), FY2011 ($58,745), FY2012 ($22,181), FY2013 ($22,204), FY2014 ($16,453), FY2018 ($1,130,340), FY2019 ($0), FY2020 ($6,200,000), FY2021 ($0), FY2022 ($2,700,000). ProPublica data indicates FY2024 disbursements of approximately $4,000,000. Total giving including administrative costs: FY2022 $2.857M, FY2021 $176K, FY2020 $6.32M, FY2019 $61.6K, FY2018 $1.19M. The $0 grant years in FY2019 and FY2021 are unexplained in public filings and may reflect capital accumulation ahead of large DAF transfers.

FY2020 saw a massive $37.5 million contribution inflow — likely a large personal endowment event — bringing assets from approximately $20M to $56M, followed by $6.2M in direct grants that year. By FY2024, assets reached $63.5 million through investment returns alone.

The sole FY2022 grantee was Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund ($2.7M, "general charitable"), confirming a DAF pass-through structure. The true end recipients of Armadas philanthropy are not publicly traceable through available databases.

Net investment income has been consistent: $1.83M (FY2020), $2.46M (FY2021), $2.54M (FY2022), suggesting a portfolio generating 4–5% annually. Revenue composition in FY2024 was 83.4% asset sales and 15.7% dividends, indicating active portfolio rebalancing to fund disbursements. At approximately 6.3% disbursement rate in FY2024 ($4M / $63.5M assets), the foundation is paying out above the IRS-mandated 5% minimum. There is no discernible focus area, geography breakdown, or grant size preference visible in public data — the DAF routing strategy effectively conceals all downstream giving patterns.

The five peer foundations identified by asset similarity share near-identical balance sheet sizes ($63.5–$63.6M) but differ in geography and public engagement:

Armadas Foundation's $63.5M asset level places it in the mid-tier private family foundation range — substantial enough to make multi-million-dollar annual grants but far below the scale of major institutional foundations. Among its peers, only Johnson Foundation (Wisconsin) maintains a public-facing website, which is consistent with the pattern of private family foundations at this asset level operating with minimal public engagement. Armadas is distinctive in that its most recently documented giving was routed entirely through a DAF (Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund) rather than directly to charitable programs — a strategy that may be employed by some peers as well but is less commonly documented. Grant seekers should not expect open application portals or published RFPs from any foundation in this peer cohort.

Based on ProPublica's compiled nonprofit data — the most current publicly available source — Armadas Foundation's FY2024 (fiscal year ending September 2024) shows revenue of $4.64 million, expenses of $4.19 million, charitable disbursements of approximately $4.0 million, and total assets of $63.5 million. This is the highest documented disbursement year in available records. FY2023 shows expenses of $2.86 million with assets of $60.7 million. The foundation's asset base has grown steadily since FY2020, when a $37.5 million contribution influx drove assets from approximately $20 million to $56 million.

No press releases, media coverage, grant announcements, or public communications specific to Armadas Foundation were identified in searches conducted in April 2026. The foundation's website (armadas.org) was confirmed to be a parked domain with no content as of that date. No leadership changes have been documented; Richard Kirschner has served as President/Director since at least FY2010, when the foundation operated as Masada Foundation. Rachelle Kirschner and Stanley Fleishman have likewise maintained their roles without change.

The most notable recent financial development is the continued post-2020 asset growth from $52.9M (FY2021) to $63.5M (FY2024), reflecting investment returns in a strong market environment rather than new major contributions. The foundation's FY2024 disbursement rate of approximately 6.3% suggests active distribution intent. No new program initiatives, strategic priority disclosures, or governance announcements have been identified.

Given Armadas Foundation's private family structure and complete absence of a formal application process, traditional grant-writing guidance is largely inapplicable. The following tips are specific to this funder's actual operating model:

Do not submit unsolicited applications. There is no portal, no application form, no published guidelines, and no grant deadlines. The IRS profile lists application instructions as "none." Time spent preparing a formal proposal will not reach a decision-maker.

Understand the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund channel. The Kirschner family's FY2022 grantmaking flowed entirely through a DAF account at Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. Organizations that receive DAF grants must be recognized 501(c)(3) entities in good standing — verify this baseline eligibility first. Downstream recipients are chosen entirely at the Kirschners' discretion, not through any Goldman Sachs application process.

The only viable approach is relationship cultivation. Identify shared professional networks, civic organizations, or community affiliations connecting your leadership to Richard or Rachelle Kirschner (Flushing/Queens, NY area). Stanley Fleishman (Secretary/Director) may be reachable through legal or professional networks. A warm introduction from a mutual contact is worth more than any formal proposal.

Use contact information carefully. The foundation's address is c/o R. Kirschner, 137-05 72nd Road, Flushing, NY 11367; phone: (718) 762-8700. No public email is listed. Any outreach should be a brief personal note — reference a mutual connection, describe your mission in two sentences, and request only a brief introductory conversation.

Align with likely interests. The historic foundation name "Masada Foundation" and Queens, NY location suggest potential resonance with Jewish communal organizations, Israel-related causes, Flushing civic organizations, or New York education and social services charities. No formal focus areas are disclosed, but organizational messaging should reflect genuine community connection rather than generic language.

Time outreach to September fiscal year-end. If a relationship develops, the foundation's fiscal year ends in September. Major giving decisions likely concentrate in July–September. Begin relationship building no later than spring if pursuing that year's cycle.

Monitor Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund acknowledgments. Some DAF grant recipients cite Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund as the funder in public communications. Tracking these acknowledgments in your sector may provide intelligence on the Kirschners' downstream charitable interests.