Grateful Foundation Inc.

The Grateful Foundation Inc is a closed, invitation-only private foundation that explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." This means there is no application process, no open grant cycle, and no pathway for new organizations to apply directly. The only viable strategy for grantseekers is to identify personal connections to the foundation's leadership—likely a small family board operating from 103 Greenhaven Rd (or 411 Theodore Fremd Ave), Rye, NY 10580—and cultivate a relationship over time. The foundation has maintained a consistent portfolio of recurring grantees including Sandy Hook Promise Foundation ($50K), US Holocaust Museum ($25K), and Memorial Sloan Kettering ($20K), suggesting long-standing personal commitments by board members to these causes. Organizations in New York working in education, performing arts, or healthcare with any existing connections to Rye, Westchester County, or prominent local donors should consider whether their networks intersect with this family's philanthropic circle.

Grateful Foundation Inc distributed 22 grants totaling $325,500 in 2024, with consistent annual giving ranging from approximately $300,000 to $336,000 across the years reviewed. Charitable disbursements represent 87–98% of total annual expenses, reflecting a highly efficient pass-through grantmaking model. The foundation generates revenue primarily from investment returns (dividends and interest on its $6.06M asset base) rather than new contributions. Grant sizes range from $5,000 to $50,000 with a median of $11,250. The geographic distribution skews heavily toward New York (14 of 22 grants in 2024), with secondary giving in Connecticut (3), Pennsylvania (2), and single grants to organizations in Florida, Washington DC, and California. Key recurring grantees include Sandy Hook Promise Foundation ($50,000—the largest single grant, reflecting likely personal connection to the 2012 Newtown tragedy), the US Holocaust Museum ($25,000), and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($20,000). This pattern suggests a board with strong personal connections to gun violence prevention, Holocaust remembrance, and cancer treatment rather than a programmatic theory of change.

Among Westchester County and greater New York metropolitan area private family foundations with $5M–$8M in assets, the Grateful Foundation Inc is relatively small and operations-quiet. It does not publish grant guidelines, maintain a website with grantmaking information, or participate in philanthropy networks like Philanthropy New York. Comparable closed-portfolio family foundations in the region include the Abrons Foundation, the Hettinger Foundation, and smaller family vehicles operated through wealth management firms. The Grateful Foundation's recurring commitment to Sandy Hook Promise ($50K annually) places it in a peer group of post-Newtown trauma-motivated philanthropists—a cohort that also includes larger funders like the Schubert Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Its strong healthcare giving (Memorial Sloan Kettering, likely others) aligns with typical Westchester-area family philanthropy shaped by personal health experiences. The performing arts allocation likely reflects cultural affiliations in the Rye/Greenwich social corridor. This is not a foundation with a public-facing equity or systems-change agenda—it is a personal philanthropic vehicle reflecting private family values and relationships.

The Grateful Foundation Inc has maintained stable assets of approximately $6.06 million as of its most recent filing (October 2025), with consistent charitable disbursements of $300,000–$336,000 annually over at least the past several years. The foundation has been in continuous operation since receiving its IRS ruling in 1988, making it a long-established family vehicle now likely in its second or third generation of stewardship. In 2024, it made 22 grants totaling $325,500—a slight decrease from the prior year's $335,555. Revenue in 2025 was reported at $143,360, down from higher prior-year figures, likely reflecting market conditions on the investment portfolio. No new programs, strategic initiatives, or leadership changes have been publicly announced. The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation continues to receive the largest single annual grant ($50,000), which has persisted as a top allocation for multiple years, indicating a sustained personal commitment. There is no public evidence of a succession plan or grantmaking strategy shift.

Since the Grateful Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited grant proposals, traditional application tips do not apply. However, for organizations seeking to understand whether they might qualify for future consideration: (1) The foundation prioritizes New York-based nonprofits, particularly those in the greater NYC metro area and Westchester County—organizations outside this region should not expect geographic alignment. (2) Education, healthcare (especially cancer treatment and research), performing arts, civic organizations, and gun violence prevention are the documented focus areas based on known grantees. (3) Holocaust remembrance and human rights organizations have received recurring support (US Holocaust Museum, $25K). (4) Grant sizes run $5,000–$50,000, with most awards in the $10,000–$25,000 range—organizations seeking very large grants should look elsewhere. (5) The foundation appears to maintain a stable roster of trusted grantees year over year; new entrants are rare and almost certainly relationship-driven. (6) Organizations considering long-term cultivation should research who serves on the board (the foundation operates from a private Rye, NY address), attend events where this family may be present, and build authentic personal connections over multiple years before any conversation about funding.