Greentree Foundation

Greentree Foundation is one of the most unusual private foundations a grant seeker will encounter — and understanding its structure is essential before making any outreach. This is an operating foundation, not a conventional grantmaker. The foundation preserves and operates the former Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Whitney estate — a 400-acre property in Manhasset, New York — as a world-class international conference center. Since 2000, the United Nations, governmental entities, and major philanthropic organizations devoted to peace, human rights, and international cooperation have convened at Greentree. Running this estate costs approximately $9.2 million per year in program service expenses, which accounts for the vast majority of the foundation's $10.1 million average annual giving. Direct external grantmaking is far more limited: grants paid to outside organizations have ranged from $373,000 (FY2019) to $451,500 (FY2023).

The foundation is formally classified as preselected only with no public application process. Cold proposals sent to the foundation will not result in grants. Instead, Greentree channels its community philanthropy almost entirely through two intermediary vehicles: the Long Island Community Foundation (now part of the New York Community Trust), which has received $850,000 across five grants for Nassau and Suffolk county charities; and the Manhasset Community Fund, which has received $800,000 across four grants for Town of North Hempstead organizations. For most grant seekers, these intermediaries are the correct and only practical entry point.

Leadership is stable and long-tenured. Nicholas Gabriel has served as Treasurer and President for at least a decade, with current compensation of approximately $442,000, reflecting the operational complexity of the estate. The trustee board — including Kofi Appenteng, Raymond McGuire, and Lincoln Chen — is populated by figures from international finance and global philanthropy, signaling that Greentree's self-conception is as an international convening institution, not a grantmaking body. First-time applicants should internalize this distinction: building a relationship with Greentree means earning access to its conference facilities or being invited into its Long Island philanthropic network, not submitting a grant proposal.

Greentree Foundation's $334.8 million in assets (FY2024) generate investment income that funds a two-tier giving structure. Total giving — which includes both the conference estate's operating expenses and external grants — averages approximately $10.1 million annually across FY2019-2023 (range: $8.94M in FY2020 to $10.76M in FY2022). However, this headline figure is misleading: program service expenses for the international meetings facility account for roughly $9.2 million per year, leaving only $373,000-$451,500 in actual external grants paid.

Across 14 recorded grants totaling $1,786,500, the average grant is $127,607. The database-reported typical grant range is $10,000-$200,000, with a median of $112,500. Grant distribution follows a clear hierarchy:

• Intermediary/regranting grants (largest): Long Island Community Foundation ($850,000 across 5 grants, ~$170,000 per grant); Manhasset Community Fund ($800,000 across 4 grants, $200,000 per grant)
• Charitable grantmaking vehicles: Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($125,000 across 3 grants, ~$41,667 per grant)
• Affinity/discretionary grants: Sarah Lawrence College ($10,000, general support); Seatuck Environmental Association ($1,500)

Geographically, 79% of grants flow to New York organizations (11 of 14), with the remainder in Kentucky (2 grants) and Massachusetts (1 grant). Nassau and Suffolk county organizations are the overwhelming beneficiaries when accounting for re-granted dollars through the Long Island Community Foundation and Manhasset Community Fund.

Total giving has declined modestly from the $11.7-12.9M range seen in FY2012-2015 to the current $9.4-10.8M band, consistent with the estate absorbing proportionally more operating costs over time. The endowment is entirely self-funded — zero contributions received in any year — and net investment income has varied dramatically with market conditions: $38.2M in FY2020, $20.5M in FY2021, $8.8M in FY2022, and $7.9M in FY2023.

Greentree Foundation occupies a rare niche: a large-endowment operating foundation whose primary 'philanthropic output' is a physical convening facility rather than direct grant dollars. This shapes a meaningful comparative disadvantage for traditional grant seekers compared to regional peers.

The contrast is stark: the Altman Foundation, with roughly half Greentree's assets, distributes more than 25 times as many dollars in direct external grants. Greentree's external grantmaking ($451K) is dwarfed even by the Rauch Foundation, a much smaller Long Island peer. For Long Island nonprofits, the Rauch Foundation's open LOI process offers a far more accessible pathway than Greentree. Greentree's unique value to the philanthropic ecosystem is its conference infrastructure — the estate has served as a high-level convening space for UN agencies and international civil society for over two decades — rather than as a capital allocator to the sector.

The most significant recent programmatic activity is the 2026/2027 Teachers' Ecology Workshop, with applications open through May 15, 2026. Now in at least its 14th consecutive year, the workshop pairs Greentree Foundation with the Seatuck Environmental Association to offer Long Island educators immersive ecology training at the Manhasset estate. The program has expanded to offer graduate credits through Adelphi University (up to 6 credits at $500/credit), elevating its professional credibility. Contact for the program is workshop@greentreefdn.org.

On the financial side, the most recent 990-PF filed November 13, 2025 (FY2024) confirmed assets of $334.8 million — the highest level since the FY2021 peak of $350.9M — with total revenue of $14.6 million driven primarily by asset sales ($8.2M) and dividends ($5.8M). Officer compensation for Nicholas Gabriel stands at approximately $442,711, consistent with prior years. Ahmad Dawwas (Director of Conference, $247,846) and Ramandip Kaur (Director of Finance, $212,788) remain in senior operational roles.

The last confirmed board changes occurred in late 2021: Sara R. Wilford departed as Vice President & Trustee in October 2021, and Franklin A. Thomas stepped down as Trustee in December 2021. No new trustee appointments were publicly announced. No major new grant programs, strategic pivots, or capital campaigns were identified in web research for 2025-2026.

Given Greentree Foundation's structure, the strategic advice for grant seekers diverges sharply from conventional wisdom:

For Nassau/Suffolk county nonprofits: Your primary path is the New York Community Trust's Long Island programs. Greentree has channeled $850,000 across five grants to the former Long Island Community Foundation (now NY Community Trust) with the stated purpose of supporting charities in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Craft your proposal to NY Community Trust emphasizing local community impact, educational achievement, and reducing social and cultural tensions — language that echoes Greentree's own community grantmaking purpose statements.

For North Hempstead organizations: Contact the Manhasset Community Fund directly. Greentree has directed $800,000 across four grants to this fund for North Hempstead community organizations, making it Greentree's most concentrated local giving vehicle on a per-grant basis ($200,000 average). Alignment with Manhasset and surrounding community benefit is essential.

For educators (Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn): Apply to the Teachers' Ecology Workshop at gtftew.org by May 15, 2026. This is the single open application pathway directly into Greentree programming. Selection is determined primarily by the extended response essay question — plan to invest 3-5 hours crafting this narrative. Frame your response around how field-based ecology will change your classroom practice, not just what you hope to learn. Must hold active NYS teacher/administrator certification.

For international and peace/human rights organizations: Relationship cultivation, not proposal submission, is the only path. Engage through Philanthropy New York (Greentree is a member), international affairs convenings, or UN-affiliated networks. Reference Greentree's specific focus areas — maternal and child health and UN Sustainable Development Goals — in any introductory conversation, as these are confirmed thematic priorities from the foundation's own IRS disclosures.

Avoid: Sending cold proposals to 220 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030 or calling (516) 684-2540 with a grant pitch. Greentree has no mechanism to receive or process unsolicited proposals.