Harris Philanthropies Inc.

Harris Philanthropies is the family foundation of Josh and Marjorie Harris, founded in 2013 and headquartered at 600 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Josh Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management and owner of the Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Crystal Palace FC, serves as uncompensated Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and Director. Two uncompensated Vice Presidents — Frank Marra and Erik Moody of HRS Management LLC — provide operational support. This lean structure means all significant grantmaking decisions flow directly from the founders.

The foundation's philosophy centers on catalytic, data-driven giving at the intersection of youth sports, leadership development, and community equity — specifically in cities where Harris holds deep personal or professional connections. Rather than funding broadly across issue areas, Harris Philanthropies concentrates resources on a small number of high-trust grantees. Of 34 documented grants totaling $4.96 million, just three organizations (Bridgespan Group, Sixers Youth Foundation, After-School All-Stars) account for 53% of total giving. Multi-year relationships are the norm: Bridgespan received 4 grants; After-School All-Stars and America Scores each received 2–3 grants.

First-time applicants must understand this is largely a relationship-driven funder. There is no open RFP, no grant portal, and no published deadline cycle. The official application process is simply "written request" to % HRS Management LLC at the foundation's address. Cold proposals are technically accepted, but success without a pre-existing relationship to the Harris network — through the Sixers Youth Foundation, After-School All-Stars, or Bridgespan's Leading for Impact program — is rare.

The most productive entry path flows through Marjorie Harris's active board roles: she chairs the Sixers Youth Foundation and holds positions at Harvard Business School, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, and After-School All-Stars. Organizations with leadership credibility in any of these networks, or those operating in Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Denver, or adjacent communities like Camden and Newark, have a materially stronger pathway. Relationship progression typically moves from network visibility → introduction to HRS Management staff → written letter of inquiry → informal discussion → initial grant, often in the $25,000–$100,000 range before multi-year commitments are established.

Harris Philanthropies has sustained annual grantmaking of $1.0–$1.6 million across its documented history (FY2019–FY2023), with grants paid ranging from $1.007 million (FY2022) to $1.574 million (FY2023). Total giving including non-cash components ranged from $1.338 million (FY2022) to $1.987 million (FY2023). Assets stood at $21.758 million as of FY2024, following a major recapitalization event in FY2023 when contributions received spiked to $15.3 million and assets nearly tripled from $8.7 million to $22.3 million.

Typical grant size: The median grant is approximately $63,000–$77,500 (range: $10,000–$654,118). The average of $145,945 is skewed upward by several large multi-year commitments. Most first-time grants to new organizations land in the $25,000–$100,000 range.

Program area breakdown (by documented grantee dollars, $4.96M total):

• Nonprofit capacity & leadership development (28%): Bridgespan Group's Leading for Impact program — $1.4 million across 4 grants — is the foundation's largest single-organization commitment and clearest strategic priority.
• Jewish & Israeli emergency relief (23%): Approximately $1.1M+ mobilized across 9 organizations (United Jewish Appeal Federation $360K, ADL Foundation $250K, Jewish National Fund USA $125K, PEF Israel Endowment Funds $125K, One Israel Fund $124K, and others) in response to October 2023 crisis.
• Youth sports & after-school programs (21%): After-School All-Stars $600K (2 grants), America Scores New York $170K (3 grants), Pennsylvania RTC/Jordan Burroughs wrestling training $100K, National Wrestling Hall of Fame $75K, University of Pennsylvania wrestling endowment $55K.
• Sixers Youth Foundation (13%): $654,118 in general operating support across 2 grants, reflecting Marjorie Harris's board role.
• COVID-19 / Public health response (8%): Icahn School of Medicine $250K, NY State Office of General Services $209K (KN95 masks).
• Other (7%): Up2Us Sports $50K, Greatest Generations Foundation $25K, The Denver Foundation $50K.

Geographic distribution: Approximately 65% of grant dollars flow to New York-based organizations. Pennsylvania/Philadelphia receives ~15%. New Jersey, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts account for the remainder. The FY2023 asset recapitalization suggests potential for increased annual giving in 2024–2026.

The five foundations identified as asset-size peers to Harris Philanthropies — all classified under NTEE code T22 (Private Grantmaking Foundations) with assets in the $21.75–21.78 million range — are all private family foundations operating without public websites or published application processes.

Harris Philanthropies stands apart from this peer set in two important respects. First, it maintains an active, branded public website (harrisphilanthropies.org) and a recognizable identity tied to Josh and Marjorie Harris's high-profile national presence — including TIME100 Philanthropy 2025 recognition — making it meaningfully more visible and approachable than most comparable private family foundations. Second, its documented annual giving of $1.0–$1.6 million represents a consistent, active grantmaking program; by contrast, many T22 foundations of similar size give far less frequently or hold assets primarily for future distribution. For grant seekers, this means Harris is one of the more reachable foundations in its asset tier — though "reachable" still demands a relationship entry point.

2025 has been Harris Philanthropies' most publicly visible year. In May 2025, Josh and Marjorie Harris committed $5 million to establish the Harris Family Athletic Training Center at The Field School in Washington, D.C. — Josh Harris's alma mater — with the facility opening September 2025 and an accompanying practice field scheduled for Fall 2026. This is the largest individual gift documented from the Harris family in recent years and reflects their expanding philanthropic footprint in D.C. following the 2023 acquisition of the Washington Commanders.

In April 2025, 80 Philadelphia-area nonprofits completed the latest cohort of the Bridgespan Group's Leading for Impact program, funded through the foundation's ongoing $1.4 million, four-grant commitment. This multi-year initiative has become the foundation's flagship capacity-building investment.

In April 2024, the foundation made its first documented international grant — $100,000 to the Palace for Life Employment Programme, the charitable arm of Crystal Palace FC, reflecting Josh Harris's UK sports portfolio. This grant signals a potential new international giving strand.

Josh and Marjorie Harris were named to the TIME100 Philanthropy 2025 list, reflecting growing national recognition of their giving. The foundation's FY2024 Form 990 was filed in November 2025; specific grant totals for FY2024 are not yet publicly available. Prior to these 2025 developments, the December 2022 seven-figure commitment to Penn Medicine for graduate medical education equity was the most significant non-emergency health grant in the foundation's documented history.

Because Harris Philanthropies operates without an RFP or grant portal, winning funding requires treating this as a relationship funder — not a competitive application process. The following tips are grounded in the foundation's 990 filing history and public grantee patterns.

Lead with sports as the primary vehicle: Every major sustained grantee connects athletics to youth development or community building. After-School All-Stars, America Scores New York, Sixers Youth Foundation, National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Penn wrestling endowment collectively demonstrate that sports-based programs — particularly those serving low-income urban youth — are the most reliable pathway to funding. Proposals positioning athletics as the core intervention, not an ancillary activity, align with documented giving behavior.

Use data-driven outcomes language: The foundation's self-description emphasizes being "results-oriented" and "data-driven." Proposals should include specific metrics — participant counts, pre/post outcome data, longitudinal tracking, and third-party evaluation results where available. Bridgespan's alignment with Harris reflects shared commitment to evidence-based approaches.

Connect explicitly to Harris cities: Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and Denver are the documented funding geographies. Camden and Newark (Philadelphia-adjacent) have also received support. If your organization serves these communities, lead with that specificity rather than a national scope.

Emphasize organizational capacity alongside program delivery: The foundation's largest investment — $1.4 million to Bridgespan's Leading for Impact — is not a program grant; it funds nonprofit leadership and management capacity. Proposals that include organizational strengthening components (leadership development, financial sustainability, systems building) align with proven priorities.

Optimal outreach timing: No formal grant cycle is published, but 990 filing patterns suggest grant decisions are made year-round with the most activity between March and October. The FY2024 return was filed November 2025, indicating active processing in late fall.

Format the written request appropriately: A 2–3 page letter of inquiry is the right length. Include: mission alignment to sports/youth/equity, geographic connection to Harris cities, measurable outcomes with specific data, dollar amount requested ($25,000–$400,000 is within documented range), a one-page budget, and two to three organizational leadership references who can speak to results.

Avoid: Proposals with no sports or athletics component, organizations working entirely outside Harris-affiliated geographies, and first-time asks above $200,000 without an existing relationship.