Paul E Singer Foundation

The Paul E. Singer Foundation operates on a strict invitation-only basis — this single fact overrides every other strategic consideration. Its website, Candid profile, Inside Philanthropy profile, and GuideStar all confirm the same stance: the foundation proactively identifies potential grantees and is not currently accepting unsolicited proposals.

Paul Singer, CEO of Elliott Investment Management and Giving Pledge signatory (2013), founded the foundation in 2010 to advance three interconnected pillars: strengthening American democracy through free-market and rule-of-law initiatives, securing Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state, and advancing Jewish continuity. Grantmaking aligns consistently with these pillars across years of 990 data.

Headquartered at 40 West 57th Street, 26th Floor, New York — the same building as Elliott Management — the foundation's board and staff composition reflects the close overlap between Singer's business and philanthropic spheres. Daniel Bonner serves as Executive Director (compensated at approximately $585,000–$588,000/year), while Harry Z. Cohen functions as Director and Head of Strategy (approximately $318,000–$384,000/year). Board directors include Daniel Senor (foreign policy advisor, co-author of "Start-Up Nation"), Myron Kaplan (Secretary), Terry Kassel (Managing Director), and Anne G. Dickerson.

The foundation favors organizations that demonstrate: an established track record with verifiable proof points rather than potential; measurable medium-to-long-term impact backed by data; New York City presence or national reach with NY headquarters; integration within the Jewish organizational ecosystem, conservative policy sphere, or Israel advocacy community; and the capacity to leverage foundation investment through partnerships with aligned donors.

Singer maintains a payout rate often double the required 5% minimum — total assets have declined from $466 million (2018) to $172 million (2023) as annual giving accelerated to $135.4 million. A substantial portion of this giving flows through donor-advised funds at JPMorgan's National Philanthropic Trust, which obscures the true downstream grantee universe and means the foundation's real influence is considerably larger than its public 990 record suggests.

For first-time prospects, there is no application portal, no RFP cycle, and no website form that leads to funding. The relationship begins when the foundation initiates contact — making relationship-building within Singer's ecosystem the only viable strategic path.

The documented grantee dataset covers 93 grants totaling $87.5 million, but a single $68 million transfer to JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund dominates and creates significant statistical distortion. Stripping out that donor-advised fund transfer, direct grantmaking totals approximately $19.5 million across 92 identifiable recipient organizations — with an average of approximately $212,000 and a median of $50,000 per direct grantee.

The foundation's own typical grant size record confirms this profile: minimum $1,000, maximum $1,250,000, median $50,000, average $217,684 (across 54 grants in the analyzed cohort). Annual giving has escalated substantially: $11.8 million in grants paid (FY2019) → $51.3 million (FY2020) → $75.8 million (FY2021) → $122.9 million (FY2022), with total giving at $135.4 million in FY2023.

By program area (estimated from direct grantee data): - Jewish causes and Israel: ~68% — top recipients include Birthright Israel Foundation ($1,993,750), UJA Federation of New York ($1,755,000), TAMID Israel Investment Group ($1,270,000), Jewish Federations of North America ($1,250,000), American Israel Education Foundation ($1,250,000), Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools ($1,020,000), Jewish Agency for Israel-NA Council ($1,000,000), Jewish Community Relations Council of NY ($800,000), and 15+ smaller organizations ranging from $25,000–$600,000 - Policy and think tanks: ~12% — Manhattan Institute leads with $2,735,000 across two grants; Philanthropy Roundtable received $75,000 - K-12 and university education: ~8% — Success Academies ($600,000), Hebrew Language Charter Schools ($500,000), Harlem Children's Zone ($75,000), Prep for Prep ($50,000), Washington University ($330,000) - Health and medical research: ~7% — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ($500,000), Melanoma Research Alliance ($50,000), NF Forward ($50,000) - Cultural and civic: ~5% — New-York Historical Society ($50,000), Central Park Conservancy ($50,000), Children's Museum of Manhattan ($50,000)

Geographic distribution: New York 68% (63 grants), DC 6% (6 grants), Massachusetts 5% (5 grants), Florida 3% (3 grants), California 3% (3 grants). Organizations outside New York without national reach or NY headquarters face structural disadvantage. Total net investment income in FY2023 was $53.9 million, providing ongoing grantmaking fuel even as the asset base contracts.

The five peer foundations identified by asset size (~$172 million) all share the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE classification, but the Singer Foundation differs strikingly in payout behavior, thematic focus, and accessibility.

The Singer Foundation's most dramatic differentiator is its payout ratio: distributing $135 million from $172 million in assets represents a 78% distribution rate — compared to the typical 5–8% for private foundations of comparable size. Even peer foundations of similar asset scale would typically deploy $8–14 million annually under standard practice. This hyper-distribution strategy, combined with large DAF transfers, means Singer's real annual philanthropic impact likely exceeds what any similarly-sized foundation produces.

The thematic concentration and geographic specificity also distinguish Singer from peers: this is not a generalist foundation distributing broadly, but a highly targeted vehicle for a coherent personal philanthropic vision rooted in Jewish community, Israel advocacy, and center-right policy. Organizations aligned with those themes should treat Singer as a major strategic funder despite its relatively modest stated asset base.

The foundation's FY2023 Form 990 was filed on October 10, 2025 — the most current public record available. Key findings: total assets contracted 38% year-over-year from $276.4 million to $172.4 million, while total giving held at $135.4 million (matching the FY2022 figure). Net investment income reached $53.9 million in FY2023, suggesting continued strong portfolio performance.

Two programs were disclosed in the FY2023 990: the ongoing "Series of Educational Events and Programs Related to the Foundation's Mission" ($402,232 expenses) and a newly formalized "Event to Discuss Ways to Combat Rising Anti-Semitism" ($194,505 expenses). The anti-Semitism event program appears to be a new discrete initiative reflecting the post-October 7 environment, marking a meaningful programmatic evolution.

Officer compensation for FY2023 totaled $972,132: Daniel Bonner received approximately $585,000–$588,000 as Executive Director, and Harry Z. Cohen received approximately $317,000–$384,000 as Director and Head of Strategy. Both figures were consistent with FY2022 compensation levels, suggesting leadership stability.

No public press releases, new program launches, or major announcements were identified for 2025–2026. The foundation maintains a deliberately minimal public profile — a sparse website with three navigable pages, no social media presence, and no public grant announcements — consistent with Paul Singer's historical posture of declining public recognition for charitable activity. The last identifiable major public-facing activity was Singer's 2013 Giving Pledge signature.

The foundational advice for any organization pursuing the Paul E. Singer Foundation is to abandon the conventional grant-seeking playbook entirely. There is no application portal, no grant cycle, no RFP, no submission deadline, and no response to cold inquiries. The foundation's own website states explicitly it "is not currently accepting unsolicited proposals."

What actually works:

Build authentic presence in the right ecosystem. The Jewish Funders Network — itself a documented grantee ($245,000 across two grants) — hosts convenings where major Jewish philanthropists and their program staff engage. Sustained, visible participation over 12–18 months creates the kind of organic familiarity that precedes a Singer introduction. Attend not as a prospecting tactic but as genuine community participation.

Map relationships before materials. The board includes Daniel Senor (foreign policy commentator, Israel advocate), Anne G. Dickerson, Myron Kaplan, and Terry Kassel. Operational decision-makers are Executive Director Daniel Bonner and Head of Strategy Harry Z. Cohen. A credible warm introduction to any of these individuals outweighs any proposal document. Connections through Manhattan Institute's board, UJA Federation NY leadership, or Elliott Management's professional network are the highest-probability pathways.

Use their exact vocabulary authentically. The foundation frames its work around "measurable outcomes," "medium-to-long-term results," "leverage partnerships with aligned donors," and "strengthen American democracy" / "Jewish continuity." Organizations should use this language grounded in real program data, not as boilerplate.

Demonstrate scale readiness. With a documented median grant of $50,000 and maximum direct awards of $1.25 million, organizations should articulate what they'd accomplish with $50,000, $250,000, and $1,000,000 — showing both immediate impact and meaningful scalable capacity.

If contacted by foundation staff, respond within 48 hours with a concise, data-led organizational brief. Staff backgrounds in McKinsey and investment banking mean they expect quantitative precision — lead with impact metrics, then narrative context.

Avoid these mistakes: Do not cold-call the New York office (212-896-7635). Do not submit through the website contact form. Do not send materials without an existing relationship. Do not list this foundation in grant calendars without confirmed engagement — it signals misalignment to the sophisticated philanthropic circle where Singer operates.