Robinwood Foundation Inc.

Robinwood Foundation Inc. is one of the newest philanthropic foundations in the United States, having received its IRS tax-exempt ruling in January 2025 with approximately $50 million in assets. Based in Paramus, NJ — in the heart of the New York metro region — it is led by Kenneth C. Forester and operates as an independent private foundation focused on income inequality and service to underserved communities.

The foundation's giving philosophy centers on five interconnected pillars: healthcare (with emphasis on women's health, children's services, and mental health), education (learning and skill development), housing (safe and affordable living), nutrition (food security), and neighborhood parks and green spaces. This last area is distinctive among peer funders and suggests the foundation views community infrastructure as integral to poverty reduction — not just direct services.

Because Robinwood is so new, it has not yet released public grantee lists or 990 filings. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for early applicants: there is no competitive intelligence on past winners, but first movers who establish relationships now will have an advantage as the foundation matures and its grantmaking becomes more systematic.

The application process is invite-only. Organizations cannot submit a cold proposal — they must first email info@robinwoodfoundation.org to express interest. If approved, applicants receive a portal link to submit a grant cover sheet, narration, operating budget, and financial statements. This two-stage process rewards organizations that invest in relationship-building before applying.

First-time applicants should know that the foundation is building its review infrastructure in real time. Funding cycle dates are TBD. Patience and proactive communication — rather than waiting for a published deadline — are essential. Organizations that reach out now, demonstrate mission alignment, and maintain contact are best positioned for the first formal grant cycle, which the foundation has indicated will be annual.

Robinwood Foundation holds approximately $50,054,549 in total assets as of its first IRS filing period ending in early 2025. Because the foundation received its ruling date in January 2025 and the database shows no filed financials or grantee history yet, precise historical giving data is not publicly available. However, the foundation's published grant parameters provide clear benchmarks for applicants.

Grant size range: $5,000 to $250,000 per award, with smaller discretionary grants possible below $5,000. Critically, no single grant may exceed 20% of the recipient organization's total annual operating budget. This cap has significant implications: a $250,000 maximum award is only available to organizations with operating budgets of at least $1.25 million. Organizations with $500,000 budgets would be capped at $100,000 regardless of the strength of their proposal.

At a standard private foundation payout rate of 5% of assets, Robinwood would distribute approximately $2.5 million annually. If grants average $50,000-$75,000, this implies a grantee cohort of roughly 33-50 organizations per year — a meaningful portfolio for a first-year foundation.

Focus area allocation has not been publicly disclosed, but the five priority areas (healthcare, education, housing, nutrition, parks) suggest a diversified portfolio. Healthcare and housing tend to attract the largest individual grants in comparable foundations given infrastructure costs; education and nutrition programs may draw more mid-range awards ($15,000–$75,000); parks and green space projects may receive smaller, project-specific grants.

Geographically, the foundation explicitly serves California, New Jersey, and New York. New Jersey-based organizations have a home-field advantage given the Paramus, NJ headquarters. All grant types — new or expanding research initiatives, technology investments, and general operating support — are eligible, making Robinwood unusually flexible for a newer foundation.

The following table compares Robinwood Foundation Inc. to four peer foundations of similar asset size (~$50M) operating in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category:

Among this peer cohort, Robinwood stands out for two reasons. First, it is the only foundation to explicitly publish a five-pillar focus area framework that includes neighborhood parks and green spaces alongside traditional human services — suggesting a more holistic community development philosophy. Second, its published grant range ($5,000–$250,000) and the 20% operating budget cap give prospective applicants unusually clear parameters compared to peers that disclose no application guidance publicly. For nonprofits operating in New Jersey, Robinwood is the only home-state peer in this asset tier with a documented, open application pathway.

Robinwood Foundation Inc. is a first-year foundation with an IRS ruling date of January 2025. As of May 2026, no 990 filings, formal grantee announcements, or press releases have been published. The foundation's website (robinwoodfoundation.org) is live and functional, with an application process page, eligibility criteria, and a contact mechanism through info@robinwoodfoundation.org — indicating active operational readiness even if public grantmaking announcements are not yet available.

The contact listed in IRS records is Kenneth C. Forester, who serves as the foundation's principal officer. No board members or additional staff have been publicly identified.

The foundation's application portal is linked via a separate subdomain (rwstaff.azurewebsites.net), suggesting it uses a hosted grant management platform for application intake. The presence of this infrastructure indicates the foundation is prepared to receive and review applications, even though its first cycle dates remain TBD.

Because this is a startup foundation with $50 million in assets established in early 2025, observers should expect first formal 990 filings (revealing actual grant awards) to become public in late 2026 or early 2027. Until then, the website and direct correspondence with foundation staff represent the primary intelligence channels for prospective applicants.

Start with an expression of interest, not a full proposal. Robinwood's process is explicitly invite-only. Email info@robinwoodfoundation.org with a concise (300-500 word) description of your organization, its mission, the population served, and the specific focus area alignment. Do not attach a full proposal at this stage — it signals unfamiliarity with the foundation's process.

Lead with geography and population. The foundation's eligibility language emphasizes underserved communities in California, New Jersey, and New York. Your EOI should name the specific communities, zip codes, or counties you serve and quantify the population's need — income levels, access gaps, health disparities. Paramus, NJ-based foundations often respond well to specific local impact data.

Understand the 20% budget rule before you name an ask. If your annual operating budget is $300,000, your maximum grant is $60,000 — not $250,000. Calculate your ceiling in advance and ask for an amount that is strategically appropriate. Asking for more than 20% of your budget is an immediate disqualifier.

Align your language with the foundation's five pillars. Use their exact terminology: healthcare, education, housing, nutrition, neighborhood parks/green spaces. If your program touches multiple pillars (e.g., a food pantry that also offers nutrition education and connects clients to housing services), frame it as integrated rather than siloing it in one category.

Prepare financials before outreach. Have your independently audited financial statement or most recent Form 990 ready before you send the EOI. The foundation will request these at the next stage, and a slow response signals organizational unreadiness.

Timing is strategic. The foundation has announced one annual cycle with dates TBD. Reach out in Q3 or Q4 of each calendar year to position for cycle timing announcements. Early relationship-building is critical for a first-year foundation that has not yet established a large grantee roster.