The Lawrence Foundation

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1977 and headquartered in Orient, New York. The defining feature of its grantmaking — and the most important fact for any prospective applicant to internalize — is that it operates entirely through preselected partnerships. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. No grant portal exists, no LOI form is available, and the website (lawrencefoundation.org) provides organizational identity rather than application instructions. This invitation-only model reflects the foundation's core philosophy of building committed, long-term working relationships with a curated set of grantee partners.

The Bernstein family drives all grantmaking decisions. Lawrence Bernstein serves as Trustee and Executive Director (compensated $211,000–$228,000 annually in recent fiscal years). Audrey Bernstein is Trustee and Director of Programs ($57,000–$87,000). Sally Kunitsa joined in 2024 as Director of Grants ($95,297). Laura J. Bernstein serves as an uncompensated Trustee. The family-foundation structure means personal relationships carry significant weight — decision-makers are accessible but highly discretionary.

The foundation's philanthropic focus centers on organizations serving New Yorkers experiencing economic insecurity, defined broadly across five domains: housing and homelessness services, workforce development and job training, health services, K-12 education and youth development, and community development and legal services. Geographic concentration is stark — 258 of 339 tracked grants (76%) went to New York-based organizations, with the balance largely distributed across DC-headquartered national advocacy groups and NJ/MA community organizations.

The hallmark of the foundation's approach is multi-year depth over broad breadth. The top 15+ grantees each received 4 consecutive grants, accumulating $300,000–$375,000 per organization over the tracked period — roughly $75,000–$94,000 annually. Organizations like Breaking Ground, Coalition for the Homeless, Breakthrough New York, Peer Health Exchange, and Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center exemplify this sustained partnership model.

For organizations not currently in the portfolio, the only viable path is relationship development through existing grantee networks, sector coalitions, or board-level introductions. Plan 12–24 months of cultivation before a first grant is realistic, assuming a warm introduction can be secured within the first six months.

The Lawrence Foundation's grantmaking has grown substantially since approximately 2016–2018. Annual grants paid have ranged from $2.64 million (FY2019) to $3.78 million (FY2022), with total giving — including administrative disbursements — ranging from $3.2 million to $4.4 million. FY2023 shows grants paid of $3.55 million and total giving of $4.30 million against assets of $75.3 million, a payout ratio of approximately 5.7% — slightly above the 5% minimum required of private foundations. FY2024 charitable disbursements reached $4.15 million against assets of $76.5 million.

From 339 documented grants totaling $14.6 million, the average grant is $43,131 and the median is $50,000. Individual award sizes range from $1,100 on the low end to $105,000 on the high end. The most common award tier for established multi-year grantees is $75,000–$100,000 per year; newer or smaller-scale relationships typically receive $25,000–$50,000 annually.

Geographic distribution is heavily New York-centric: 258 of 339 tracked grants went to New York State organizations (76%), followed by Washington DC (15 grants), California (15), New Jersey (11), Massachusetts (8), Virginia (5), Michigan (4), and Nebraska (4). The DC and CA allocations primarily reflect national advocacy organizations — Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Doctors Without Borders USA, National Public Radio, National Network of Abortion Funds — with missions directly relevant to New York communities.

By program area, workforce development and job training represents the largest single category by distinct grantee count, with at least 10 organizations funded including Per Scholas, Green City Force, Exalt, Hope Program, Marcy Lab School, Emma's Torch, Bottomless Closet, and Grace Institute. Housing and homelessness services follows with 6–7 dedicated grantees. Health services accounts for at least 10 grantees. Education programs account for 7–8 grantees, and community development and legal services round out the portfolio.

A striking data point: foundation assets grew from $1.1 million (FY2015) to $75.8 million (FY2019) — implying a transformative endowment event, likely a major bequest, between 2016 and 2018. Assets have remained stable at $74–$76.5 million since, funded primarily by investment income ($2.3–$5.3 million in net investment income annually). The foundation is financially sustainable at current payout levels indefinitely.

Compared to other NYC-area private foundations operating in similar social service domains, The Lawrence Foundation occupies a meaningful mid-tier position — large enough to make $75,000–$100,000 multi-year commitments but far more selective and publicly invisible than institutional-scale peers.

The Lawrence Foundation's invitation-only structure distinguishes it sharply from peers like Altman Foundation and Hyde and Watson Foundation, both of which accept LOIs from new applicants and publish grant guidelines. For organizations unable to secure a Lawrence introduction, Altman Foundation and Hyde and Watson represent accessible entry points with substantially overlapping priorities.

The Tiger Foundation and New York Foundation operate at roughly half of Lawrence's financial scale with similarly relationship-based selection, making them natural comparators for NYC anti-poverty and social service organizations navigating multiple invited-only funders simultaneously. Lawrence's $50,000 median grant and multi-year commitment model offers greater financial predictability than LOI-based funders — but access barriers are correspondingly higher and the pathway to entry requires sustained network investment.

The most significant recent organizational development is the addition of Sally Kunitsa as Director of Grants in fiscal year 2024 ($95,297 annual compensation), as documented in the foundation's 2024 Form 990-PF. This is the first known dedicated grants management role beyond the Bernstein family's direct oversight, suggesting a modest formalization of the foundation's administrative infrastructure. Lawrence Bernstein continues as Executive Director at $228,036 and Audrey Bernstein as Director of Programs at $86,612.

Fiscal year 2024 data confirms total assets of $76.48 million and charitable disbursements of $4.15 million — consistent with the $3.5–4.4 million giving range maintained since 2019. Revenue composition reflects an investment-driven foundation: dividends ($2.69 million) and proceeds from asset sales ($2.90 million) together account for 99% of 2024 revenue, with minimal external contributions ($62,717).

No major public announcements, program-area pivots, or governance transitions were identified through web research. The foundation maintains a minimal public presence consistent with its invitation-only philosophy; lawrencefoundation.org is sparse by design.

Grantee roster continuity remains high. Breaking Ground, Coalition for the Homeless, Bowery Residents' Committee, Urban Pathways, Broadway Housing Communities, Breakthrough New York, Peer Health Exchange, and Neighbors Link have each accumulated 4 consecutive grants and $300,000–$375,000 in cumulative funding — indicating these core partnerships are actively maintained. The portfolio shows no evidence of major grantee departures or strategic realignment through the most recent available data. The consistent 75%+ geographic allocation to New York organizations has not shifted.

The single most important piece of advice for organizations interested in The Lawrence Foundation: this is a relationship development project, not an application process. There is no application form, no online portal, no LOI submission pathway. The foundation's own documentation confirms it does not accept unsolicited proposals and funds only preselected organizations. Cold outreach to the foundation directly is unlikely to be productive.

The realistic path to consideration begins with mapping your organization's existing networks against Lawrence's known grantee portfolio. Multi-year grantees include Breakthrough New York, Neighbors Link, Lawyers for Children, Arbor Rising, SparkYouth NYC, Green City Force, Exalt, Per Scholas, Hope Program, Change Machine, Cooperate Inc., Marcy Lab School, Emma's Torch, Island Harvest Food Bank, and dozens more. Any board member, senior staff, or major donor with a meaningful relationship at one of these organizations represents a potential warm introduction to the Bernstein family.

Sector convenings are a secondary entry point. The foundation's deep engagement across NYC's housing, workforce development, adolescent health, and community development sectors suggests awareness of key gatherings convened by organizations like the NYC Coalition for the Homeless, Workforce Professionals Training Institute, or community health intermediaries.

When an introduction is secured, be prepared to articulate four things concisely: (1) how your organization directly serves New Yorkers experiencing economic insecurity, with population and scale data; (2) what makes your program model demonstrably effective, supported by outcome metrics; (3) evidence of financial sustainability and governance strength; and (4) a specific, scoped funding request of $50,000–$75,000 for a first grant. Avoid framing initial conversations around organizational operating needs — the portfolio strongly favors direct-service program support.

Once in a funding relationship, sustained partnerships depend on consistent, timely performance reporting and proactive communication with Audrey Bernstein (Director of Programs) and Sally Kunitsa (Director of Grants). Top grantees have maintained relationships for 4+ consecutive funding cycles. Organizations demonstrating measurable impact and financial transparency are most likely to be renewed and scaled toward the $75,000–$100,000 annual tier.