The Abraham J and Phyllis Katz Foundation makes a small number of very large, targeted gifts focused on university-level arts endowment and biomedical/clinical programs, with a clear interest in supporting organzations that build research capacity. While one major grant is an endowed music/keyboard studies gift to Cornell, the remainder of funding is concentrated on cord‑blood collection/biobanking and pediatric clinical research tied to Atlanta hospitals. Grants are large, strategic, and often directed to institutional partners rather than many small community groups.
A $5 million endowed gift to Cornell University for the Center for Keyboard Studies stands out in the Abraham J and Phyllis Katz Foundation’s recent record and shows how selectively it uses large grants. The foundation also backs biomedical and clinical work at a similarly serious scale, including repeated support for Cleveland Cord Blood Center and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. That pattern points to a funder that favors institutional partners, research capacity, and programs that can be sustained over time. Across recent grants, the foundation has supported cord blood collection and transplant infrastructure, sickle cell disease research, hospice and palliative care staffing, and clinical trials at Atlanta-based health institutions. Its grants are typically substantial rather than numerous, with several gifts repeated across multiple years to the same organizations. The mix of an arts endowment at a university and concentrated medical philanthropy makes the foundation distinctive: it funds both long-horizon cultural support and specialized healthcare programs. Recent awards also show a preference for named programs within larger institutions, such as research initiatives, operating support, and staffing or infrastructure needs. The foundation’s giving style suggests targeted institutional funding rather than broad, open-ended community grantmaking.
In sickle cell disease work, the foundation has made multiple large grants to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, including $1,000,000 in 2025 for the Research: Sickle Cell Disease Healthy Lives Program and additional support for Research: Sickle Cell Disease Health Services and Outcomes. Those awards show a sustained emphasis on both research and care delivery. Cord blood infrastructure is another core area. Cleveland Cord Blood Center received funding for cord blood collection programs tied to Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown, along with general operating support and support for National Cord Blood Transplant Network participating centers. The grants suggest an interest in the collection and transplant pipeline rather than a single isolated project. The foundation has also backed clinical research through Emory University, including the TUDCA Clinical Trial, Phase IIB (Boatright), and supported hospice and palliative care staffing at Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice. Its arts funding is visible in the Cornell University endowment for the Center for Keyboard Studies.
$22.6M
$0
-$689K
$23.3M
Most grants fall between $52K and $250K, with a median of $148K.
25th Percentile
$52K
Median
$148K
75th Percentile
$250K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants (few grants totaling $8M) with repeat funding to select biomedical partners; mixes one large institutional endowment with multi-grant support for clinical/research programs tied to local hospitals.
Notable grantees: Cornell University, Cleveland Cord Blood Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Typical grant sizes are large: the distribution shows a p25 of $51,500, a median of $147,882, and a p75 of $250,000. Recent giving also includes several six- and seven-figure awards, indicating a preference for concentrated institutional support rather than many small grants. The same organizations recur across multiple years, especially Cleveland Cord Blood Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, and Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice. The foundation funds individuals and does not make program-related investments, which fits a grantmaking model centered on direct grants, operating support, and endowment or infrastructure support.
The foundation gives mainly in Georgia: 70% of its grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Georgia is also the top state by grant count. Atlanta is the clearest center of activity, with grants to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice, and Atlanta Speech School. Outside Georgia, grants also land in Ithaca, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Recent grants point to university-level arts endowment, cord blood collection and transplant infrastructure, sickle cell disease research, clinical trials, and hospice and palliative care staffing. The foundation also funds capacity-building support such as operating support and program staffing.
Yes. Cleveland Cord Blood Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, and Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice each appear across multiple grant years, with repeated awards for similar programs or general operating support.
The grant-size distribution is sizable: p25 is $51,500, median grant size is $147,882, and p75 is $250,000. Recent awards also include several seven-figure grants and one $5 million endowment gift.
Georgia receives 70% of grants, and Atlanta is the main recipient city in the recent grant list. Grants also went to Ithaca, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio, but Georgia is both the top state by grant count and the state that receives the largest share of grants.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $4,000,000 | 2026 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease Healthy Lives Program |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $3,000,000 | 2026 | General operating support, 2023-2027 |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $1,884,769 | 2026 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease Health Services and Outcomes |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $1,467,024 | 2026 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease |
| Atlanta Community Food Bank | Atlanta, GA | $1,200,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | Program support fund |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $1,000,000 | 2026 | National Cord Blood Transplant Network Phase 2 expansion |
| Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $940,000 | 2026 | Preventive Cardiology Fellowship Program |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $750,000 | 2026 | Research: Ocular disease/Retinal degeneration |
| City of Refuge | Atlanta, GA | $500,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Gateway Center | Atlanta, GA | $500,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Common Good Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $500,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities | Atlanta, GA | $500,000 | 2026 | Capital campaign; program support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $450,000 | 2026 | Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Piano Studies Program |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $438,549 | 2026 | Molecular Vision medical journal support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $376,000 | 2026 | Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Institute for the Liberal Arts |
| Camp Twin Lakes | Atlanta, GA | $320,000 | 2026 | Camper scholarships |
| Bowery Residents' Committee | New York, NY | $300,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice | Atlanta, GA | $300,000 | 2026 | Hospice and palliative care programs, staffing |
| Atlanta Music Project | Atlanta, GA | $255,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2026 | Program support fund |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2026 | Research: Small molecule therapeutics for sickle cell anemia |
| National Center for Civil and Human Rights | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2026 | General operating, education programming |
| Center for the Visually Impaired | Atlanta, GA | $190,000 | 2026 | General operating and matching funds |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $150,000 | 2026 | Winship Cancer Institute, Patient & Family Services Program |
| American Red Cross | Atlanta, GA | $150,000 | 2026 | Biomedical equipment and operations |
| Atlanta Speech School | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | General operating support, Rollins Center |
| Common Good Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | Executive director position salary support |
| Special Olympics Georgia | Norcross, GA | $90,000 | 2026 | Georgia State Games |
| Candid | New York, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | General operating and programming - Southern region |
| Mr Holland's Opus Foundation The | Burbank, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | Music education services assessment, musical instrument donations to Atlanta Public Schools |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | General operating support |
| Sight Savers America | Pelham, AL | $45,000 | 2026 | Program support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $40,000 | 2026 | Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Chronos Faculty Fellowship |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $23,810 | 2026 | Program support fund |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $5,000,000 | 2025 | Center for Keyboard Studies endowment |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $1,000,000 | 2025 | General operating support |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease Healthy Lives Program |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $422,380 | 2025 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease Health Services and Outcomes |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $350,000 | 2025 | Cord blood collection program, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital |
| Atlanta Speech School | Atlanta, GA | $339,000 | 2025 | Science of Reading Project |
| Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice | Atlanta, GA | $300,000 | 2025 | Hospice and palliative care programs, staffing |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $293,522 | 2025 | Research: Sickle Cell Disease |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $280,000 | 2025 | National Cord Blood Transplant Network participating centers support |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $250,000 | 2025 | Winship Cancer Institute, GI Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship Program |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Center for Keyboard Studies |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $250,000 | 2025 | Research: Retinal degeneration |
| Cleveland Cord Blood Center | Cleveland, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | Cord blood collection program, Emory University Hospital Midtown |
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$4,000,000Research: Sickle Cell Disease Healthy Lives Program
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$3,000,000General operating support, 2023-2027
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$1,884,769Research: Sickle Cell Disease Health Services and Outcomes
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$1,467,024Research: Sickle Cell Disease
Emory University
$1,000,000Program support fund
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$1,000,000National Cord Blood Transplant Network Phase 2 expansion
Emory University
$940,000Preventive Cardiology Fellowship Program
Emory University
$750,000Research: Ocular disease/Retinal degeneration
Gateway Center
$500,000General operating support
Common Good Atlanta
$500,000General operating support
Emory University
$450,000Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Piano Studies Program
Emory University
$438,549Molecular Vision medical journal support
Emory University
$376,000Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Institute for the Liberal Arts
Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice
$300,000Hospice and palliative care programs, staffing
Atlanta Music Project
$255,000General operating support
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$250,000General operating support
Emory University
$200,000Program support fund
Emory University
$200,000Research: Small molecule therapeutics for sickle cell anemia
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
$200,000General operating, education programming
Emory University
$150,000Winship Cancer Institute, Patient & Family Services Program
Atlanta Speech School
$100,000General operating support, Rollins Center
Common Good Atlanta
$100,000Executive director position salary support
Special Olympics Georgia
$90,000Georgia State Games
Candid
$60,000General operating and programming - Southern region
Music education services assessment, musical instrument donations to Atlanta Public Schools
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$50,000General operating support
Emory University
$40,000Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Chronos Faculty Fellowship
Emory University
$23,810Program support fund
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$1,000,000General operating support
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$1,000,000Research: Sickle Cell Disease Healthy Lives Program
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$422,380Research: Sickle Cell Disease Health Services and Outcomes
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$350,000Cord blood collection program, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital
Atlanta Speech School
$339,000Science of Reading Project
Vi and Milton Weinstein Hospice
$300,000Hospice and palliative care programs, staffing
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
$293,522Research: Sickle Cell Disease
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$280,000National Cord Blood Transplant Network participating centers support
Emory University
$250,000Winship Cancer Institute, GI Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship Program
Emory University
$250,000Research: Retinal degeneration
Cleveland Cord Blood Center
$250,000Cord blood collection program, Emory University Hospital Midtown