Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership BenefitFunds Individuals
NEW YORK, NYWebsite
About Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation
Established in 1943 as a private, family foundation. Current grantmaking is focused on two programs: Defending and Strengthening Democracy, and Climate and Environmental Justice. The Foundation also provides limited support to a small number of long-time grantees that fall outside those program areas.
Focus Areas
Civic engagementVoting rights & election integrityReproductive rights and access to abortionCriminal justice / fair & equitable justice systemClimate changeEnvironmental justiceOrganizing and movement buildingLegal strategies and litigationPolicy advocacy
Who They Fund
state-level civic institutions and infrastructurevoters and civic participants (general electorate)
About Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation
Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation Inc directs its recent grantmaking through two named programs: Defending and Strengthening Democracy and Climate and Environmental Justice. Across those areas, the foundation backs civic infrastructure, voting rights and election integrity, climate action, environmental justice, and related legal and organizing work. Its 2025 grants show both sizeable institutional support and repeated commitments to the same partners, with awards ranging from six figures to mid-range operating grants. A major democracy-related line of giving went to Neo Philanthropy Inc, including a $400,000 grant in 2025 for the State Infrastructure Fund. The foundation also supported Common Cause Education Fund with a $350,000 general-support grant in 2025 and New Venture Fund with $300,000 for the Trusted Elections Fund in the same year. On the climate side, Stand.earth received $300,000 in 2025 for general support, while Rainforest Action Network received $250,000 that year. The pattern suggests a funder that combines program-specific grantmaking with continuing support for selected long-time grantees.
What Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation Funds
In democracy work, Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation Inc has backed state and national infrastructure. Neo Philanthropy Inc received $400,000 in 2025 for the State Infrastructure Fund, and New Venture Fund received $300,000 in 2025 for the Trusted Elections Fund. Common Cause Education Fund also received $350,000 in 2025 for general support. In climate and environmental justice, the foundation supported advocacy and accountability groups. Stand.earth received $300,000 in 2025 for general support, while Rainforest Action Network received $250,000 in 2025 for general support. The foundation also funded immigration-related work. The New York Immigration Coalition Inc received $225,000 in 2025 for general support, after earlier grants in 2023 and 2024.
How Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster at a mid-six-figure level: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $50,000, and p75 is $85,000, while the active program ranges extend to $800,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Neo Philanthropy Inc, Stand.earth, The New York Immigration Coalition Inc, Rainforest Action Network, Proteus Fund, Common Cause Education Fund, Ceres Inc, Earthjustice, and 350org. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, and it does not accept unsolicited applications in its listed programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6M
Total Assets
$31.9M
Total Revenue
$6.1M
Total Expenses
$7.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $85K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$85K
Geographic Reach
Regional14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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