The Burnham Family Foundation does not make direct programmatic grants to operating nonprofits; instead its recorded giving consists entirely of multiple charitable contributions to Fidelity Charitable. This pattern indicates the foundation uses a donor-advised fund or similar vehicle to funnel philanthropic resources, leaving ultimate beneficiary choices unspecified in the foundation's public grant record.
Burnham Family Foundation’s public record is dominated by large charitable contributions to Fidelity Charitable, including a $1,001,851 grant in 2023 and additional 2023 gifts of $806,464, $501,126, and $300,000. That pattern points to a donor-advised giving structure in which the foundation uses Fidelity Charitable as a pass-through vehicle. In the more recent grant record, the foundation also directs substantial support to named nonprofits in New York, including New City Parks Inc for general and unrestricted support and The Trust for Public Land for NYC Community Schoolyards. Its giving reaches across education, arts, environmental conservation, and civil liberties, with several grants tied to specific initiatives rather than broad operating support. The record includes funding for teacher professional development connected to NYC Reads, literacy pathway work in New York City public schools, and coastal and wetland mitigation projects. Alongside that, the foundation supports organizations such as Billion Oyster Project, Earthjustice, and New Visions for Public Schools, showing a mix of flexible support and program-specific funding within a regional grantmaking pattern.
Education is a clear part of the foundation’s recent grant record. Burnham Family Foundation gave $98,996 to Teaching Matters Inc for teacher professional development in connection with NYC Reads, and $98,697 to Teaching Lab for the same purpose. It also awarded $50,000 to The Academy in Manayunk Inc for AIM Institute for Learning & Research work in New York City public schools. The arts appear through support for organizations such as Lighthouse Works Inc, which received $155,499 for the Hoffort House Maintenance Reserve Fund and another $120,804 for general and unrestricted support. Environmental work is another thread: the foundation gave $155,499 to Billion Oyster Project for Mitigation Bank Development Fund purposes and $60,402 to Natural Areas Conservancy Inc for Wetland Mitigation. In civic and policy-focused grantmaking, Earthjustice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation each received general support.
The typical grant profile is high-dollar: the 25th percentile is $300,000, the median is $501,126, and the 75th percentile is $806,464. The record shows repeated 2023 contributions to Fidelity Charitable, which suggests the foundation commonly routes giving through a donor-advised fund structure rather than only through direct operating grants. In 2025, the pattern shifts to named nonprofits and project-specific awards, including general and unrestricted support, reserve funding, and program-targeted gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and also funds individuals.
$2.3M
$75.1M
$25.1M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $300K and $806K, with a median of $501K.
25th Percentile
$300K
Median
$501K
75th Percentile
$806K
About 2% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Highly concentrated passthrough giving: all recorded dollars sent to a single intermediary (Fidelity Charitable) via repeated contributions rather than direct grants to operating organizations.
Notable grantees: Fidelity Charitable
The grant record is U.S.-only, with 50 grants to U.S. recipients. New York City is a major destination, appearing through awards to organizations such as New City Parks Inc, The Trust for Public Land, Teaching Matters Inc, New Visions for Public Schools, and multiple environmental and civic groups. Ohio appears through the Fidelity Charitable contributions in Cincinnati, while Fishers Island and Fishers Isle, New York, also appear in the recent grants list. Recipient locations in California, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Massachusetts round out the footprint.
The recent record includes education groups, arts organizations, environmental nonprofits, civil liberties groups, and conservation organizations. Examples include Teaching Matters Inc for NYC Reads-related teacher professional development, Billion Oyster Project for mitigation bank development, and Earthjustice for general support.
Yes. The largest recorded grants in 2023 were charitable contributions to Fidelity Charitable, including $1,001,851, $806,464, $501,126, $300,000, and $186,303. That repeated pattern indicates a donor-advised giving channel in the foundation’s public record.
The typical recorded grant is substantial: the 25th percentile is $300,000, the median is $501,126, and the 75th percentile is $806,464. The grant list includes both these large charitable contributions and smaller project grants in 2025.
Ohio is the top state by grant count, driven by the recorded Fidelity Charitable grants in Cincinnati. New York also appears frequently through grants to New York City and other New York locations such as Fishers Island and Fishers Isle.
Recent education grants include $98,996 to Teaching Matters Inc for teacher professional development connected to NYC Reads, $98,697 to Teaching Lab for the same purpose, and $50,000 to The Academy in Manayunk Inc for AIM Institute for Learning & Research work in New York City public schools.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW CITY PARKS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BILLION OYSTER PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $155,499 | 2025 | Mitigation Bank Development Fund (see general explanation) |
| LIGHTHOUSE WORKS INC | FISHERS ISLAND, NY | $155,499 | 2025 | Hoffort House Maintenance Reserve Fund (see general explanation) |
| LIGHTHOUSE WORKS INC | FISHERS ISLAND, NY | $120,804 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $100,907 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| WALSH PARK BENEVOLENT CORPORATION | FISHERS ISLE, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Maintenance Fund |
| TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | NYC Community Schoolyards |
| TEACHING MATTERS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $98,996 | 2025 | Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation) |
| NEW STORY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $98,697 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| TEACHING LAB | WASHINGTON, DC | $98,697 | 2025 | Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation) |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $74,154 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| FREE AND FAIR LITIGATION GROUP INC | NEW YORK, NY | $73,931 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| NATURAL AREAS CONSERVANCY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $60,402 | 2025 | Wetland Mitigation (see general explanation) |
| CAMBIAR EDUCATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | FBO Magpie Literacy for ROAR Integration Work |
| THE ACADEMY IN MANAYUNK INC | CONSHOHOCKEN, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | AIM Institute for Learning & Research in New York City Public Schools - Brooklyn/Brownsville - Expand AIM pathways licenses & implementation of science coaching and fidelity tools |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW VISIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | Literacy Academy Collective Fund |
| ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $49,533 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $49,533 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | $42,500 | 2025 | Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition; Long Island Sound Program; Wildlife Mitigation |
| BILLION OYSTER PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $40,505 | 2025 | Scholarship Fund; General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE EDUCATION FUND | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WIKIMEDIA ENDOWMENT | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $29,662 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE LAND TRUST INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,227 | 2025 | Conservation Capital Program (see general explanation) |
| LITERACY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,227 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| LEARNING THROUGH AN EXPANDED ARTS PROGRAM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Exploring Creative Futures |
| HENRY L FERGUSON MUSEUM | FISHERS ISLAND, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | General & unrestricted; Seagrass coalition |
| FUND FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | NYC Public Schools Educator and Student Programming at the Arts Hub - Studio Artist Stipends and Fund for Public Schools' Administrative Fee |
| NEW PROFIT INC | BOSTON, MA | $24,842 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES NY INC | ALBANY, NY | $24,842 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| ECHOING GREEN INC | NEW YORK, NY | $24,842 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| FFWD | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $24,842 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| EL EDUCATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $24,842 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES INC | MILLBROOK, NY | $24,842 | 2025 | Catalyst Fund and Data Visualization Fund (see general explanation) |
| FARMLINK PROJECT | LOS ANGELES, CA | $24,767 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| THE NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST | NEW YORK, NY | $20,022 | 2025 | Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (see general explanation) |
| SAVE THE SOUND INC | NEW HAVEN, CT | $20,022 | 2025 | Water Quality Monitoring (see general explanation) |
| SURE WE CAN INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE LITTLE ORCHESTRA SOCIETY- ORPHEON INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED | BROOKLYN, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| DYSLEXIA ALLIANCE FOR BLACK CHILDREN | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | $10,304 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| GLYNWOOD CENTER INC | COLD SPRINGS, NY | $10,011 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) |
| CHINATI FOUNDATION | MARFA, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | Artist in Residence Program |
| THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOR LENOX AND TILDEN | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Early Literacy |
| RIVERKEEPER INC | OSSINING, NY | $8,157 | 2025 | SWIM Coalition (see general explanation) |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $2,443,708 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| DYSLEXIA ALLIANCE FOR BLACK CHILDREN | NEW ROCHELLE, NY | $101,254 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| OPEN SPACE INSTITUTE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,929 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW VISIONS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | Literacy Academy Collective |
| LIGHTHOUSE WORKS INC | FISHERS ISLAND, NY | $80,882 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
Mitigation Bank Development Fund (see general explanation)
Hoffort House Maintenance Reserve Fund (see general explanation)
ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE OF NEW YORK
$100,907General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
$100,000NYC Community Schoolyards
Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation)
Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation)
General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
AIM Institute for Learning & Research in New York City Public Schools - Brooklyn/Brownsville - Expand AIM pathways licenses & implementation of science coaching and fidelity tools
AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME
$50,000General & Unrestricted
General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition; Long Island Sound Program; Wildlife Mitigation
Scholarship Fund; General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
WIKIMEDIA ENDOWMENT
$29,662General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
Conservation Capital Program (see general explanation)
NYC Public Schools Educator and Student Programming at the Arts Hub - Studio Artist Stipends and Fund for Public Schools' Administrative Fee
CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES INC
$24,842Catalyst Fund and Data Visualization Fund (see general explanation)
Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund (see general explanation)
THE LITTLE ORCHESTRA SOCIETY- ORPHEON INC
$15,000General & Unrestricted
NEWTOWN CREEK ALLIANCE INCORPORATED
$15,000General & Unrestricted
General & Unrestricted (see general explanation)
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$2,443,708General & Unrestricted