The Fund for Individual Potential is a highly concentrated education-focused philanthropic vehicle that provides very large, unrestricted gifts to private secondary and small liberal-arts institutions in the Northeast. Its giving is dominated by multi-year support to a single boarding school (Brewster Academy) and a major one-off commitment to a liberal arts college (Hobart & William Smith), indicating a donor preference for institutional general operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Highly concentrated: very few, very large grants; repeat, multi-grant support to a primary beneficiary (Brewster Academy) and occasional large single gifts to other private colleges. Grants are primarily unrestricted/general purpose.
Notable grantees: Brewster Academy, Hobart & William Smith Colleges
A $2.6 million grant to Brewster Academy in 2023 signals the clearest pattern in Fund for Individual Potential’s recent giving: large, unrestricted support for private educational institutions. The foundation’s largest awards cluster around a small set of schools, with Brewster Academy receiving repeated general-purpose grants and Hobart & William Smith Colleges also appearing among its top commitments. That concentration suggests a strategy built around institutional stability rather than a broad, competitive portfolio of many smaller awards. The foundation’s recent grants also extend beyond one flagship school to a handful of other private colleges, boarding schools, and related organizations. Hobart & William Smith Colleges received $1 million in 2024 and another $100,000 grant in 2023, while Lafayette College and The Allen Stevenson School each appear in the recent-gifts list with general-purpose support. The recurring “general purpose of exempt organization” language across these awards points to unrestricted funding rather than project-specific grants. Although education is the most visible theme, the list also includes health, housing, Jewish communal, and arts organizations, indicating a regional donor with a narrow but not exclusive institutional lens.
Private education is the foundation’s dominant theme. Brewster Academy received $2.108 million in 2025 and $1.425 million in 2024, both marked for general-purpose support, showing a repeated commitment to one boarding school. In higher education, Hobart & William Smith Colleges received $1 million in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023. Lafayette College also appears twice, with $100,000 grants in 2023 and 2024, again as unrestricted support. The grant list also includes community-serving organizations. Lunch Break received $55,000 in 2025 and $25,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while Habcore was awarded $100,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024. These gifts show that the foundation’s support reaches beyond schools into housing and basic-needs services. Arts and Jewish communal groups are present as well, including repeated support for the Whitney Museum and Jewish Family & Children’s Service, both funded across multiple years.
Typical grants sit at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent list includes much larger outliers tied to a few institutions. The pattern is highly recurring: several recipients appear in multiple years, especially in education and selected community institutions. Grants are described as general-purpose support, including “general purpose of exempt organization,” which indicates unrestricted funding. The foundation is a private foundation rather than an operating charity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$3.8M
$46.1M
$5.7M
$4.8M
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 25% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Grant recipients are all in the United States, with New York receiving the highest share of grants by count. New Jersey recipients also appear frequently, and 25% of grants go to organizations in the foundation’s HQ state of New Jersey. Recent recipient cities include Wooleyboro, NH; New York, NY; Geneva, NY; Easton, PA; Asbury Park, NJ; and Long Branch, NJ. The geography is regional rather than national, with a noticeable Northeast concentration.
Its recent grants are concentrated in private education, especially Brewster Academy and Hobart & William Smith Colleges, and also include organizations in health, housing, Jewish communal services, and the arts. Several awards are labeled general-purpose support, showing an emphasis on institutional operating flexibility.
The distribution centers at $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger awards, including $2.6 million and $2.108 million to the same school.
Yes. Multiple grantees appear across more than one year, including Brewster Academy, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Lafayette College, New York Presbyterian Fund Inc, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Habcore, Lunch Break, the Whitney Museum, and Jewish Family & Children’s Service.
New York is the top state by grant count, while 25% of grants go to recipients in New Jersey, the foundation’s HQ state. The recipient list is entirely U.S.-based, with a strong Northeast pattern.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,325,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| BREWSTER ACADEMY | WOLEBORO, NH | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HABCORE | ASBURY PARK, NJ | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $40,550 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LUNCH BREAK | RED BANK, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| THE ALLEN STEVENSON SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RISING TREETOPS AT OAKHURST | OAKHURST, NJ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LAFAYETTE COLLEGE | EASTON, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES | GENEVA, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LIFE MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY | WOLEBORO, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| END 68 HOURS OF HUNGER WOLFEBORO CHAPTER | WOLFEBORO FALLS, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS | RED BANK, NJ | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| FREE TO SMILE FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| BREWSTER ACADEMY | WOLEBORO, NH | $2,108,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| MONMOUTH MEDICAL CENTER FOUDATION | LONG BRANCH, NJ | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| CHALLANGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HABCORE | ASBURY PARK, NJ | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LUNCH BREAK | RED BANK, NJ | $55,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| THE ALLEN STEVENSON SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES | GENEVA, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RISING TREETOPS AT OAKHURST | OAKHURST, NJ | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LAFAYETTE COLLEGE | EASTON, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| END 68 HOURS OF HUNGER WOLFEBORO CHAPTER | WOLFEBORO FALLS, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LIFE MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY | WOLEBORO, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| OLD ROAD FUND INC | GREENWICH, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| THE FRIENDS OF GREEN CHIMNEYS | BREWSTER, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| BREWSTER ACADEMY | WOLEBORO, NH | $1,425,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES | GENEVA, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LAFAYETTE COLLEGE | EASTON, PA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| HABCORE | ASBURY PARK, NJ | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RISING TREETOPS AT OAKHURST | OAKHURST, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BRONX, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| LUNCH BREAK | RED BANK, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
| THE ALLEN STEVENSON SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION |
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
WHITNEY MUSEUM
GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC
$40,550GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
LIFE MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
END 68 HOURS OF HUNGER WOLFEBORO CHAPTER
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$3,500GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
FREE TO SMILE FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
CHALLANGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
WHITNEY MUSEUM
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
END 68 HOURS OF HUNGER WOLFEBORO CHAPTER
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
LIFE MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
OLD ROAD FUND INC
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
HOBART & WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES
$1,000,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN'S SERVICE
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
WHITNEY MUSEUM
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
RIVERDALE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION
TEMPLE EMANU-EL OF NYC
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE OF EXEMPT ORGANIZATION