The Hurford Foundation Jayne M Kurzman concentrates its giving on U.S.-based organizations that advance international affairs and democratic governance. Nearly all grants go to well-established policy and foreign‑policy institutions, indicating a preference for funding research, policy education, and democracy promotion rather than direct service or local programs. Grants are large and targeted, typically directed to a small set of repeat national grantees.
Highly concentrated: few, relatively large grants to a small number of repeat national organizations; funding focused on institutional donations rather than many small community grants.
A recurring pattern defines Hurford Foundation Jayne M Kurzman: large, sustained grants to organizations working on democracy, foreign policy, and international affairs. The National Endowment for Democracy appears multiple times in the recent record, including awards of $300,000 in 2024, $280,000 in 2023, and $225,000 in 2025, which signals a clear preference for ongoing support rather than one-off gifts. The foundation also backs policy and public-diplomacy institutions such as the Foreign Policy Association, which received $234,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2023. Its giving is aimed at established institutions rather than individuals or local service delivery. Core support shows up in several recent awards, including general support to Freedom House and the Council for Foreign Relations, alongside donation grants to Carnegie Endowment Int'l and other policy organizations. The grant list points to a funder that favors organizations with national reach and a strong role in research, advocacy, or civic education around governance and international affairs. Recent grants also extend to a smaller set of civic and educational groups, showing some breadth within that international-policy orientation.
In democracy promotion and governance, the foundation gave $300,000 in 2024, $280,000 in 2023, and $225,000 in 2025 to the National Endowment for Democracy. That repeated support is the clearest signal in the record. For foreign policy education and public diplomacy, it made two grants to the Foreign Policy Association: $234,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2023. The same policy-and-public-affairs pattern appears in grants to the Council for Foreign Relations, including $50,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in 2024. The foundation also supported related research and civic institutions through $79,000 grants to Carnegie Endowment Int'l in 2023 and 2024, plus $50,000 grants to Freedom House in 2023, 2024, and 2025. A smaller set of grants went to Save the Children, One to World, and the Dag Hammarskjold Fund.
Grant sizes cluster in the midrange, with a typical award of $30,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $79,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows a mix of repeated support and selective one-off gifts, but the repeated awards are more prominent, especially for a handful of national organizations across multiple years. The foundation’s philosophy tags point to general operating support, unrestricted support, and core or organizational support. It does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$305K
$6.3M
$664K
$469K
Most grants fall between $30K and $79K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$79K
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Notable grantees: National Endowment for Democracy, Foreign Policy Association, Other U.S.-based foreign policy and democracy promotion nonprofits
Giving is concentrated in the United States, with 27 of 27 recent grants going to U.S. recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, and 53% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipient locations cluster in New York City and Washington, DC, with additional grants to Fairfield, Connecticut and Durham, North Carolina. The geographic pattern reflects a regional U.S. footprint rather than a national or international one.
The recent grants point to established organizations working in democracy promotion, governance, foreign policy education, public diplomacy, and international affairs. The recipient list also includes policy research institutions and a smaller number of civic or educational groups, all within the United States.
Yes. The record shows multiple-year support for several recipients, including the National Endowment for Democracy in 2023, 2024, and 2025; the Foreign Policy Association in 2023 and 2024; and Freedom House in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical awards are substantial: $30,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $79,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $300,000 and $234,000.
All recent grants in the provided record go to U.S. recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, and 53% of grants go to organizations in the foundation’s HQ state.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, so its giving is directed to organizations rather than people or PRI structures.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT GREAT DECISIONS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS INSTITUTE ($50,000) AND THE JOHN B. HURFORD LECTURE ($25,000) |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT RELATED TO PRESS AND MEDIA FREEDOMS |
| THE ROCKFELLER UNIVERSITY | NEW Y ORK, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT SCIENCE AND DIPLOMACY INITIATIVE |
| EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE | DURHAM, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT TO COMPLETE A LINEAR PARK SEGMENT BY THE UNITED NATIONS OVER THE EAST RIVER |
| TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONE TO WORLD | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | SCIENCE AND SOCIETY INITIATIVE |
| NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COUNCIL FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ROCKFELLER UNIVERSITY | NEW Y ORK, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONE TO WORLD | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FREE RUSSIA FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE | DURHAM, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $234,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT INT'L PEACE | WASHINGTON, DC | $79,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $50,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| DAG HAMMARSKJOLD FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| ONE TO WORLD | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | DONATION |
| NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $280,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT INT'L | WASHINGTON, DC | $79,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $50,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| FREEDOM HOUSE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| DAG HAMMARSKJOLD FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
| EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE | DURHAM, NC | $15,000 | 2023 | DONATION |
FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION
$75,000SUPPORT GREAT DECISIONS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS INSTITUTE ($50,000) AND THE JOHN B. HURFORD LECTURE ($25,000)
EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE
$15,000SUPPORT TO COMPLETE A LINEAR PARK SEGMENT BY THE UNITED NATIONS OVER THE EAST RIVER
GENERAL SUPPORT
COUNCIL FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION
$234,000DONATION
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT INT'L PEACE
$79,000DONATION
FREEDOM HOUSE
$50,000DONATION
COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS
$50,000DONATION
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$50,000DONATION
DAG HAMMARSKJOLD FUND
$15,000DONATION
ONE TO WORLD
$10,000DONATION
FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION
$125,000DONATION
CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT INT'L
$79,000DONATION
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$50,000DONATION
FREEDOM HOUSE
$50,000DONATION
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$50,000DONATION
DAG HAMMARSKJOLD FUND
$15,000DONATION
EAST COAST GREENWAY ALLIANCE
$15,000DONATION