The Iris Foundation concentrates essentially all of its giving on a single higher education institution, Bard College, providing very large gifts earmarked for ongoing institutional activities. The foundation appears focused on sustaining and strengthening one college rather than distributing funds across multiple organizations or sectors.
Highly concentrated giving: very large, repeat grants directed to one primary grantee (Bard College), suggesting long‑term, core support rather than many small or diverse gifts.
Notable grantees: Bard College
Iris Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by Bard College, with three grants of $9,944,088 in 2023, $11,671,317 in 2024, and $10,673,927 in 2025 for ongoing activities. That pattern shows a funder making very large, sustained commitments to one New York higher education institution rather than spreading support broadly. The foundation’s largest recent grants all sit in that same institutional stream, and its smaller gifts remain tied to cultural and educational organizations in New York and a few Florida recipients. Beyond Bard, the foundation has supported major arts and museum institutions in New York, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Frick Collection, along with New York University - Isaw. It has also made grants to the Wolfsonian Florida International University in Miami Beach. The giving profile points to unrestricted or ongoing support for exempt-purpose activities, especially in higher education and arts-related institutions. With annual grants of $32,565,332 and assets of $89,905,904, the foundation operates at a scale where a single institutional relationship can account for most of its annual grantmaking.
Higher education is the clearest theme in Iris Foundation’s portfolio. Bard College received $10,673,927 in 2025 for ongoing activities, following similarly large grants in the prior two years. Arts and cultural institutions are another visible area. The Metropolitan Museum of Art received $105,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2024 as unrestricted gifts for the donee’s exempt purpose. The Frick Collection received $6,500 in 2023 and $3,000 in 2024, also as unrestricted support. The foundation has also backed academic and museum-linked organizations outside Bard. New York University - Isaw received $10,000 in 2024, while The Wolfsonian Florida International University received $7,500 in both 2023 and 2024. Those grants suggest interest in institutions tied to scholarship, collections, and exhibition work.
Iris Foundation gives in a highly uneven size pattern: p25 is $5,750, median grant size is $10,000, and p75 rises to $102,500, reflecting a mix of very large institutional awards and smaller discretionary gifts. The recent record also shows repetition over time, especially for Bard College and several arts institutions, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time support. Grants appear to be made through the foundation itself, with no indication of program-related investments or individual funding. The purposes attached to recent grants are overwhelmingly unrestricted or ongoing activities, rather than project-specific awards.
$10.7M
$89.9M
$14.7M
$13.8M
Most grants fall between $6K and $103K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$103K
About 80% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
The foundation’s giving is concentrated in New York recipients, which account for 80% of grants and make New York the top state by count. Annandale-on-Hudson appears repeatedly through Bard College, while New York City recipients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ars Brevis Foundation, New York University - Isaw, The Frick Collection, Royal Oak Foundation Inc, and Aamc Foundation. Outside New York, the only recipient city in the recent list is Miami Beach, through The Wolfsonian Florida International University and Florida International Foundation Inc.
The clearest focus is Bard College. The foundation made three very large grants for ongoing activities: $9,944,088 in 2023, $11,671,317 in 2024, and $10,673,927 in 2025. Smaller grants to museums and academic organizations appear alongside that core institutional support.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution has a p25 of $5,750, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $102,500. That spread reflects a portfolio with a few very large institutional grants and a longer tail of smaller unrestricted gifts.
Most grants go to recipients in New York. New York is the top state by grant count, and 80% of grants are awarded to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson and several organizations in New York City.
The recent grants are largely unrestricted or for ongoing activities. Bard College’s awards were for ongoing activities, and several museum and academic grants were described as unrestricted gifts for the donee’s exempt purpose. That pattern suggests a preference for flexible institutional support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BARD COLLEGE EIN 14-17130334 | ANNANDALE ON HUDSON, NY | $10,673,927 | 2025 | ONGOING ACTIVITIES |
| FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC (WOLFSONIAN) EIN 86-2799015 | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ROYAL OAK FOUNDATION INC EIN 23-7349380 | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART EIN 13-1624086 | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALE ON HUDSON, NY | $11,671,317 | 2024 | ON GOING ACTIVITIESON GOING ACTIVITIES |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ARS BREVIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY - ISAW | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE WOLFSONIAN FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $7,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE FRICK COLLECTION | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| AAMC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALE ON HUDSON, NY | $9,944,088 | 2023 | ON GOING ACTIVITIESON GOING ACTIVITIES |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $105,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE WOLFSONIAN FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $7,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE FRICK COLLECTION | NEW YORK, NY | $6,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
BARD COLLEGE EIN 14-17130334
$10,673,927ONGOING ACTIVITIES
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION INC (WOLFSONIAN) EIN 86-2799015
$10,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
ROYAL OAK FOUNDATION INC EIN 23-7349380
$5,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART EIN 13-1624086
$5,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
BARD COLLEGE
$11,671,317ON GOING ACTIVITIESON GOING ACTIVITIES
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
ARS BREVIS FOUNDATION
$15,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY - ISAW
$10,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE WOLFSONIAN FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
$7,500UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE FRICK COLLECTION
$3,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
AAMC FOUNDATION
$1,500UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
BARD COLLEGE
$9,944,088ON GOING ACTIVITIESON GOING ACTIVITIES
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
$105,000UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE WOLFSONIAN FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
$7,500UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE FRICK COLLECTION
$6,500UNRESTRICTED GIFT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE