The Jay and Kelly Sugarman Foundation concentrates on supporting education, performing arts, and community cultural institutions, with additional recurring support for Christian Science work. Grants skew toward established institutions (universities, well-known national programs) and local community organizations in the New York / Southampton area, favoring programmatic and capital-style gifts that build cultural and educational access. The foundation funds both K–12 enrichment (private schools, spelling bee programs) and higher education, while also backing performing arts training and local recreation facilities.
A distinctive feature of the Jay and Kelly Sugarman Foundation c/o Jay Sugarman is its repeated support for Christian Science work alongside arts, education, and community institutions. The foundation has made multiple grants to First Church of Christ Scientist in New York, and that pattern sits next to larger gifts for musical theatre training, higher education, and local cultural venues. In the recent grants list, the biggest award went to Broadway Everyday Foundation for theatrical training programming, showing a clear interest in arts education for young artists. Other sizable grants reached Princeton University for scholarships, research, and teaching, and Southampton Playhouse Inc for cinema and live events in Southampton. The giving profile combines institutional support with community-facing projects. Grants have also backed K-12 education, spelling bee programming, water safety and indoor pool access, emerging artist development, and local arts spaces in the New York and Southampton areas. The foundation’s recipients include universities, schools, performance organizations, and place-based nonprofits, suggesting a mix of educational access, cultural participation, and support for religious education within a relatively focused regional grantmaking pattern.
Education is one of the clearest throughlines in the foundation’s recent awards. It gave $110,000 to Princeton University for student scholarships, research, and quality teaching, and $50,000 to CALHOUN School to promote education K-12. It also supported Scripps Spelling Bee with grants of $37,563 and $31,275 for academic achievement and lifelong curiosity. Arts funding appears in several forms. The foundation gave $50,000 to Southampton Playhouse Inc to give Southampton a place for first-rate cinema and live events, and $15,000 to Signature Theatre Company for cultural and artistic experiences. Emerging artists also received support through Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, which got $25,000 for a supportive environment to explore new ideas and foster career development. Religious and civic support is another recurring theme. First Church of Christ Scientist received three grants of $39,000, $37,000, and $36,000 for Christian Science teaching, while Southampton Town Aquatics received $50,000 to improve water safety and access to indoor pools.
$331K
$10K
$306K
$331K
Most grants fall between $10K and $35K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$35K
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Moderate number of mid-to-large grants ($25k–$125k) concentrated on a mix of flagship national institutions and local community organizations; evidence of repeat giving to select beneficiaries (First Church of Christ Scientist, Scripps Spelling Bee) rather than many one-off microgrants.
Notable grantees: Broadway Everyday Foundation, First Church of Christ Scientist, Princeton University, Scripps National Spelling Bee, Southampton Playhouse Inc
Typical grants cluster in the mid five-figure range, with p25 at $10,000, a median of $25,000, and p75 at $35,000. The recent record shows both smaller operating-style awards and larger institutional gifts, including a $125,000 grant in 2023 and a $110,000 grant in 2025. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recipients appear across multiple years in a few cases, including First Church of Christ Scientist, Scripps National Spelling Bee, Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, Philadelphia Union Foundation, and Elephant Club, indicating some repeat support rather than one-time-only giving.
The foundation’s giving is concentrated in New York, which accounts for 62% of grants by recipient location and is also the top state by grant count. Recent awards reached New York City, Southampton, Watermill, Sag Harbor, Princeton, Chester, Cincinnati, Washington, San Clemente, Mountain View, Tucson, and Alexandria. The largest share stays close to the headquarters region, especially New York City and the Southampton area, while a smaller set of grants goes to institutions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Arizona, Washington, DC, and elsewhere in the US.
Its recent grants go to universities, schools, performing arts groups, community cultural institutions, and religious organizations. Examples include Princeton University, CALHOUN School, Southampton Playhouse Inc, Signature Theatre Company, and First Church of Christ Scientist.
The foundation’s typical award size sits in the five-figure range: p25 is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and p75 is $35,000. Recent grants range from $3,068 to $125,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including First Church of Christ Scientist, Scripps National Spelling Bee, Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation, Philadelphia Union Foundation, and Elephant Club.
Grantmaking is heavily New York-centered: 62% of grants go to recipients in New York, and New York is the top state by grant count. Recent New York recipients include organizations in New York City, Southampton, Watermill, and Sag Harbor.
Education, arts, Christian Science teaching, water safety, youth development through soccer, and African elephant conservation all appear in the recent grants. Named recipients include Scripps Spelling Bee, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton Town Aquatics, Philadelphia Union Foundation, and Elephant Cooperation.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | $110,000 | 2025 | To provide students with advanced learning through scholarships, research, and quality teaching. |
| Southampton Playhouse Inc | Southampton, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | To give the community of Southampton a place to experience first rate cinema and live events. |
| Scripps Spelling Bee | CINCINNATI, OH | $37,563 | 2025 | Inspiring the exploration of words to illuminate pathways of lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement and enriches communities. |
| First Church of Christ Scientist | New York, NY | $36,000 | 2025 | To promote the teaching of Christian science. |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | To educate those who attend through a broad range of innovative multidisciplinary programs. |
| Elephant Club | San Clemente, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | To raise awareness of the African Elephant crisis. |
| Signature Theatre Company | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | A place where individuals can come together to form meaningful connections and create cultural and artistic experiences. |
| Philadelphia Union Foundation | Chester, PA | $14,063 | 2025 | To promote positive change in underserved communities through the power of soccer. |
| Hamptons Art Camp | Sag Harbor, NY | $10,290 | 2025 | To help the under privileged residents of the Hamptons through home repair, hunger and crisis intervention. |
| Watermill Center | Watermill, NY | $3,068 | 2025 | To provide the community with a space to create and inpire through the arts. |
| Park Avenue Armory New York | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | To provide the people of new york city with a large center for performing and visual arts. |
| South Bronx United | Bronx, NY | $1,065 | 2025 | Uses soccer as a tool for social change, helping the youth build character, teamwork, and leadership skills. |
| High Point University | High Point, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | To give students the tools to live of life of service and understanding. |
| Southampton Town Aquatics | Southampton, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | To support access to indoor pools and improve water safety. |
| First Church of Christ Scientist | New York, NY | $37,000 | 2024 | To promote the teaching of Christian science. |
| Philadelphia Union Foundation | Chester, PA | $35,000 | 2024 | To promote inspiration and empowerment for young people, especially those in underserved communities. |
| SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE | CINCINNATI, OH | $31,275 | 2024 | INSPIRING THE EXPLORATION OF WORDS TO ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS OF LIFELONG CURIOSITY,CELEBRATES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ENRICHES COMMUNITES |
| Elephant Club | San Clemente, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | To raise awareness of the African Elephant crisis. |
| Syrian American Medical | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2024 | To promote global medical relief, save lives, and alleviate suffering. |
| Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation | Watermill, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | To provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to explore new ideas and foster their career development. |
| Good Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $10,225 | 2024 | To support the goal of dismantling multi-generational poverty. |
| Southampton Arts Center | Southampton, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | To support community building through the arts. |
| Khan Academy Inc | Mountain View, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | To promote free, accessible education. |
| AIP Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $5,000 | 2024 | To promote the learnings and teachings of physical sciences throughout the world. |
| Catholic Charities | Alexandria, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | To provide service to people, families, and communities in need. |
| Broadway Everyday Foundation | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2023 | To cultivate the next generation of musical theatre changemakers through unique and enriching theatrical training programming |
| CALHOUN School | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | To promote education K-12 |
| First Church of Christ Scientist | New York, NY | $39,000 | 2023 | To promote the teaching of Christian science. |
| SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE | CINCINNATI, OH | $28,938 | 2023 | INSPIRING THE EXPLORATION OF WORDS TO ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS OF LIFELONG CURIOSITY,CELEBRATES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ENRICHES COMMUNITES |
| Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation | Watermill, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | To provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to explore new ideas and foster their career development. |
| Columbia University Celiac Disease Center | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | To promote the study of Celiac Disease |
| ELEPHANT COOPERATION | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | TAKES A COOPERATIVE APPROACH OF RESEARCHING, VETTING, AND FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE SHARED MISSION OF SAVING THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT.TO CREATE HEALTHY,BALANCED,SELF-GENERATING COMMUNITIES WHERE BOTH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE LIVE IN HARMONY. |
| Signature Theater Company | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | To promote Theater art |
| New Heights Youth Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | To promote youth development and education |
To provide students with advanced learning through scholarships, research, and quality teaching.
Southampton Playhouse Inc
$50,000To give the community of Southampton a place to experience first rate cinema and live events.
Scripps Spelling Bee
$37,563Inspiring the exploration of words to illuminate pathways of lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement and enriches communities.
First Church of Christ Scientist
$36,000To promote the teaching of Christian science.
Columbia University
$25,000To educate those who attend through a broad range of innovative multidisciplinary programs.
To raise awareness of the African Elephant crisis.
A place where individuals can come together to form meaningful connections and create cultural and artistic experiences.
Philadelphia Union Foundation
$14,063To promote positive change in underserved communities through the power of soccer.
Hamptons Art Camp
$10,290To help the under privileged residents of the Hamptons through home repair, hunger and crisis intervention.
Watermill Center
$3,068To provide the community with a space to create and inpire through the arts.
Park Avenue Armory New York
$2,500To provide the people of new york city with a large center for performing and visual arts.
Uses soccer as a tool for social change, helping the youth build character, teamwork, and leadership skills.
To give students the tools to live of life of service and understanding.
Southampton Town Aquatics
$50,000To support access to indoor pools and improve water safety.
First Church of Christ Scientist
$37,000To promote the teaching of Christian science.
Philadelphia Union Foundation
$35,000To promote inspiration and empowerment for young people, especially those in underserved communities.
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
$31,275INSPIRING THE EXPLORATION OF WORDS TO ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS OF LIFELONG CURIOSITY,CELEBRATES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ENRICHES COMMUNITES
To promote global medical relief, save lives, and alleviate suffering.
To provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to explore new ideas and foster their career development.
Good Foundation Inc
$10,225To support the goal of dismantling multi-generational poverty.
Southampton Arts Center
$10,000To support community building through the arts.
AIP Foundation
$5,000To promote the learnings and teachings of physical sciences throughout the world.
Catholic Charities
$5,000To provide service to people, families, and communities in need.
Broadway Everyday Foundation
$125,000To cultivate the next generation of musical theatre changemakers through unique and enriching theatrical training programming
First Church of Christ Scientist
$39,000To promote the teaching of Christian science.
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
$28,938INSPIRING THE EXPLORATION OF WORDS TO ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS OF LIFELONG CURIOSITY,CELEBRATES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND ENRICHES COMMUNITES
To provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to explore new ideas and foster their career development.
Columbia University Celiac Disease Center
$25,000To promote the study of Celiac Disease
TAKES A COOPERATIVE APPROACH OF RESEARCHING, VETTING, AND FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE SHARED MISSION OF SAVING THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT.TO CREATE HEALTHY,BALANCED,SELF-GENERATING COMMUNITIES WHERE BOTH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE LIVE IN HARMONY.