The John & Amy Griffin Foundation makes a small number of very large grants focused primarily on New York–area institutions and programs that advance educational opportunity, cultural institutions, community anti-poverty work, and biomedical research. A single long-term partnership (iMentor) dominates the portfolio, while other multi-hundred-thousand dollar gifts go to major museums, medical research, and community-focused philanthropy in the NYC region.
A single relationship with iMentor stands out in the John & Amy Griffin Foundation C/o John Griffin Ttee’s recent giving: the foundation awarded $3,825,000 in 2025, alongside another $1,250,000 in 2023 and $1,172,813 in 2024. That recurring support points to a funder that backs long-running initiatives, not one-off awards. Across the portfolio, the foundation also supports major New York cultural institutions, city-based anti-poverty work, and medical research at large academic health centers. The foundation’s grants show a clear preference for general support. It has given $1,300,000 to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and $525,000 to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, both in 2025, and it has also made sizable awards to Robin Hood Foundation for community-based programs. The pattern is concentrated in institutions with broad reach in New York and a smaller set of aligned partners in Charlottesville, Cambridge, Philadelphia, Washington, and San Francisco. In recent years, the foundation’s grantmaking has extended from youth access and mentoring to museums, schools, public-interest organizations, and biomedical research.
College access is a central theme in the foundation’s giving. It supported Persistence Plus in Cambridge, MA with $121,390 in 2024, and its repeated grants to iMentor show a sustained interest in mentoring-linked pathways to college. Cultural and historic institutions are another clear lane. In 2025, the foundation gave $250,000 to Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA and $200,000 to National Museum of African American in Washington, DC, both as general support. The foundation also funds urban community programs and education-related annual support. It awarded $700,000 to Robin Hood Foundation in 2024 and $450,000 in 2025 for community-based programs, while The Spence School received $150,000 in 2023 and $125,000 in 2024 through its annual fund.
Typical grants cluster at the low end of the foundation’s range: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $50,000. That said, the recent record includes several much larger awards, indicating a portfolio with a small number of high-value commitments alongside many smaller grants. The same recipient can appear across multiple years, most notably iMentor and Robin Hood Foundation, which suggests recurring support rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, and the grants shown are primarily general support, with some annual fund and community-based program awards.
$9.5M
$25.2M
$20.9M
$9.7M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Very concentrated, high-dollar giving: a handful of large grants with repeat funding to a principal grantee (iMentor). Few total grants but substantial amounts per grant, focused regionally (New York) and institutionally (museums, major nonprofits, medical centers).
Notable grantees: iMentor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robin Hood Foundation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Thomas Jefferson Foundation
The foundation gives primarily in the United States, and 72% of grants go to recipients in New York. New York City is the main center of activity, with repeated grants to organizations in New York, NY and the Bronx. Outside New York, the most visible recipient locations in the recent grants include Charlottesville, VA; Cambridge, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; San Francisco, CA; and Boston, MA. By state count, Massachusetts is the top giving state, reflecting several grants to Boston and Cambridge recipients.
The recent grants point to four main areas: college access and mentoring, cultural institutions and historic preservation, urban anti-poverty work, and biomedical research or clinical medicine. Examples include iMentor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Robin Hood Foundation, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Yes. iMentor appears with grants of $1,250,000 in 2023, $1,172,813 in 2024, and $3,825,000 in 2025. Robin Hood Foundation also appears in multiple years, with grants of $200,000 in 2023 and $700,000 and $450,000 in 2024 and 2025.
The distribution is relatively small at the center of the portfolio: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent grants also include much larger awards, but the middle of the distribution remains at $10,000.
Most grants go to recipients in New York, which accounts for 72% of grants. New York City recipients appear repeatedly, including organizations in New York, NY and the Bronx, while Massachusetts is the top state by grant count overall.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMENTOR | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $1,255,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $730,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS |
| NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP | NEW YORK, NY | $550,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VIRGINIA ATHLETICS FOUNDATION | Charlottesville, VA | $456,250 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE BOY'S CLUB OF NEW YORK | New York, NY | $333,334 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION FOR INVIDIVIDUAL RIGHT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | Charlottesville, VA | $150,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL | Bronx, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TORY BURCH FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOOD PLUS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| EVERY MOTHER COUNTS | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| FRIENDS OF THE MUSEE DES ARTS DECORATIFS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BEYOND TYPE 1 | MENLO PARK, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW 42ND STREET | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LINDSEY VONN FOUNDATION | Miami, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH | FORT WORTH, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SESAME WORKSHOP | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT SINAI DUBIN BREAST CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EVERGLADES FOUNDATION | PALMETTO BAY, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CASA-NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP | HUDSON, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE FOUNDATION | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF KARDIAS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STRIVE INTERNATIONAL | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BROOKLYN MUSEUM | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION | PLEASANTVILLE, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THISTLE FARMS INC | NASHVILLE, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLUTCHKITS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP ALLIES INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DIA ART FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOD'S LOVE WE DELIVER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEACHING MATTERS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| 19TH NEWS | AUSTIN, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IMENTOR | NEW YORK, NY | $3,825,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $1,300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $525,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
VIRGINIA ATHLETICS FOUNDATION
$456,250GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
FOUNDATION FOR INVIDIVIDUAL RIGHT
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$150,000ANNUAL FUND
RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TORY BURCH FOUNDATION
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$25,000EDUCATION
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BEYOND TYPE 1
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW 42ND STREET
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LINDSEY VONN FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT SINAI DUBIN BREAST CENTER
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CASA-NYC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
$10,000EDUCATION
FRIENDS OF KARDIAS FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BROOKLYN MUSEUM
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLUTCHKITS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP ALLIES INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT