The Lawton W Fitt & James I McLaren Foundation concentrates its support on major cultural and educational institutions, with sizable unrestricted/general operating gifts to established theaters, performing-arts venues, and elite higher-education and public policy organizations. Grants are large and targeted to well-known national or regional institutions rather than small community groups, signaling a preference for sustaining flagship cultural programming and scholarly/public-affairs work.
Lawton W Fitt & James I McLaren Foundation’s recent giving shows a clear preference for sustaining marquee institutions through large general-purpose gifts. The biggest award in the record is a $201,500 grant to Brown University Annual Fund, and the foundation also made $175,000 gifts to American Associates Of The National Theatre Inc in 2025 and National Theatre in America Inc in 2026. Those awards sit alongside support for Brooklyn Academy of Music, Whitney Museum Of American Art, and Brookings Institution, pointing to a portfolio built around established cultural, educational, and public-policy organizations. The pattern is not limited to one sector. Theater and performing arts recur repeatedly, but so do elite higher-education annual funds and policy research institutions. Several grantees appear more than once across multiple years, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The foundation’s grants are mostly general support, so the emphasis is on strengthening institutions rather than underwriting a single project. Its giving is concentrated in a small set of recognizable nonprofits, with New York organizations appearing frequently among the recipients.
In higher education, the foundation backed Brown University Annual Fund with $201,500 in 2024, then added $50,000 to Brown University in 2026 and another $50,000 to Brown University Annual Fund in 2025. It also supported University of Virginia (Darden Annual Fund) with $25,000 in 2026. Performing arts is another core area. The foundation gave $175,000 to National Theatre in America Inc in 2026 and $175,000 to American Associates Of The National Theatre Inc in 2025, with additional support of $120,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2023 to the same National Theatre-related entity. Its cultural support extends to Brooklyn Academy of Music, which received $150,000 in 2023, $60,000 in 2024, $50,000 in 2025, and $75,000 in 2026. The foundation also funded Brookings Institution with $100,000 in both 2025 and 2026.
Typical grant size sits at $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes several much larger institutional grants, showing a split between smaller awards and major support for select organizations. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Brown University, Brookings Institution, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Whitney Museum Of American Art, which points to repeat funding rather than one-time awards. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are general support or general operating in nature.
$696K
$11.6M
$961K
$790K
Most grants fall between $3K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
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A small number of relatively large general-purpose grants, often concentrated among repeat or marquee institutions (repeat funding to the American Associates of the National Theatre), favoring established national/regional organizations over many small grants.
Notable grantees: American Associates of the National Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brown University Annual Fund, Brookings Institution
Grantmaking is strongly New York-centered: 80% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s top giving state, NY, and the recipient country distribution is entirely US-based. New York City appears frequently, including awards to American Associates Of The National Theatre Inc, Brookings Institution’s Washington, DC office not being in-state, Whitney Museum Of American Art, Friends Of The High Line, Joyce Theater Foundation, and Planned Parenthood Federation Of America. Other recipient cities include Brooklyn, Providence, McLean, Washington, DC, and Charlottesville. The record shows a regional domestic footprint rather than national or international dispersion.
The foundation supports established cultural, educational, and policy institutions. Recent grants include large general awards to theaters and performing-arts groups, elite university annual funds, museums, and a public-policy research institution. The pattern is concentrated in marquee nonprofits rather than small community organizations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Brown University, Brookings Institution, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Whitney Museum Of American Art, and Friends Of The High Line. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships and repeated support.
The grant-size distribution is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes much larger awards, such as $201,500 to Brown University Annual Fund and $175,000 grants to National Theatre-related organizations.
Most grants go to recipients in New York, which accounts for 80% of the foundation’s grants by recipient state. The recipient country distribution is entirely US-based, with grants also going to Washington, DC, Rhode Island, Virginia, and other US locations.
The recent grants are overwhelmingly listed as General, indicating a preference for unrestricted or general operating support. That pattern appears across cultural institutions, universities, museums, and research organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Theatre in America Inc | New York, NY | $175,000 | 2026 | General |
| Brookings Institution | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | General |
| Brooklyn Academy Of Music | Brooklyn, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | General |
| British Schools and Universities Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | $50,000 | 2026 | General |
| Whitney Museum Of American Art | New York, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | General |
| Friends Of The High Line | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | General |
| Joyce Theater Foundation | New York, NY | $26,500 | 2026 | General |
| Friends Of Hudson River Park | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| University of Virginia (Darden Annual Fund) | Charlottesville, VA | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Planned Parenthood Federation Of America | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| MiracleFeet | Chapel Hill, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Americans For Oxford Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Friends of Bellport Bay Inc | Bellport, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Women's Forum of New York (Education Fund) | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Racing Thoughts Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| St Ann's Warehouse Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| MABOU MINES DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| The Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area | Bellport, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Greenwich Village Soc for Historic Preservation | New York, NY | $1,500 | 2026 | General |
| Doctors Without Borders USA | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | General |
| Student Advocacy Inc | Elmsford, NY | $500 | 2026 | General |
| Long Island Community Hospital | PATCHOGUE, NY | $500 | 2026 | General |
| The Gateway Theater | Bellport, NY | $500 | 2026 | General |
| Federated Garden Clubs Of New York State Inc | BELLPORT, NY | $250 | 2026 | General |
| American Associates Of The National Theatre Inc | New York, NY | $175,000 | 2025 | General |
| Brookings Institution | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | General |
| Brown University Annual Fund | Providence, RI | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| American Friends Of Eton College | McLean, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| Brooklyn Academy Of Music | Brooklyn, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | General |
| Friends Of The High Line | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | General |
| Whitney Museum Of American Art | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | General |
| Friends Of Hudson River Park | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| Planned Parenthood Federation Of America | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| University of Virginia (Darden Annual Fund) | Charlottesville, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | General |
| Icahn School Of Medicine At Mount Sinai | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | General |
| MiracleFeet | Chapel Hill, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Joyce Theater Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Americans For Oxford Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| St Ann's Warehouse Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Racing Thoughts Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General |
| MABOU MINES DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General |
| Women's Forum of New York (Education Fund) | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General |
| Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Assoc | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | General |
| New York Live Arts Inc | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General |
| The Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area | Bellport, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | General |
| Friends of Bellport Bay Inc | Bellport, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | General |
| Promise Project | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500 | 2025 | General |
| Village Preservation | New York, NY | $1,250 | 2025 | General |
National Theatre in America Inc
$175,000General
Brown University
$50,000General
Whitney Museum Of American Art
General
Friends of Bellport Bay Inc
$5,000General
Women's Forum of New York (Education Fund)
$5,000General
Racing Thoughts Inc
$5,000General
MABOU MINES DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC
$5,000General
The Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area
$5,000General
Doctors Without Borders USA
$1,000General
Long Island Community Hospital
$500General
The Gateway Theater
$500General
Federated Garden Clubs Of New York State Inc
$250General
American Associates Of The National Theatre Inc
$175,000General
Brown University Annual Fund
$50,000General
American Friends Of Eton College
$50,000General
Whitney Museum Of American Art
$30,000General
Racing Thoughts Inc
$5,000General
MABOU MINES DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION INC
$5,000General
The Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area
$2,500General
Friends of Bellport Bay Inc
$2,500General
Promise Project
$1,500General
Village Preservation
$1,250General