The Peter & Susan Solomon Family Foundation makes a small number of large, targeted gifts to elite institutions, concentrating on medical research, higher education, Jewish studies, and cultural institutions. Their grants favor established organizations (both NYC-based and national universities/museums) and include repeat funding for major medical centers and academic programs. The foundation appears to prioritize impact through sizable general operating or unrestricted gifts to flagship institutions rather than many small local projects.
The Peter & Susan Solomon Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $1.5 million grant to President & Fellows of Harvard College in Cambridge, alongside seven-figure support for Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center and Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies. That combination points to a funder that backs a small set of established institutions across medicine, higher education, Jewish scholarship, and culture. In the latest grants list, the foundation also made large gifts to the American Museum of Natural History and repeated support to Memorial Sloan-kettering in both 2024 and 2025, showing continuity as well as scale. The pattern is not broad community grantmaking; it is focused institutional philanthropy, with money flowing to universities, major medical centers, museums, and selected civic or religious organizations. Several awards are designated as general support, including the Harvard and Memorial Sloan-kettering grants, which suggests flexibility for recipient priorities. The foundation’s giving profile is consistent with concentrated, high-dollar funding for flagship organizations rather than a wide spread of small project grants.
Higher education is a major lane in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $1.5 million to President & Fellows of Harvard College for general support and $119,278 to the same institution in 2025, while also supporting Trustees of Tufts College with $30,000 in 2024. Jewish studies is another clear priority: Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies received $1,216,215 in 2024, and Harvard University - Manuscripts at Cost received $53,580 that same year for Houghton Library. Cultural and civic institutions also appear repeatedly. The American Museum of Natural History received $771,590 in 2025 and $162,765 in 2024, while Metropolitan Museum of Art received $12,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also supported Manhattan Theatre Club, East Hampton Library, and Riverside Theatre.
Typical grant sizes are modest relative to the largest awards: the p25 is $500, the median is $2,500, and the p75 is $10,000. That distribution sits alongside a much smaller number of very large institutional gifts, which drives the overall annual total. The recent record shows repeat funding: Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center appears in both 2024 and 2025, as do President & Fellows of Harvard College, American Museum of Natural History, Abraham Joshua Heschel School, Student Leadership Network, Riverside Theatre, Congregation Emanu-el, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. The foundation is a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
$960K
$8.4M
$548K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $500 and $10K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of elite national and New York institutions; recurring support to at least one health-care grantee and one academic/Jewish studies program rather than many small or grassroots grants.
Notable grantees: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, President & Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies, American Museum of Natural History
Giving is regional, with 61% of grants going to recipients in New York state. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, driven by Cambridge and Boston recipients such as President & Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies, and Trustees of Tufts College. New York City remains a major destination, with Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center, American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Congregation Emanu-el all receiving support. Outside those centers, recipients include East Hampton, Vero Beach, and Cleveland Clinic-Indian River Foundation in Florida.
The foundation gives to major universities, cancer centers, Jewish studies programs, and cultural institutions. Recent examples include Harvard College, Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies, Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The foundation’s distribution is weighted toward smaller awards, with a p25 of $500, a median of $2,500, and a p75 of $10,000. At the same time, it also makes much larger institutional gifts, including seven-figure grants in the recent record.
Yes. Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center received grants in both 2024 and 2025, and several other recipients also appear across multiple years, including President & Fellows of Harvard College, American Museum of Natural History, Abraham Joshua Heschel School, Student Leadership Network, Riverside Theatre, Congregation Emanu-el, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The foundation’s grants are regional, with 61% going to recipients in New York state. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and New York City institutions also receive substantial support, including Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center and the American Museum of Natural History.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $933,607 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | NEW YORK, NY | $771,590 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $521,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $119,278 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TRGET ALS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MAHNHATTAN THEATRE CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $70,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MAHNHATTAN THEATRE CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | NEW YORK, NY | $55,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UJAFEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EAST HAMPTON LIBRARY | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC-INDIAN RIVER FOUNDATION | VERO BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RIVERSIDE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $23,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| STUDENT LEADERSHIP NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONGREGATION EMANU-EL | NEW YORK, NY | $14,380 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $8,140 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RIVERSIDE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE EMANU-EL | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| STUDENT LEADERSHIP NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONGREGATION EMANU-EL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,400 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,230 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NEW VISION PUBLIC SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONSTELLATION FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN RIVERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LONG HOUSE RESERVE | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| GUILD HALL | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PARRISH ART MUSEUM | WATER MILL, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NEW VISION PUBLIC SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE TAFT SCHOOL | WATERTOWN, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JOHN'S ISLAND COMMUINTY SERVICES LEAUGE | VERO BEACH, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE NIGHTINGALE BAMFORD SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE TAFT SCHOOL | WATERTOWN, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE GATEWAY SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE NIGHTINGALE BAMFORD SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RILEY'S WAY FOUNDATION | BROOKLYN, NY | $4,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART | VERO BEACH, FL | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EAST HAMPTON VILLAGE FOUNDATION | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE BETH SHALOM | VERO BEACH, FL | $2,800 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE BETH SHALOM | VERO BEACH, FL | $2,700 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNITED WAY OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY | VERO BEACH, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JOHN'S ISLAND COMMUINTY SERVICES LEAUGE | VERO BEACH, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JOHN'S ISLAND FOUNDATION | INDIAN RIVER SHORES, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SESAME WORKSHOP | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JOHN'S ISLAND FOUNDATION | INDIAN RIVER SHORES, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$933,607GENERAL
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$521,000GENERAL
TRGET ALS FOUNDATION
GENERAL
UJAFEDERATION
$50,000GENERAL
CLEVELAND CLINIC-INDIAN RIVER FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL
RIVERSIDE THEATRE
$23,000GENERAL
CONGREGATION EMANU-EL
$14,380GENERAL
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$8,140GENERAL
RIVERSIDE THEATRE
$8,000GENERAL
TEMPLE EMANU-EL
$7,500GENERAL
CONGREGATION EMANU-EL
$5,400GENERAL
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$5,230GENERAL
CONSTELLATION FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL
POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL
POLY PREP COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL
LONG HOUSE RESERVE
$5,000GENERAL
JOHN'S ISLAND COMMUINTY SERVICES LEAUGE
$5,000GENERAL
THE GATEWAY SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL
RILEY'S WAY FOUNDATION
$4,500GENERAL
TEMPLE BETH SHALOM
$2,800GENERAL
TEMPLE BETH SHALOM
$2,700GENERAL
JOHN'S ISLAND COMMUINTY SERVICES LEAUGE
$2,500GENERAL