The Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation makes a small number of very large, strategic gifts concentrated in the arts, higher education, and public policy, with occasional health and historic preservation support. They favor flagship institutions and repeat commitments (notably to major cultural institutions and international affairs organizations), suggesting a preference for institutional stability and broad-impact general purpose funding over many small grants.
Highly concentrated: very large, multi-million-dollar grants to a small set of institutional grantees with evidence of repeat funding; favors general-purpose support to established national and regional institutions.
A hallmark of the Sue & Edgar Wachenheim Foundation is its willingness to make seven- and eight-figure general support gifts to a small set of major institutions, especially in the arts and higher education. The largest recent grant in the record is $12,135,000 to The Museum of Modern Art in 2025, following another large MoMA gift of $11,852,500 in 2023 and a $5,335,000 grant in 2024. That kind of repeated support points to a long-term, institution-building approach rather than one-off project funding. The foundation also backs major policy and civic organizations, including a $3,000,000 grant to the Council on Foreign Relations in 2025 and earlier multi-million-dollar support to the same institution. In the education lane, Skidmore College received $6,250,000 in 2024 and $650,000 in 2025, showing continued commitment across years. Alongside these flagship gifts, the foundation funds select health and heritage institutions such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Northwell Health Foundation, and The Jay Heritage Center.
Arts institutions are a central part of the foundation’s portfolio. In 2025, it gave $12,135,000 to The Museum of Modern Art for general support, and it also made a $750,000 general-purpose gift to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in 2023. Higher education is another clear area of support: Skidmore College received $6,250,000 in 2024 and $500,000 in 2023, both for general support or general purpose. The foundation also funds public policy and international affairs organizations, including a $750,000 general-support grant to the American Enterprise Institute in 2025 and a $250,000 general-support grant to the Cato Institute in 2024. Its giving extends to community and regional institutions as well, such as The Carver Center, which received $500,000 in 2025 for general support.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $500,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows a small number of very large grants alongside many six-figure awards, with repeated support to the same recipients across multiple years. That pattern appears in The Museum of Modern Art, Council on Foreign Relations, Skidmore College, and The Carver Center. The foundation is a private foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Grants in the data are framed largely as general support or general purpose, indicating flexible funding rather than tightly restricted project awards.
$28.3M
$592.8M
$138M
$29.8M
Most grants fall between $15K and $500K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$500K
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Notable grantees: Museum of Modern Art, Council on Foreign Relations, Skidmore College, Northwell Health Foundation, The Jay Heritage Center
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with all 84 recent grants going to U.S. organizations. New York dominates the giving pattern: 73% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state, and New York City appears repeatedly through institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, Council on Foreign Relations, and WNET. Other New York locations include Saratoga Springs, Rye, New Hyde Park, Port Chester, and Purchase. Outside New York, the foundation also gives in Washington, DC, and Massachusetts, including Williamstown.
Its recent grants center on arts institutions, higher education, public policy and international affairs, with additional support for health and heritage organizations. Examples in the record include major museum funding, college support, and grants to policy institutions such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Enterprise Institute.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years. The Museum of Modern Art received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Council on Foreign Relations appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Skidmore College and The Carver Center each show repeated support across more than one year.
The typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $500,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger awards, including eight-figure support to major institutions.
New York is the top state by grant count, and 73% of grants go to recipients in that state. Recent New York recipients include organizations in New York City, Saratoga Springs, Rye, New Hyde Park, Port Chester, and Purchase.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $12,135,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OCEANA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $750,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $650,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CARVER CENTER | PORT CHESTER, NY | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WNET | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EAGLE HILL SCHOOL | GREENWICH, CT | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CLARK INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF RYE TOWN PARK | RYE, NY | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREENWICH HOSPITAL | GREENWICH, CT | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLYTHEDALE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | VALHALLA, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND ARTS | KATONAH, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | RYE, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RYE FREE READING ROOM | RYE, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| READWORKSORG | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADIRONDACK FORTY-SIXERS INC (THE) | PLATTSBURGH, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF MANHATTAN | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JUSTWORLD INTERNATIONAL | WELLINGTON, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FORTUNE SOCIETY | LONG ISLAND CITY, NY | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RYE FIRE DEPARTMENT | RYE, NY | $750 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RYE POLICE ASSOCIATION INC | RYE, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $13,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $9,885,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $6,250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $5,335,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $5,015,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION | NEW HYDE PARK, NY | $2,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OCEANA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JAY HERITAGE CENTER | RYE, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OCEANA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| 1898 FOUNDATION INC | PURCHASE, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CARVER CENTER | PORT CHESTER, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CARVER CENTER | PORT CHESTER, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $450,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $255,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CLARK INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WNET | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CLARK INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREENWICH HOSPITAL | GREENWICH, CT | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING
$7,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$3,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CARVER CENTER
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WNET
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EAGLE HILL SCHOOL
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CLARK INSTITUTE
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF RYE TOWN PARK
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
RYE FREE READING ROOM
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
READWORKSORG
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ADIRONDACK FORTY-SIXERS INC (THE)
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JUSTWORLD INTERNATIONAL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
RYE FIRE DEPARTMENT
$750GENERAL SUPPORT
RYE POLICE ASSOCIATION INC
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$13,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$2,000,000GENERAL SUPPORT
1898 FOUNDATION INC
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CARVER CENTER
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CARVER CENTER
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WNET
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT