The Brandt Jackson Foundation concentrates its giving on arts, storytelling and science communication, funding film projects, literary publishing, and museum/scientific research alongside occasional higher-education support. Grants skew toward creative projects that intersect with science (film festivals, science-related films, museum research) and independent literary endeavors, with a mix of project-specific and general operating support for cultural organizations.
The Brandt Jackson Foundation’s clearest through-line is support for work that connects culture, science, and public understanding. Its largest recent grant went to Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, a single award of $1,750,000, alongside smaller awards for public-health training and alumni support at the same institution. That mix sits beside film, literary, museum, and theatre funding, showing a foundation that backs both academic infrastructure and creative projects. In film, the foundation has supported science- and theme-driven titles such as LISTENING TO WHALES and THE MILKY SEAS, as well as the Science New Wave Festival. In publishing, it has backed literary organizations and specific book projects, including THE NEW FORTY PROJECT and THE WORLD ITSELF. Museum science work also appears in the recent record, with support for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Scientific Research. The foundation also funds performing arts groups and event-based support, suggesting a preference for project-linked or program-linked grants rather than a single narrow field.
A recurring theme is documentary and narrative film tied to science or social questions. The foundation gave $200,000 to Utah Film Center for Radical Gaslighters LLC’s THE LIBRARIANS, $50,000 to Entertainment Industry Foundation for Grace McNally’s LISTENING TO WHALES, and $30,000 to Women Make Movies for Sharon Shattuck’s THE MILKY SEAS. Literary publishing is another clear area. It supported Writers Room Inc with a $100,000 general grant and gave Bellevue Literary Press $30,000 in unrestricted support in 2025, after earlier awards for THE WORLD ITSELF. The foundation also backs science-communication and scientific research institutions. Imagine Science Films received $50,000 for the Science New Wave and the Metropolitan Museum of Art received $15,000 to support its Department of Scientific Research led by Marco Leona. Higher-education support appears in Columbia University awards for the MSPH-Alumni Centennial Practicum Stipend Fund and the Columbia Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.
Recent gifts range from $1,400 at the 25th percentile to a median of $3,450 and a 75th percentile of $10,511, with a few much larger awards at the top end. The foundation’s 2025 record includes both major institutional support and smaller project grants, which points to a layered approach rather than a single fixed grant size. Multiple organizations reappear across years, including Columbia University, Lilith Publications, Bellevue Literary Press, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, indicating repeat relationships. The foundation funds individuals as well as institutions, and the grant list shows a mix of general support and purpose-specific awards.
$3.4M
$69.7M
$4.3M
$4.3M
Most grants fall between $1K and $11K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$11K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated giving with a few very large grants (notably a multi-grant relationship with Columbia) plus multiple mid-size, repeat grants to film and literary organizations; mix of project-specific funding and unrestricted/general support across mostly arts-and-science-related grantees.
Notable grantees: Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, Imagine Science Films Corp, Utah Film Center, Lilith Publications Inc, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States in the provided record. New York, NY appears most often, with additional awards in Brooklyn, East Hampton, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Boston, and Wilmington not appearing among recipients. Florida is the top state by grant count overall, though the recent-grants sample here shows especially heavy activity in New York City. The foundation’s giving reaches beyond its headquarters state of Delaware, where no recipient grants appear in the data provided.
The recent record includes universities, film organizations, literary presses, museums, theatre groups, and science-communication groups. Examples include Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Utah Film Center, Writers Room Inc, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Mastervoices Inc.
It funds individuals as well as organizations. The structured data flags individual support, and the grants list includes project-based funding tied to named creators such as Grace McNally and Sharon Shattuck.
The grant-size distribution is small-to-midscale for most awards: the 25th percentile is $1,400, the median is $3,450, and the 75th percentile is $10,511. The recent record also includes a few much larger outliers, including a $1,750,000 gift to Columbia University.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Columbia University, Lilith Publications Inc, Bellevue Literary Press Inc, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time grants only.
The top state by grant count is Florida. In the recent-grants list provided, recipient organizations are spread across several states, with New York City appearing frequently and other recipients located in Utah, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Delaware not appearing among grantees.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPPER WEST SIDE CINEMA CENTER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BELLEVUE LITERARY PRESS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $250,000 | 2026 | Pamela B. Jackson and Thomas C. Jackson Charitable Fund |
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $250,000 | 2026 | DEAN JACKSON FUND |
| AN CLAIDHEAMH SOLUIS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2026 | Almost Home: The Campaign for the New Irish Arts |
| ENTERTAINMENT 2 AFFECT CHANGE | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | For the forthcoming documentary film "MY NDA" |
| CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INC | NEWTON, MA | $150,000 | 2026 | For the forthcoming documentary film about Diahann Caroll |
| THE FILM COLLABORATIVE INC | LOS ANGELES, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | For the forthcoming documentary film with working title THE LORRAINE MOTEL |
| DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING | OMAHA, NE | $125,000 | 2026 | Zeitblom Fund DAF |
| TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2026 | the Linda P. Fried Scholarship Fund |
| FRACTURED ATLAS INC | HARTSDALE, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | For the film project AXOLOTL |
| MARIAN AND EDWARD MACDOWELL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | Brandt Jackson Foundation Fellowship fund for Playwrights |
| WRITERS ROOM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BARNARD COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | For Barnard's Summer Research Institute |
| UTAH FILM CENTER | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $50,000 | 2026 | Radical Gaslighters LLC | THE LIBRARIANS by Kim A Snyder |
| PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS INC | NORFOLK, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | For PETA's anti-animal testing / vivisection work |
| AFRICAN COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INC | PALM BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2026 | The Malilangwe Trust |
| NYC FIRST INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GREENS FARMS ACADEMY INC | WESTPORT, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EQUUS FOUNDATION INC | WESTPORT, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EMPOWERS AFRICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | Singita Lowveld Trust - South Africa Program |
| PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS INC | NORFOLK, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | For PETA's CAP efforts |
| UTAH FILM CENTER | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $50,000 | 2026 | The Librarians Impact Campaign |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SCIENCE COMMUNICATION LAB INC | BERKELEY, CA | $40,000 | 2026 | for THE MILKY SEAS film project |
| UNIONDOCS INC | RIDGEWOOD, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | For the documentary film THE LONG WAY HOME |
| CONCERNED CITIZENS OF MONTAUK INC | MONTAUK, NY | $33,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW YORK CITY BALLET INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Scholarship Fund |
| UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | Beacon Science Center |
| WORLD SCIENCE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LILITH PUBLICATIONS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | For THE NEW FORTY PROJECT |
| WINGS WORLD QUEST INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNIONDOCS INC | RIDGEWOOD, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | For the UnionDocs sponsored documentary film THE LONG WAY HOME |
| LIGHTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $12,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THEATRE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | For TFANA's production of THE WILD DUCK |
| FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION IN | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LIFE STORY CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE AMERICAN IRELAND FUND | BOSTON, MA | $7,500 | 2026 | For the Marie Mullen Bursary of the Druid Theatre, Galway, Ireland |
| CLAN CAMPBELL EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC | WAYNE, PA | $3,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EN GARDE ARTS INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| IRISH REPERTORY THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MOVEMENT THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| AMAGANSETT VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY | AMAGANSETT, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW PLAZA CINEMA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| POUND RIDGE LIONS AMBULANCE CORPS | POUND RIDGE, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| POUND RIDGE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INC | POUND RIDGE, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THEATRE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | For the Jeffrey Horowitz Legacy Fund |
| GARDEN CLUB OF EAST HAMPTON INC | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
UPPER WEST SIDE CINEMA CENTER INC
$500,000General & Unrestricted
BELLEVUE LITERARY PRESS INC
$250,000General & Unrestricted
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$250,000Pamela B. Jackson and Thomas C. Jackson Charitable Fund
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$250,000DEAN JACKSON FUND
For the forthcoming documentary film "MY NDA"
For the forthcoming documentary film about Diahann Caroll
For the forthcoming documentary film with working title THE LORRAINE MOTEL
TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW
$125,000the Linda P. Fried Scholarship Fund
MARIAN AND EDWARD MACDOWELL INC
$100,000Brandt Jackson Foundation Fellowship fund for Playwrights
WRITERS ROOM INC
$100,000General & Unrestricted
Radical Gaslighters LLC | THE LIBRARIANS by Kim A Snyder
For PETA's anti-animal testing / vivisection work
AFRICAN COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INC
$50,000The Malilangwe Trust
EQUUS FOUNDATION INC
$50,000General & Unrestricted
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION LAB INC
$40,000for THE MILKY SEAS film project
CONCERNED CITIZENS OF MONTAUK INC
$33,000General & Unrestricted
TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW
$30,000the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Scholarship Fund
WINGS WORLD QUEST INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
LIGHTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL INC
$12,500General & Unrestricted
LIFE STORY CLUB
$10,000General & Unrestricted
For the Marie Mullen Bursary of the Druid Theatre, Galway, Ireland
CLAN CAMPBELL EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC
$3,500General & Unrestricted
EN GARDE ARTS INC
$3,500General & Unrestricted
AMAGANSETT VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY
$2,500General & Unrestricted
NEW PLAZA CINEMA INC
$2,500General & Unrestricted
POUND RIDGE LIONS AMBULANCE CORPS
$2,500General & Unrestricted
POUND RIDGE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
GARDEN CLUB OF EAST HAMPTON INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted