The Chilton Foundation makes a small number of very large grants focused on cultural institutions and education. Their giving emphasizes major museums and botanical institutions in the New York/Connecticut region and substantial support for independent and higher education (including an out-of-region university). Grants are typically unrestricted or general purpose, suggesting trust-based support for institutional operations and capital needs.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of institutions with repeat funding; favors unrestricted/general purpose gifts rather than many small awards; geographic focus on the Northeast with selective out-of-region higher-education gifts.
The Chilton Foundation’s largest recent grant was a 2025 general-purpose award of $3,518,511 to See Attached List in Stamford, which underscores how much of its giving is directed toward large, flexible institutional support. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs cultural institutions, botanical organizations, independent schools, universities, and select conservation and health charities, with many awards labeled general support rather than project-specific funding. Several of its biggest grants go to major New York-area institutions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art received $793,200 in 2024 and $571,700 in 2023, while The New York Botanical Garden received $460,000 in 2024 and $255,000 in 2023. Higher education also appears prominently: UNC-Chapel Hill received $800,000 in 2023 and $425,000 in 2024, and Yale University Development received $100,000 in 2024. The pattern suggests a funder that uses substantial unrestricted grants to support institutional operations and flexibility. Alongside those anchor gifts, The Chilton Foundation also supports smaller general-purpose awards to organizations such as Greenwich Academy, The Mather Homestead Foundation, and The Darien Foundation.
Cultural institutions are a clear priority. In 2024, The Chilton Foundation gave $793,200 to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for general support, following a $571,700 general-support grant in 2023. The New York Botanical Garden also received two sizable general-support awards: $460,000 in 2024 and $255,000 in 2023. Education is another recurring area. UNC-Chapel Hill received $800,000 in 2023 and $425,000 in 2024, both for general support, while Greenwich Academy received $398,000 in 2024 and $78,000 in 2023. The foundation also made a $100,000 general-support grant to Yale University Development in 2024. Beyond museums and schools, the foundation supports conservation and community institutions. General-support grants went to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in 2023 and 2024, to The Ocean Foundation in 2024, and to Coastal Conservation League in 2023 and 2024.
The Chilton Foundation’s recent grants cluster around larger institutional awards: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $52,500. That distribution sits alongside a small number of much larger grants, including awards in the hundreds of thousands and a 2025 general-purpose grant above $3.5 million. The same organizations often appear in multiple years, indicating repeat support rather than one-time giving. Recent examples include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Botanical Garden, UNC-Chapel Hill, Greenwich Academy, and The Mather Homestead Foundation. The foundation is a private foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are overwhelmingly general-purpose or general-support awards.
$3.5M
$2.6M
$5.6M
$3.6M
Most grants fall between $10K and $53K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$53K
About 23% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Chilton Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 63 | $8.8M | 79.8% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 16 |
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Notable grantees: SEE ATTACHED LIST (major general-purpose recipient), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, UNC–Chapel Hill, The New York Botanical Garden, Greenwich Academy
The Chilton Foundation gives most often in New York, and 22% of its grants go to recipients in Connecticut. Recent awards concentrate in New York City, Bronx, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, and New Haven. Outside the US, the recipient list includes the United Kingdom, with grants to Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in Fordingbridge. The overall geography is regional, with a strong New York/Connecticut footprint and a smaller set of out-of-region and international recipients.
The recent grants list points to cultural institutions, botanical organizations, universities, independent schools, and select conservation and community charities. Examples in the data include major museums, public horticultural institutions, higher education, and general-support grants to local institutions in Connecticut and New York.
Yes. The recent grants are repeatedly labeled general purpose or general support, including its largest 2025 award and many of the other listed grants. That pattern suggests flexible institutional support rather than project-specific funding.
The typical grant-size distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $52,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger institutional awards in the hundreds of thousands and one grant above $3.5 million.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Botanical Garden, UNC-Chapel Hill, Greenwich Academy, The Mather Homestead Foundation, Coastal Conservation League, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Darien Foundation, and Culture for One Inc.
The top state by grant count is New York. Connecticut is also a major recipient state, with 22% of grants going to recipients there. The recipient cities in the recent list include New York, Bronx, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, and New Haven.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| $601K |
20.3% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEE ATTACHED LIST | STAMFORD, CT | $3,518,511 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $793,200 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN | BRONX, NY | $460,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNC-CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $425,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREENWICH ACADEMY | GREENWICH, CT | $398,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GAME & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST | FORDINGBRIDGE, HA | $137,747 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE OCEAN FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $122,916 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YALE UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT | NEW HAVEN, CT | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHURCH OF THE HEAVENLY REST | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE | CHARLESTON, SC | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MATHER HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION | DARIEN, CT | $52,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE DARIEN FOUNDATION | DARIEN, CT | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE | FALMOUTH, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HILL-STEAD MUSEUM | FARMINGTON, CT | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TWO EAST SIXTY SECOND STREET FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL CRYPTOLOGIC FOUNDATION | GLEN BURNIE, MD | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNC PRESS | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CULTURE FOR ONE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY | NEWPORT, RI | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLASSICAL AMERICAN HOMES PRESERVATION TRUST | HILLSBOROUGH, NC | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE GOED LIFE | COTON, NO | $10,571 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAINT LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | QUEENS, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCY | NORWALK, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JULIA'S HOUSE | POOLE, DO | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF NY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHALKE VALLEY HISTORICAL TRUST | SALISBURY, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHRISTOPHER & DANA REEVE FOUNDATION | SHORT HILLS, NJ | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF FREDERICK COUNTY | FREDERICK, MD | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW LIFE OF NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BRUNSWICK SCHOOL | GREENWICH, CT | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNC-CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $800,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $571,700 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN | BRONX, NY | $255,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GAME & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST | FORDINGBRIDGE, HA | $122,693 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE WALSH PARK BENEVOLENT CORPORATION | FISHERS ISLAND, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREENWICH ACADEMY | GREENWICH, CT | $78,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE | CHARLESTON, SC | $62,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MATHER HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION | DARIEN, CT | $52,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF NY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE DARIEN FOUNDATION | DARIEN, CT | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CULTURE FOR ONE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET GOLF CLUB FOUNDATION | SIACONSET, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERKELEY DIVINITY SCHOOL | NEW HAVEN, CT | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ALS ASSOCIATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SEE ATTACHED LIST
$3,518,511GENERAL PURPOSE
UNC-CHAPEL HILL
$425,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREENWICH ACADEMY
$398,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GAME & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST
$137,747GENERAL SUPPORT
CHURCH OF THE HEAVENLY REST
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MATHER HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION
$52,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE DARIEN FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HILL-STEAD MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNC PRESS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLASSICAL AMERICAN HOMES PRESERVATION TRUST
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE GOED LIFE
$10,571GENERAL SUPPORT
SAINT LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CARNEGIE HILL NEIGHBORS
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JULIA'S HOUSE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHALKE VALLEY HISTORICAL TRUST
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW LIFE OF NEW YORK CITY
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
UNC-CHAPEL HILL
$800,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GAME & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST
$122,693GENERAL SUPPORT
GREENWICH ACADEMY
$78,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE
$62,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MATHER HOMESTEAD FOUNDATION
$52,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF NY
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE DARIEN FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERKELEY DIVINITY SCHOOL
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE ALS ASSOCIATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT