The Derfner Foundation concentrates sizable, unrestricted gifts to major New York health institutions and elder care providers, with a clear emphasis on supporting clinical medicine and long-term care rather than small program grants. Their giving is focused and relationship-driven: multi-grant support to a handful of hospitals and a prominent nursing/home-for-the-aged organization, plus targeted support for a regional hospital in the Hamptons. Overall, the foundation prioritizes sustaining institutional capacity for medical/surgical services and senior care in the New York area.
Concentrated, large-dollar grants (multiple $1M+ gifts) to a small set of repeat institutional grantees; predominantly unrestricted funding intended to support institutional capacity rather than specific programs.
A defining feature of The Derfner Foundation’s recent giving is repeated, unrestricted support for a small group of large New York institutions. Mount Sinai Dept of Surgery received $1,500,000 in 2025 and $1,000,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while Hospital for Special Surgery received $1,000,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs established clinical organizations over time rather than distributing many small, one-off awards. The foundation also shows a sustained commitment to elder care. Hebrew Home for the Aged received $1,000,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, again on an unrestricted basis. Alongside that core of health and senior-service support, The Derfner Foundation extends flexible gifts to regional institutions such as Southampton Hospital Foundation, as well as selected organizations outside New York. Across the recent grants list, the common thread is general operating support for institutions serving medical, surgical, and aging populations.
Clinical medicine is a central theme. In 2025, The Derfner Foundation gave $1,500,000 to Mount Sinai Dept of Surgery for unrestricted use, and it also gave $1,000,000 to Hospital for Special Surgery in the same year for unrestricted use. Those awards sit alongside earlier support to the same institutions, showing an emphasis on sustained institutional support. Senior care is another consistent area. Hebrew Home for the Aged received $1,000,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all unrestricted. The foundation also supports regional hospital care: Southampton Hospital Foundation received $600,000 in 2024 and $550,000 in 2025. Beyond health and aging, the recent grants list includes education and family-support organizations such as Mirman School and Baby2baby, each with unrestricted gifts.
The Derfner Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $30,000 at the median, and $81,250 at the 75th percentile, but its recent giving also includes a small set of million-dollar awards. The pattern is relationship-driven: Mount Sinai Dept of Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, Hebrew Home for the Aged, and Southampton Hospital Foundation each appear across multiple years, usually with unrestricted use. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$7.1M
$218M
$13.5M
$9.7M
Most grants fall between $15K and $81K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$81K
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Notable grantees: Mount Sinai Dept. of Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, Hebrew Home for the Aged, Southampton Hospital Foundation
The foundation gives mostly in New York, which accounts for 54% of grants, and its top recipient city is New York, NY. Other recurring recipient locations include Riverdale, NY and Southampton, NY, with additional grants landing in Los Angeles, CA; East Hanover, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; and Boston, MA. All recent grants in the provided list went to U.S. recipients.
Recent grants center on medical and surgical institutions, elder care, and related community support. Examples include Mount Sinai Dept of Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, Hebrew Home for the Aged, and Southampton Hospital Foundation, all funded on an unrestricted basis.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years. Mount Sinai Dept of Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Hebrew Home for the Aged each received support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Southampton Hospital Foundation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well.
The published grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $15,000, a median of $30,000, and a 75th percentile of $81,250. Recent awards also include larger unrestricted gifts of $1,000,000 and $1,500,000 to major health institutions.
New York is the top state by grant count, with 54% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include organizations in New York, NY, Riverdale, NY, and Southampton, NY.
The recent grants are consistently labeled unrestricted use, indicating flexible support rather than restricted project funding. That pattern appears across hospitals, elder-care providers, and other organizations in the recent grants list.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOUNT SINAI DEPT OF SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,500,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| HEBREW HOME FOR THE AGED | RIVERDALE, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $550,000 | 2025 | UNRETRICTED USE |
| GREEN 4 KIDS | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| BABY2BABY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| KESSLER FOUNDATION | EAST HANOVER, NJ | $250,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| RED AUTISMO FOUNDATION | SAN DIEGO, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| FOUNDATION FOR GENDER SPECIFIC MEDICINE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| BASSER RESEARCH CENTER FOR BRCA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ON JEWISH POVERTY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MULTIPLE MYELOMA RESEARCH FDN | NORWALK, CT | $75,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| RIVERDALE YMHAYWHA | RIVERDALE, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| NICA PHOTO | NORWALK, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| TRAVIS MILLS FOUNDATION | HALLOWELL, ME | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| 92ND STREET LEXINGTON AVE Y | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| BRENTWOOD SCHOOL | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| LAURENCE SCHOOL | VAN NUYS, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| HEARING HEALTH FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| BICOL CLINIC FOUNDATION INC | BOCA RATON, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CROHN'S COLITIS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| JEWISH CENTER OF THE HAMPTONS | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL OF PARIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CHILDREN'S TUMOR FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CITY MEALS ON WHEELS | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MAZON A JEWISH RESPONSE FOR HUNGER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MELANOMA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NATIONAL CITY, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| IDEAL SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT | NEW MILFORD, NJ | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| YIVO INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| AHRC NYC FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| STOCKBRIDGE BOWL ASSN | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CARON TREATMENT CENTERS | WERNERSVILLE, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MINDS OVER MATTER OF NY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| PARRISH ART MUSEUM | WATER MILL, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BEIT RUTH | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| SPEAK UP FOR KIDS | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON ETHIOPIAN JEWRY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
MOUNT SINAI DEPT OF SURGERY
$1,500,000UNRESTRICTED USE
HEBREW HOME FOR THE AGED
$1,000,000UNRESTRICTED USE
UNRESTRICTED USE
RED AUTISMO FOUNDATION
$150,000UNRESTRICTED USE
FOUNDATION FOR GENDER SPECIFIC MEDICINE INC
$100,000UNRESTRICTED USE
BASSER RESEARCH CENTER FOR BRCA
$100,000UNRESTRICTED USE
RIVERDALE YMHAYWHA
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
NICA PHOTO
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
TRAVIS MILLS FOUNDATION
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
92ND STREET LEXINGTON AVE Y
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
BICOL CLINIC FOUNDATION INC
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
JEWISH CENTER OF THE HAMPTONS
$50,000UNRESTRICTED USE
IDEAL SCHOOL OF MANHATTAN
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
YIVO INSTITUTE
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
AHRC NYC FOUNDATION INC
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
STOCKBRIDGE BOWL ASSN
$25,000UNRESTRICTED USE
CARON TREATMENT CENTERS
$20,000UNRESTRICTED USE
MINDS OVER MATTER OF NY INC
$20,000UNRESTRICTED USE
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$15,000UNRESTRICTED USE
BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$15,000UNRESTRICTED USE
NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON ETHIOPIAN JEWRY
$15,000UNRESTRICTED USE