The Francine A LeFrak Foundation makes large, targeted investments in higher education, demonstrated by a single $1,000,000 unrestricted grant to Barnard College. The foundation appears to prioritize institutional support for undergraduate-focused, women’s liberal arts education rather than many small community grants. Its giving profile suggests capacity for transformational one-off gifts to established academic institutions.
Highly concentrated: very few grants but large amounts to single higher-education institutions (one-time or occasional transformational gifts rather than many small or distributed grants).
A single $1,000,000 unrestricted grant to Barnard College stands out in the foundation’s recent record and points to a pattern of concentrated support for undergraduate women’s liberal arts education. The Francine A LeFrak Foundation Inc combines that kind of institutional backing with named scholarship and training funds that connect education, work readiness, and emergency aid. Recent awards include repeated support for Per Scholas Women in Tech scholarships, Bridge2rwanda scholarship programs, and Grace Institute’s job-placement and alumnae support work. The foundation also funds hands-on pathways into work and study. Leap Inc received multiple grants for its Tools of the Trade Fund, while New Jersey Reentry and the Fashion Institute of Technology Foundation each received support tied to emergency microgrants. Outside the classroom, the foundation has backed arts and cultural programming at the Museum of Arts and Design and unrestricted support for organizations such as The Milken Institute and The Kings Trust USA. Its recent record shows a funder that uses both large institutional gifts and smaller, purpose-specific awards to support women, students, and workforce transition programs.
In women-focused workforce access, the foundation gave $100,000 to Per Scholas Inc for the Same Sky Women in Tech Scholarship fund in 2023 and again $100,000 in 2024 for the Same Sky Women in Tech Scholars Program. It also supported Grace Institute with $50,000 for reimagining job placement, retention support and alumnae support in a post-covid economy, then followed with $100,000 unrestricted grants in 2024 and 2025. Education and scholarship support also runs through Bridge2rwanda Inc, which received $64,600 for FAWE High School Students and Same Sky University Students Scholarship Fund and later $35,000 grants for the LeFrak-Friedberg Africa Scholars Program and the LeFrak-Friedberg Scholars Program. In artisan development, Indego Africa Project received $20,000 for business training for artisans in Rwanda. The foundation has also supported crisis-related aid, including $10,000 to Global Empowerment Mission Inc for the crisis in Ukraine.
Typical grant size sits at $8,125 at the 25th percentile, $42,500 at the median, and $91,150 at the 75th percentile, showing a mix of smaller program gifts and larger institutional awards. The recent record includes repeated recipients across multiple years, especially Bridge2rwanda Inc, Leap Inc, Per Scholas Inc, Grace Institute, Barnard College, New Jersey Reentry, and The Milken Institute. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time giving only. The foundation makes grants and also funds individuals, and the portfolio includes unrestricted support alongside named program funds and scholarships.
$517K
$18.6M
$5.2M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $8K and $91K, with a median of $43K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$43K
75th Percentile
$91K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: Barnard College
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the data, with 32 grants and 100% going to U.S. organizations. The highest concentration by recipient state is California, though many individual awards land in New York, including New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Long Island City. New Jersey recipients include Jersey City and Kearny. Other locations in the recent record include Santa Monica, Little Rock, Doral, and Cambridge.
Recent grants go to colleges, scholarship and training programs, workforce-development groups, arts organizations, and emergency-response charities. Examples include Barnard College, Per Scholas Inc, Grace Institute, Bridge2rwanda Inc, Leap Inc, the Museum of Arts and Design, and Global Empowerment Mission Inc.
Yes. It has supported Per Scholas Inc for the Same Sky Women in Tech Scholarship fund and Scholars Program, Bridge2rwanda Inc for multiple LeFrak-Friedberg scholarship programs, and Friends of Seven United for the Needy Inc for the Rwandan Same Sky University Scholarship fund.
Among recent grants, the 25th percentile is $8,125, the median is $42,500, and the 75th percentile is $91,150. The recent list includes both six-figure awards and smaller grants in the low thousands.
Yes. Bridge2rwanda Inc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Leap Inc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Per Scholas Inc appears in 2023 and 2024; Grace Institute appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and The Milken Institute appears in 2024 and 2025.
The grant record is national within the U.S., with 32 grants to U.S. recipients and the highest grant count in California. Recent recipient cities include New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Santa Monica, Little Rock, Doral, and Cambridge.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEAP INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | Francine A LeFrak Foundation Tools of the Trade Fund |
| GRACE INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE MILKEN INSTITUTE | SANTA MONICA, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BEDLAM INC | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | the Production 'Music City' fund |
| BRIDGE2RWANDA INC | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $35,000 | 2025 | the LeFrak-Friedberg Scholars Program |
| BRIDGE2RWANDA INC | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $35,000 | 2025 | The LeFrak-Friedberg Africa Scholars Program |
| LEAP INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $34,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition |
| BARNARD COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW JERSEY REENTRY | KEARNY, NJ | $3,484 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BARNARD COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE MILKEN INSTITUTE | SANTA MONICA, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| PER SCHOLAS INC | BRONX, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | Same Sky Women in Tech Scholars Program |
| GRACE INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW JERSEY REENTRY | JERSEY CITY, NJ | $100,000 | 2024 | the Same Sky Emergency Micro-Grant fund for women at NJRC |
| BRIDGE2RWANDA INC | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $64,600 | 2024 | FAWE High School Students and Same Sky University Students Scholarship Fund |
| LEAP INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | Francine A LeFrak Foundation Tools of the Trade Fund |
| BRIDGE2RWANDA INC | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $35,000 | 2024 | the LeFrak-Friedberg scholars program |
| THE KINGS TRUST USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2024 | Facing History & Ourselves programs |
| FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHOLOGY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $800 | 2024 | Emergency MicroGrant Fund for Students |
| PER SCHOLAS INC | BRONX, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | Same Sky Women in Tech Scholarship fund |
| FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHOLOGY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Emergency Microgrant fund |
| GRACE INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | Reimagining job placement, retention support and alumnae support in a post-covid economy |
| LEAP INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Tools of the Trade Fund |
| BRIDGE2RWANDA INC | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $35,000 | 2023 | the LeFrak-Friedberg Scholarship fund |
| INDEGO AFRICA PROJECT | LONG IS CITY, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | Business training for artisans in Rwanda |
| GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION INC | DORAL, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | The crisis in Ukraine |
| FRIENDS OF SEVEN UNITED FOR THE NEEDY INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $7,500 | 2023 | Rwandan Same Sky University Scholarship fund |
| WOMEN IN NEED INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | Charitable Event |
| UN WOMEN FOR PEACE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| STELLA ADLER STUDIO OF ACTING | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2023 | General Operating |
BEDLAM INC
$75,000the Production 'Music City' fund
The LeFrak-Friedberg Africa Scholars Program
MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
$25,000Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition
NEW JERSEY REENTRY
$3,484General & Unrestricted
NEW JERSEY REENTRY
$100,000the Same Sky Emergency Micro-Grant fund for women at NJRC
FAWE High School Students and Same Sky University Students Scholarship Fund
FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
$2,000Facing History & Ourselves programs
FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHOLOGY FOUNDATION
$800Emergency MicroGrant Fund for Students
FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHOLOGY FOUNDATION
$50,000Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Emergency Microgrant fund
GRACE INSTITUTE
$50,000Reimagining job placement, retention support and alumnae support in a post-covid economy
INDEGO AFRICA PROJECT
$20,000Business training for artisans in Rwanda
FRIENDS OF SEVEN UNITED FOR THE NEEDY INC
$7,500Rwandan Same Sky University Scholarship fund
UN WOMEN FOR PEACE INC
$2,000General Operating