The Gerstner Family Foundation concentrates its giving in a mix of higher-education and research institutions, environmental science initiatives, and direct human services (food and shelter). It makes a small number of very large grants—often multi-award relationships with universities and mission-driven intermediaries—while also funding front-line emergency service providers. Grants reflect both durable institutional investments (scholarships, biomedical and environmental research) and targeted community relief.
The Gerstner Family Foundation is marked by very large grants to universities and research institutions, alongside a separate stream of emergency support for families and community organizations. At the top of the recent grant list is a $1,756,000 award to Trustees of Dartmouth College for an education scholarship program, followed closely by major support for environmental research through Windward Fund and biomedical research at Columbia University in the City of New York. Those gifts sit within a broader pattern of high-dollar institutional funding, including Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated. The foundation also funds direct human services. Recent awards to Coalition for the Homeless Inc, Safe Horizon Inc, Part of the Solution Inc, and Good Shepherd Services point to emergency grants, shelter-related services, and food security. This combination of scholarship support, research funding, and crisis response gives the foundation a profile that is split between long-term institutional investment and immediate relief. Its giving also reaches intermediaries such as Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc, showing that some environmental support is channeled through grantmaking partners rather than only direct operating grants.
Education and scholarship support is a clear part of the foundation’s recent work. Trustees of Dartmouth College received $1,756,000 for an education scholarship program, and Diocese of Palm Beach received $414,000 for a scholarship program. In biomedical research, Columbia University in the City of New York received $1,000,000 for biomedical research, reflecting support for physician- and science-oriented institutions. Environmental research is another major line of giving. Windward Fund received $1,750,000 and later $1,250,000 for environmental research, while Activate Global Inc received $609,052 for the same purpose. The foundation also supported Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated with $289,906 for environmental research. On the human-services side, the foundation backed emergency grants and food programs. Treasure Coast Food Bank Incorporated received $1,006,819 for its food pantry program, and Family Promise Inc received $500,000 for an emergency grants program.
$12.5M
$157.9M
$16.7M
$17.2M
Most grants fall between $75K and $275K, with a median of $180K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$180K
75th Percentile
$275K
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small set of recurring institutional grantees (repeat commitments to universities and intermediary environmental funders), supplemented by substantial single awards to local frontline service organizations.
Notable grantees: Trustees of Dartmouth College, Windward Fund, Columbia University in the City of New York, Treasure Coast Food Bank Incorporated, Family Promise Inc
Recent grants cluster around a midpoint consistent with large institutional awards: the typical grant size is $75,000 at the 25th percentile, $180,000 at the median, and $275,000 at the 75th percentile. The foundation’s annual giving is substantial at $25,138,095, and the recent record shows a mix of multi-year relationships and one-off awards. Windward Fund, Trustees of Dartmouth College, Columbia University in the City of New York, Safe Horizon Inc, Familyaid Boston Inc, and Coalition for the Homeless Inc all appear more than once across recent years. The foundation operates through named programs, including Chairman’s Grants, the Gerstner Scholars Program, and the Helping Hands Program. It also accepts unsolicited grants for those programs. Helping Hands is described as providing small, one-time emergency grants, with awards from $0 to $3,000.
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, with 87 grants recorded there. New York is the top state by grant count, and 45% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards also land in Hanover, New York City, Boston, Washington, DC, Berkeley, Ithaca, Cambridge, Fort Pierce, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Summit, and White Plains. The geographic pattern combines New York concentration with distributed support for universities, intermediaries, and emergency-service organizations in several other states.
The recent record shows a mix of higher-education institutions, research organizations, and direct-service nonprofits. Examples include Trustees of Dartmouth College for scholarship support, Columbia University in the City of New York for biomedical research, Windward Fund for environmental research, and emergency-service groups such as Coalition for the Homeless Inc and Safe Horizon Inc.
The foundation’s recent grant-size distribution is $75,000 at the 25th percentile, $180,000 at the median, and $275,000 at the 75th percentile. The list also includes several seven-figure awards, such as grants to Dartmouth, Windward Fund, Columbia University, and Treasure Coast Food Bank Incorporated.
Yes. Recent grants include $500,000 to Family Promise Inc for an emergency grants program, $465,000 to Coalition for the Homeless Inc for emergency grants, and $395,000 to Safe Horizon Inc for emergency grants. The active Helping Hands Program is also described as providing small, one-time emergency grants through partner organizations.
Yes. New York is the top state by grant count, and 45% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include Columbia University in the City of New York, Coalition for the Homeless Inc, Safe Horizon Inc, and the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty.
Yes. The active Chairman’s Grants, Gerstner Scholars Program, and Helping Hands Program all accept unsolicited grants. Helping Hands is described as the primary initiative for emergency financial assistance, while the Gerstner Scholars Program supports early-career physician-scientists.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $1,756,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| WINDWARD FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,750,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| TREASURE COAST FOOD BANK INCORPORATED | FORT PIERCE, FL | $1,006,819 | 2025 | FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| ACTIVATE GLOBAL INC | BERKELEY, CA | $609,052 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $493,271 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $479,836 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $465,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| FAMILYAID BOSTON INC | BOSTON, MA | $438,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | $414,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| SAFE HORIZON INC | NEW YORK, NY | $395,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| PART OF THE SOLUTION INC | BRONX, NY | $365,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| METROPOLITAN NEW YORK COORDINATING COUNCIL ON JEWISH POVERTY | NEW YORK, NY | $355,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| ADOPT-A-FAMILY OF THE PALM BEACHES INC | LAKE WORTH, FL | $337,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| LEGAL SERVICES OF THE HUDSON VALLEY | WHITE PLAINS, NY | $328,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| GOOD SHEPHERD SERVICES | NEW YORK, NY | $310,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED | NEW YORK, NY | $289,906 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| SANCTUARY FOR FAMILIES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| HOMESTART INC | BOSTON, MA | $221,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| AID TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE INC | DELRAY BEACH, FL | $220,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $200,154 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| UNITED AGAINST POVERTY INC | VERO BEACH, FL | $150,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK | BROOKLYN, NY | $140,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION | WOODS HOLE, MA | $120,467 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM INCORPORATED | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $84,434 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| PHILANTHROPY NEW YORK INC | NEW YORK, NY | $11,050 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| PERSON TO PERSON INC | DARIEN, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH FOUNDATION | WELLESLEY HILLS, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| OAK ROSE FUND | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL DUES |
| SUMMER ON THE HILL | BRONX, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| FOUNDATIONS AND DONOR INTERESTS IN CATHOLIC ACTIVITIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL DUES |
| NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SHARING SHELF | PORT CHESTER, NY | $8,403 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HEART OF DINNER INC | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM |
| WINDWARD FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,250,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $1,200,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE | BRONX, NY | $1,000,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| WINDWARD FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $500,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $246,772 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY | ITHACA, NY | $240,120 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $231,246 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH INC | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | $210,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| TREASURE COAST FOOD BANK INCORPORATED | FORT PIERCE, FL | $200,000 | 2024 | EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH INC | PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL | $198,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| SURFRIDER FOUNDATION | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $120,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH |
TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$1,756,000EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
$1,000,000BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
DIOCESE OF PALM BEACH
$414,000EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM
UNITED AGAINST POVERTY INC
$150,000EMERGENCY GRANTS PROGRAM
MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM INCORPORATED
$100,000BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
$75,000BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$20,000BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
SHARING SHELF
$8,403EDUCATION
TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$1,200,000EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
$1,000,000EDUCATION
EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
EDUCATION - SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
$120,000ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH