The Nickel Foundation concentrates most of its recent giving in large, targeted gifts rather than many small grants. Half of its disclosed funding went to the Riverbrook Regional YMCA, indicating a priority for regional YMCA-led youth, recreation, and community services, while the other major disbursement was a transfer of assets to a donor-advised fund, showing use of pass-through philanthropy. The foundation appears to favor a small number of sizable grants, including direct support to a single flagship community organization and funding routed through financial intermediaries for donor-directed giving.
Very concentrated giving: few large grants (two principal recipients), repeat funding to a single regional YMCA, and use of asset transfers to donor-advised funds for donor-directed or regranted philanthropy.
The Nickel Foundation C/o Rosenberg & Manente Pllc has a clear pattern of concentrated giving: a large transfer of assets to a donor-advised fund, paired with repeated support for the Riverbrook Regional YMCA. That combination points to two distinct ways it funds—pass-through philanthropy through a financial intermediary and direct support for a community organization serving the Wilton area. The YMCA appears as the foundation’s flagship operating partner in the recent record, with grants in both 2023 and 2024. Beyond that anchor, the foundation’s smaller awards show attention to a mix of community, education, health, and service organizations, but the disclosed dollar amounts are heavily weighted toward a few recipients rather than many small awards. The pattern is consistent with a donor that uses targeted gifts to support specific institutions and community-serving programs, while also moving substantial assets through a donor-advised fund structure. The recent grants also include organizations in Connecticut and outside the state, but the core relationship in the record is the recurring funding of Riverbrook Regional YMCA in Wilton.
In community-serving work, the foundation gave $123,264 in 2024 to Riverbrook Regional YMCA in Wilton, CT for other support, after a $126,180 grant to the same organization in 2023. In child and family services, it awarded $2,600 in 2024 to Family & Children's Agency in Norwalk, CT, following a $500 grant to the same group in 2023. The record also shows support for health-related and mutual-aid organizations: $500 to Shatterproof in Norwalk, CT, and $250 to World Central Kitchen in Washington, DC. Education and library-related giving appears at smaller levels too, including $1,000 to Wilton Library Association in 2023 and $150 to Wilton High School in 2023.
The typical grant size is modest, with a p25 of $250, a median of $550, and a p75 of $4,400, but the distribution is pulled upward by a few much larger awards. The foundation’s disclosed giving also shows repeat support in some cases: Riverbrook Regional YMCA received grants in both 2023 and 2024, and Family & Children's Agency also appears across both years. The organization itself is a private foundation with no program-related investments and does not fund individuals. The recent record includes a transfer of assets to a donor-advised fund, which indicates use of a pass-through channel alongside direct grants.
$538K
$0
$0
$243K
Most grants fall between $250 and $4K, with a median of $550.
25th Percentile
$250
Median
$550
75th Percentile
$4K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in CT.
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Notable grantees: Riverbrook Regional YMCA, Bank of America (recipient as donor-advised fund administrator), Donor-advised funds / pass-through giving mechanisms
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States in the recent record. Connecticut is the most common recipient state, with many awards going to Wilton, Norwalk, and New Haven. Outside Connecticut, grants also landed in Boston, Alexandria, Avon, Ann Arbor, Bethlehem, New York City, Brooklyn, Washington, DC, and San Jose. New York recipients account for 15% of grants, while Connecticut dominates the recipient map by count.
Its recent record centers on a small number of targeted community grants, especially support for Riverbrook Regional YMCA in Wilton, CT. The foundation also uses donor-advised fund transfers, including a $243,336 asset transfer to Bank of America in 2025, which shows pass-through philanthropy alongside direct grantmaking.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $250 at the 25th percentile, $550 at the median, and $4,400 at the 75th percentile. That spread suggests many smaller awards with a few larger commitments shaping the total.
Yes. Riverbrook Regional YMCA appears in both 2023 and 2024, with grants of $126,180 and $123,264. Family & Children's Agency also shows up in multiple years, with $500 in 2023 and $2,600 in 2024.
The recipient base is U.S.-only in the recent record, with Connecticut as the top state by grant count. Wilton, Norwalk, and New Haven appear repeatedly, and grants also went to recipients in Massachusetts, Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Washington, DC, and California.
No. The foundation is marked as not funding individuals and not making program-related investments. Its giving appears to flow through direct grants and a donor-advised fund transfer rather than PRIs.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BANK OF AMERICA | BOSTON, MA | $243,336 | 2025 | TRANSFERRED ASSETS TO DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| RIVERBROOK REGIONAL YMCA | WILTON, CT | $123,264 | 2024 | OTHER |
| THE WHOLE IN THE WALL | NEW HAVEN, CT | $7,500 | 2024 | OTHER |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | OTHER |
| FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCY | NORWALK, CT | $2,600 | 2024 | OTHER |
| ARTHUR WALL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $600 | 2024 | OTHER |
| FAIRFIELD COUNTYS COMMUNITY | NORWALK, CT | $100 | 2024 | OTHER |
| CIRCLE OF CARE 5K | WILTON, CT | $50 | 2024 | OTHER |
| TRACKSIDE TEEN CENTER OF WILTON | WILTON, CT | $50 | 2024 | OTHER |
| RIVERBROOK REGIONAL YMCA | WILTON, CT | $126,180 | 2023 | OTHER |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MISSING CHILDREN | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | OTHER |
| LEGHIGH UNIVERSITY | BETHLEHEM, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | OTHER |
| VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION | AVON, CO | $5,000 | 2023 | OTHER |
| BREVENT PARK FIREHOUSE | LEAONARDO, NJ | $2,500 | 2023 | OTHER |
| HOLE IN THE WALL | NEW HAVEN, CT | $2,500 | 2023 | OTHER |
| WILTON LIBRARY ASSOCIATION | WILTON, CT | $1,000 | 2023 | OTHER |
| ARTHUR WALL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $600 | 2023 | OTHER |
| SHATTERPROOF | NORWALK, CT | $500 | 2023 | OTHER |
| KIWANIS | WILTON, CT | $500 | 2023 | OTHER |
| FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCY | NORWALK, CT | $500 | 2023 | OTHER |
| EQUITY ADVOCATES | HARRISON, NY | $260 | 2023 | OTHER |
| CITY HARVEST | BROOKLYN, NY | $259 | 2023 | OTHER |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $250 | 2023 | OTHER |
| MAPSORG | SAND JOSE, CA | $250 | 2023 | OTHER |
| WILTON HIGH SCHOOL | WILTON, CT | $150 | 2023 | OTHER |
| SANDY HOOK PROMISE ACT | NEWTOWN, CT | $104 | 2023 | OTHER |
| FCA | NEW YORK, CT | $100 | 2023 | OTHER |
BANK OF AMERICA
$243,336TRANSFERRED ASSETS TO DONOR ADVISED FUND
RIVERBROOK REGIONAL YMCA
$123,264OTHER
THE WHOLE IN THE WALL
$7,500OTHER
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$5,000OTHER
FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCY
$2,600OTHER
ARTHUR WALL FOUNDATION
$600OTHER
FAIRFIELD COUNTYS COMMUNITY
OTHER
CIRCLE OF CARE 5K
$50OTHER
TRACKSIDE TEEN CENTER OF WILTON
$50OTHER
RIVERBROOK REGIONAL YMCA
$126,180OTHER
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MISSING CHILDREN
$10,000OTHER
LEGHIGH UNIVERSITY
$5,000OTHER
VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION
$5,000OTHER
BREVENT PARK FIREHOUSE
$2,500OTHER
HOLE IN THE WALL
$2,500OTHER
WILTON LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
$1,000OTHER
ARTHUR WALL FOUNDATION
$600OTHER
SHATTERPROOF
$500OTHER
KIWANIS
$500OTHER
FAMILY & CHILDREN'S AGENCY
$500OTHER
EQUITY ADVOCATES
$260OTHER
CITY HARVEST
$259OTHER
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$250OTHER
MAPSORG
$250OTHER
WILTON HIGH SCHOOL
$150OTHER
SANDY HOOK PROMISE ACT
$104OTHER
FCA
$100OTHER