The Winston Foundation concentrates its giving in education and institution-building, making a small number of large grants to established nonprofits. Grants are focused on higher education (notably Hamilton College and its Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center), endowed faculty support, and major medical institutions (Hospital for Special Surgery). The foundation appears to favor repeat, unrestricted/general support and legacy-oriented gifts tied to the Levitt family name.
A defining thread in The Winston Foundation Inc C/o L Ippolito (paul Weiss Et Al)’s recent giving is its repeated support for named institutional centers and endowed positions. Hamilton College has received multiple large awards for the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center, including grants of $650,500 in 2024 and $550,000 in 2023, and the same Levitt name appears again in endowed faculty support at Martin Memorial Foundation and Williams College. The pattern points to long-term, institution-building philanthropy rather than a wide scatter of small awards. Health care is another major lane. Hospital for Special Surgery received major general-support grants in consecutive years, and Weill Cornell Medicine was funded for the Center for the Study and Support of Caregivers and the Fund for the Future. NYU Shanghai also appears with support for neuroeconomics research and broader operating needs. Alongside higher education and medicine, the foundation has backed refugee aid, civil rights, immigrant defense, voting rights advocacy, and arts organizations. The grant record shows a funder that uses substantial awards to reinforce established programs, faculty lines, and organizational capacity. Recurring recipients appear across multiple years, with several gifts tied to the same named initiatives.
In higher education, the foundation has repeatedly supported the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center at Hamilton College, including $350,000 in 2025 for the center after earlier awards of $650,500 and $550,000. It also funded the Arthur and Marilyn Levitt Junior Professorship at Williams College with $200,000 in 2025 and $111,000 in 2024. Medical and research giving includes $200,000 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2025 for MS research and another $200,000 in 2024 for the same purpose. NYU Shanghai received $100,000 in 2024 to support neuroeconomics research, and Weill Cornell Medicine received $110,000 in 2025 for the Center for the Study and Support of Caregivers and the Fund for the Future. The foundation also supports human-rights and refugee work. The International Rescue Committee received $150,000 in 2025 for Ukrainian refugee children and their families, while the Aclu Foundation received $130,000 in 2025 for civil rights advocacy and defense of immigrants.
$4.7M
$83.2M
$3.7M
$5.1M
Most grants fall between $12K and $56K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$56K
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Concentrated portfolio of a few large grants, with repeated multi-year support to the same institutions; gifts tend toward unrestricted/general purposes and endowments rather than many small or experimental grants.
Notable grantees: Hospital for Special Surgery, Hamilton College (Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center), Martin Memorial Foundation (Marilyn and Arthur Levitt Endowed Chair)
Typical grants cluster in the tens of thousands to low six figures, with p25 at $11,500, median at $30,000, and p75 at $56,250. The recent grant list shows many awards above that range, indicating a smaller set of larger institutional gifts. Recipients recur across years, especially in higher education and medical support, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-time transactions. The foundation is a regular funder and makes invitation-driven grants; unsolicited applications are not accepted. It also funds individuals.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly U.S.-based, and the recipient country distribution shows 100% in the US. New York is the top state by grant count, with 59% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards reached Clinton, New York; New York City; Brooklyn; Hauppauge; and Washington, DC, with additional grants to Stuart, Florida, Boston, Massachusetts, and Williamstown, Massachusetts.
It does not accept unsolicited applications. The active programs are described as invitation-driven or direct-selection grantmaking, with grants made by invitation rather than through open application.
The typical grant size is $30,000 at the median, with a lower quartile of $11,500 and an upper quartile of $56,250. Recent awards also include larger institutional gifts, such as six-figure grants to colleges, hospitals, and advocacy organizations.
Recent grants go mainly to colleges and universities, hospitals and medical research organizations, and groups working in civil rights, immigrant defense, refugee aid, and arts production. Named recipients include Hamilton College, Hospital for Special Surgery, the International Rescue Committee, and the Aclu Foundation.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Hamilton College, Hospital for Special Surgery, Martin Memorial Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the International Rescue Committee, and the Aclu Foundation. The repeated awards often support the same named program or endowment.
Yes. New York is the top state by grant count, and 59% of grants go to recipients in New York. The recipient list also includes organizations in Washington, DC, Florida, Massachusetts, and Brooklyn, but the strongest concentration is in New York.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| HAMILTON COLLEGE | CLINTON, NY | $350,000 | 2026 | ARTHUR LEVITT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CENTER |
| THE FOUNDATION FOR CITY COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT DIRECT EXPENSES OF THE SIMON H RIFKIND CENTER |
| MARTIN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | STUART, FL | $200,000 | 2026 | MARYLIN AND ARTHUR LEVITT ENDOWED CHAIR FUND |
| STAMFORD HOSPITAL | STAMFORD, CT | $180,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU) FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $175,000 | 2026 | CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND THE DEFENSE OF IMMIGRANTS |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $145,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT WORK WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES |
| THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS | BOSTON, MA | $120,000 | 2026 | 60K LAND ACQUISITIONS FUND, 35K PROPERTY STEWARDSHIP FUND, 25K PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE |
| NYU COLLEGE & CAREER LAB | NEW YORK, NY | $111,250 | 2026 | SUPPORT AND STAFFING FOR THE CCL CURRICULUM AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM |
| ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS AT LEADERSHIP'S DISCRETION |
| NYU SHANGHAI | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES PER VICE CHANCELLOR |
| NYU WINSTON DATA SCHOLARS | NEW YORK, NY | $87,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE SUMMER AND SPRING |
| PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY | WASHINGTON, DC | $79,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $75,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE |
| NYU ALL EARS | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | PROVIDES STEM ENRICHMENT TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS |
| NORWALK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | NAVIGATORS PROGRAMS SUPPORT |
| BENNINGTON COLLEGE | BENNINGTON, VT | $65,000 | 2026 | 55K BELITT FUND; 5K BEN BELITT UNDERGRADUATE WRITING PRIZE |
| GIFFORDS LAW CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2026 | TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE AND THE PROLIFERATION OF GUNS IN THE US |
| WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | FUND FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAM |
| HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY |
| NYU STEINHARDT | NEW YORK, NY | $55,000 | 2026 | PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION AND NEURODIVERSITY EDUCATION'S ANNUAL MEMBER SUMMIT |
| ECLI-VIBES | ISLANDIA, NY | $50,250 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE AND RAPE CRISIS CENTER |
| LONG ISLAND CARES INC | HAUPPAUGE, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | TO MAKE AVAILABLE AND DISTRIBUTE EMERGENCY FOOD |
| AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND | ARLINGTON, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP) | BALTIMORE, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SMITH COLLEGE | NORTHAMPTON, MA | $50,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE'S PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES |
| EARTH JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL ADVOCACY |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT MOUNT SINAI HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM |
| NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PROMISE PROJECT | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2026 | TO DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN LIVING WITH LEARNING DIABILITIES |
| HIBISCUS CHILDREN'S CENTER FOUNDATION | JENSEN BEACH, FL | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WESTPORT LIBRARY | WESTPORT, CT | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY - THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION | TUCSON, AZ | $40,000 | 2026 | 5K FOR PRINTS AND MATERIALS FOR THE JOHN YANG ARCHIVE; 35K FOR STAFF SUPPORT |
| VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE | BROOKLYN, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF WORK TO ENSURE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS |
| LICK-WILMERDING HIGH SCHOOL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $40,000 | 2026 | FINANCIAL AID |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BAY STREET THEATRE | SAG HARBOR, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF LITERATURE LIVE, TITLE WAVE, A NEW WORKS FESTIVAL, AND WRITING THE WAVE, FOR YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS |
| PALESTINE CHILDREN'S RELIEF FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN | FAIRFIELD, CT | $35,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| LINCOLN CENTER THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF NEW PLAYS AT THE MITZI NEWHOUSE THEATRE |
| QUEENS COLLEGE | FLUSHING, NY | $32,000 | 2026 | SIR ROLAND HANNA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $30,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BLUEPATH SERVICE DOGS | WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SCHOLARS AT RISK NETWORK | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| INTIMATE SPECTACLE THEATER COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT NEW THEATER |
| WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE | WESTPORT, CT | $25,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
HAMILTON COLLEGE
$350,000ARTHUR LEVITT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CENTER
THE FOUNDATION FOR CITY COLLEGE
$300,000TO SUPPORT DIRECT EXPENSES OF THE SIMON H RIFKIND CENTER
MARTIN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$200,000MARYLIN AND ARTHUR LEVITT ENDOWED CHAIR FUND
CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY AND THE DEFENSE OF IMMIGRANTS
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$145,000SUPPORT WORK WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
60K LAND ACQUISITIONS FUND, 35K PROPERTY STEWARDSHIP FUND, 25K PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE
NYU COLLEGE & CAREER LAB
$111,250SUPPORT AND STAFFING FOR THE CCL CURRICULUM AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
NYU SHANGHAI
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING, PROGRAMS, AND ACTIVITIES PER VICE CHANCELLOR
NYU WINSTON DATA SCHOLARS
$87,000PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE SUMMER AND SPRING
PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY
$79,000SUPPORT THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE
NYU ALL EARS
$75,000PROVIDES STEM ENRICHMENT TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
NORWALK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC
$75,000NAVIGATORS PROGRAMS SUPPORT
BENNINGTON COLLEGE
$65,00055K BELITT FUND; 5K BEN BELITT UNDERGRADUATE WRITING PRIZE
TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE AND THE PROLIFERATION OF GUNS IN THE US
NYU STEINHARDT
$55,000PROGRAM FOR INCLUSION AND NEURODIVERSITY EDUCATION'S ANNUAL MEMBER SUMMIT
ECLI-VIBES
$50,250GENERAL OPERATIONS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE AND RAPE CRISIS CENTER
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND
$50,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP)
$50,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SMITH COLLEGE
$50,000SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE'S PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES
EARTH JUSTICE
$50,000ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL ADVOCACY
SUPPORT MOUNT SINAI HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM
NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
$50,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
PROMISE PROJECT
$45,000TO DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN LIVING WITH LEARNING DIABILITIES
HIBISCUS CHILDREN'S CENTER FOUNDATION
$40,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
WESTPORT LIBRARY
$40,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY - THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION
$40,0005K FOR PRINTS AND MATERIALS FOR THE JOHN YANG ARCHIVE; 35K FOR STAFF SUPPORT
SUPPORT OF WORK TO ENSURE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
LICK-WILMERDING HIGH SCHOOL
$40,000FINANCIAL AID
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
BAY STREET THEATRE
$40,000SUPPORT OF LITERATURE LIVE, TITLE WAVE, A NEW WORKS FESTIVAL, AND WRITING THE WAVE, FOR YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
SAVE THE CHILDREN
$35,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
LINCOLN CENTER THEATRE
$35,000SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF NEW PLAYS AT THE MITZI NEWHOUSE THEATRE
QUEENS COLLEGE
$32,000SIR ROLAND HANNA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
INTIMATE SPECTACLE THEATER COMPANY INC
$30,000TO SUPPORT NEW THEATER
WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE
$25,000TO FURTHER THE TAX EXEMPT MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION