The Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz Foundation concentrates large, unrestricted gifts to a small set of institutional grantees, with a strong emphasis on New York-based higher‑education and health institutions (notably NYU Langone and NYU School of Law) while also supporting humanitarian relief and community foundations. Grants skew to general program support rather than project‑restricted funding, indicating trust in grantee leadership and a preference for capacity and core support.
High-dollar, concentrated giving to a few institutional recipients with repeated, multi-grant support; favors unrestricted/general program support over many small, targeted grants; primarily institutional and regionally anchored but with selective national/international gifts.
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz Foundation’s recent giving is marked by six- and seven-figure general program support to a small set of institutional grantees, with NYU Langone Health and NYU School of Law appearing repeatedly at the top of the list. The pattern shows a preference for unrestricted or broadly usable support rather than tightly projectized awards, and the largest recent grants have gone to organizations with deep operating needs: $1,300,000 to NYU Langone Health in 2023 and $1,135,000 in 2024, alongside $1,050,000 to NYU School of Law in 2024. The foundation also backs other major educational and civic institutions, including Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, the University of Chicago, and the Legal Aid Society. Beyond legal education and academic medicine, its portfolio includes support for humanitarian relief, youth services, and community infrastructure through organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, Children's Aid Society, and Foundation for the Carolinas. Across the recent grant list, the center of gravity is institutional core support, often at a scale that signals long-term relationships with grantees and confidence in their leadership.
In academic medical center support, the foundation gave $1,300,000 to NYU Langone Health in 2023 and $1,135,000 in 2024, both for general program support. Legal education is another clear theme: NYU School of Law received $1,050,000 in 2024, $1,000,000 in 2023, and $160,000 in 2025, all listed as general program support. The foundation also funds broader legal capacity through grants such as $320,500 to the Legal Aid Society in 2025 and $150,000 to Legal Services Corporation in 2024. Outside New York, it supported the University of Chicago with $241,500 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023, and University of Chicago Law School with $239,500 in 2025, again under general program support.
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile, though the recent list also includes much larger institutional awards in the six- and seven-figure range. The foundation is a regular funder with a 2025 latest 990 on file and $34,579,527 in assets against $20,323,800 in annual grants. Recipients appear across multiple years, especially NYU Langone Health, NYU School of Law, Prep for Prep, Legal Aid Society, and Children's Aid Society, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-time gifts. Recent grants shown are predominantly general program support, consistent with unrestricted or core-capacity funding.
$6.8M
$34.6M
$8.1M
$6.9M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: NYU Langone Health, NYU School of Law, International Rescue Committee, Foundation for the Carolinas, Children's Aid Society
Giving is heavily concentrated in New York: 60% of grants go to recipients in NY, and New York is also the top state by grant count. Recipient locations in the recent list are mostly New York City, including New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY; and Charlotte, NC appearing outside the state. The list also shows grants to Cambridge, MA and Chicago, IL. All grants in the country distribution are U.S.-based, with 279 grants to U.S. recipients.
The recent grant list centers on academic medicine, legal education, legal services, and community institutions. Named recipients include NYU Langone Health, NYU School of Law, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, the Legal Aid Society, and the Legal Services Corporation, with most awards labeled general program support.
The stated distribution is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger institutional grants, such as $1,300,000 to NYU Langone Health and $1,050,000 to NYU School of Law.
Yes. Sixty percent of grants go to recipients in New York, and New York is the top state by grant count. The recent list also includes recipients in Charlotte, NC; Cambridge, MA; and Chicago, IL, showing some giving outside New York.
The recent grants are overwhelmingly listed as general program support. That includes awards to NYU Langone Health, Foundation for the Carolinas, International Rescue Committee, and Children's Aid Society, which indicates a preference for broad operating or core support.
Yes. Several organizations recur across years, including NYU Langone Health in 2023, 2024, and 2025; NYU School of Law in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Prep for Prep in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and the Legal Aid Society in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYU Langone Health | NEW YORK, NY | $1,110,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Foundation for the Carolinas | Charlotte, NC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Prep for Prep | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Legal Aid Society | NEW YORK, NY | $320,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Harvard Law School | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $270,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| UJA Federation of New York | NEW YORK, NY | $260,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| New York City Partnership Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Children's Aid Society | NEW YORK, NY | $240,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| University of Chicago Law School | Chicago, IL | $239,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Columbia Law School | NEW YORK, NY | $161,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NYU School of Law | New York, NY | $160,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Equal Justice Works | WASHINGTON, DC | $141,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| New York University | New York, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Mobilization for Justice | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $74,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Yale Law School | NEW HAVEN, CT | $64,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (A | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Center for Reproductive Rights | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Temple Emanu-El | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Philharmonic Symphony Society of NY | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| American Law Institute | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Cancer Research Fund of the Damon Runyon - Walter | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Pursuit Transformation Company Inc | Long Is City, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Temple Emanu-El Nursery School | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CURE Epilepsy | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Asphalt Green | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| American Friends of the Hebrew University | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| TEAK Fellowship | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Public Counsel | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Pro Bono Partnership | Parsippany, NJ | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Museum of the Moving Image | Astoria, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Community Hope Inc | PARSIPPANY, NJ | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Her Justice | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority | NEW YORK, NY | $36,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| American Friends of Rambam Medical Center | NEW YORK, NY | $36,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Bet Tzedek | Los Angeles, CA | $36,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Public Art Fund Inc | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| British American Business Inc of New York & London | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Harlem Academy | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Jewish Museum | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Law Foundation of Silicon Valley | San Jose, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Greater Horizons (Do More Charity Challenge) | KANSAS CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| American Friends of the Israel Museum | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Pro | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Greater New York Councils Boy Scouts of America | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Legal Momentum | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT |
NYU Langone Health
$1,110,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Harvard Law School
$270,500GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Children's Aid Society
$240,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
University of Chicago Law School
$239,500GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Columbia Law School
$161,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
NYU School of Law
$160,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Yale Law School
$64,500GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Temple Emanu-El
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Philharmonic Symphony Society of NY
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Cancer Research Fund of the Damon Runyon - Walter
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Temple Emanu-El Nursery School
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
American Friends of the Hebrew University
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Pro Bono Partnership
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Museum of the Moving Image
$50,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Stanford University
$35,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
British American Business Inc of New York & London
$30,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Pro
$25,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Greater New York Councils Boy Scouts of America
$25,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT
Legal Momentum
$25,000GENERAL PROGRAM SUPPORT