The George L Ohrstrom Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on medical research—most notably oncology—by making a small number of large gifts. The foundation shows a pattern of repeat, sizable support for a specific investigator-led program at Memorial Sloan Kettering, while also channeling funds through donor-advised and charitable gift vehicles for other philanthropic directions.
The George L Ohrstrom Foundation’s recent giving is defined by repeated, substantial support for investigator-led cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The same research line received $400,000 in 2023, $400,000 in 2024, and $400,000 in 2025, all for Dr. Gilles Salles’ research. That consistency sits alongside a broader portfolio that includes conservation, medical research, education, and specialized philanthropic funds. The foundation also makes sizable grants through donor-advised and charitable gift intermediaries, including Schwab Charitable Fund, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, and BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund. Those vehicles appear alongside direct grants to operating nonprofits and institutional departments, showing a mix of direct institutional support and routed family or donor-designated giving. Its largest recent gifts are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the foundation also makes smaller awards at levels such as $110,000 and $125,000. The pattern suggests a funder that supports both sustained research efforts and selected causes tied to conservation, health, education, and family-directed philanthropic priorities.
In medical research, the foundation has backed several institutional programs. It gave $300,000 to The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc in 2025 for the Victory for Vision campaign, and earlier support in 2023 and 2024 shows the same campaign appearing more than once. Neuro-focused giving also appears in a $118,000 grant to the University of Miami for the Department of Neurology. Conservation is another clear theme: Yellowstone Forever received $300,000 in 2023 for Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Resiliency Fund, plus $150,000 in 2024 for Yellowstone National Park. The foundation has also funded marine policy work, including $150,000 to Theodore Roosevest Conservation Partnership in 2023 and $125,000 in 2025 for the Menhaden Management Reform Project. Education-related grants include $175,000 to North Yellowstone Education Foundation for Gardiner School housing for teachers.
Typical grants cluster around mid-five figures: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $57,500. The recent list also shows a smaller set of very large awards, including multiple $400,000 research grants and several $200,000 to $350,000 commitments. Repeat gifts are common in the visible data, especially for the same research and conservation recipients across 2023 through 2025. The foundation gives through both direct grants and intermediary charitable vehicles, including donor-advised funds and charitable gift funds. It also funds individuals, which aligns with its scholarship-like and tuition-support pattern elsewhere in the record.
$4.6M
$88.3M
$9.1M
$5.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $58K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$58K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants with repeat funding to a single institutional research beneficiary and supplemental large transfers routed through donor-advised/charitable gift funds rather than many small community grants.
Notable grantees: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Schwab Charitable Fund, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States. New York stands out as the top state by grant count, and New York City appears repeatedly through grants to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc. Other recurring places include Bozeman and Gardiner, Montana, along with Middleburg, Virginia; San Francisco, California; and Warwick, Rhode Island. The pattern shows a national reach with a strong concentration in the Northeast and in Montana-linked conservation and education grants.
The foundation supports medical research institutions, conservation organizations, education groups, and donor-advised or charitable gift funds. Recent examples include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Yellowstone Forever, North Yellowstone Education Foundation, and Schwab Charitable Fund.
Yes. The data shows repeated grants over multiple years to the same recipients, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for Dr. Gilles Salles’ research in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and National Sporting Library & Museum in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on smaller awards: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $57,500. The recent list also includes some much larger grants, such as $400,000 awards.
Yes. Recent grants include $300,000 to Yellowstone Forever for Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Resiliency Fund, plus gifts to Theodore Roosevest Conservation Partnership for the Menhaden Management Reform Project.
No. Its geographic scope is national, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The recent grants include recipients in New York, Montana, Virginia, California, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York state cities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF DR. GILLES SALLES' RESEARCH |
| SCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM | WARWICK, RI | $350,000 | 2025 | THE DONUM AVI CHARITABLE FUND |
| BNY MELLON CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $345,000 | 2025 | DAVID W. LAUGHLIN FAMILY DONOR FUND |
| THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF VICTORY FOR VISION CAMPAIGN |
| NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY & MUSEUM | MIDDLEBURG, VA | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE ASSOCIATION FOR FRONTOTEMPORAL DEGENERATION | RADNOR, PA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTH YELLOWSTONE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | GARDINER, MT | $175,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THEODORE ROOSEVEST CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF MENHADEN MANAGEMENT REFORM PROJECT |
| AMERICA'S VETDOGS | SMITHTOWN, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE ATLANTIC SALMON FEDERATION | CALAIS, ME | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN SKIN ASSOCIATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | MIAMI, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY |
| YELLOWSTONE FOREVER | BOZEMAN, MT | $100,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK |
| HOBE SOUND NATURE CENTER | HOBE SOUND, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHRIST MEMORIAL CHAPEL | HOBE SOUND, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| DOE FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CITY HARVEST INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EAGLEBROOK SCHOOL | DEERFIELD, MA | $75,390 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF TUITION & BOARDING FOR A NEW STUDENT |
| THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NEW YORK HOSPITAL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| REASON FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GEOSENTINEL FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CORNELL UNIVERSITY FBO WEILL | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION | MOUNT VERNON, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PIEDMONT ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL | WARRENTON, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN HOSPITAL OF PARIS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EVERGLADES FOUNDATION | PALMETTO BAY, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| WILD SALMON CENTER | PORTLAND, OR | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BATTLE CREEK, MI | $36,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF THE JMD ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM |
| HARLEM ACADEMY | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| TEAK FELLOWSHIP INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH CENTER | BOZEMAN, MT | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HOBE SOUND COMMUNITY CHEST INC | HOBE SOUND, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | LANDOVER, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CONSERVATION FUND | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MARC LUSTGARTEN PANCREATIC CANCER FOUNDATION | WOODBURY, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF PANCREATIC CANCER |
| BRIDGER SKI FOUNDATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| LAND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE NETWORK | FALMOUTH, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| TOGETHER WE RISE | BREA, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ABSAROKA BEARTOOTH WILDERNESS FOUNDATION | RED LODGE, MT | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY | BOZEMAN, MT | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ATLAS NETWORK | ARLINGTON, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF THE UKRAINE FUND |
| THE FIRST TEE OF METROPOLITAN NEW YORK | BRONX, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SCAN-HARBOR INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | CLAYTON, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$400,000IN SUPPORT OF DR. GILLES SALLES' RESEARCH
SCHWAB CHARITABLE FUND
$350,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC
$300,000IN SUPPORT OF VICTORY FOR VISION CAMPAIGN
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THEODORE ROOSEVEST CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP
$125,000IN SUPPORT OF MENHADEN MANAGEMENT REFORM PROJECT
AMERICA'S VETDOGS
$125,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$100,000IN SUPPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY
CHRIST MEMORIAL CHAPEL
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CITY HARVEST INC
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EAGLEBROOK SCHOOL
$75,390IN SUPPORT OF TUITION & BOARDING FOR A NEW STUDENT
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GEOSENTINEL FOUNDATION INC
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CORNELL UNIVERSITY FBO WEILL
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MOUNT VERNON LADIES' ASSOCIATION
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$36,000IN SUPPORT OF THE JMD ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM
THE CONSERVATION FUND
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
LAND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE NETWORK
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
ABSAROKA BEARTOOTH WILDERNESS FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE FIRST TEE OF METROPOLITAN NEW YORK
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT