The John & Patricia Klingenstein Fund concentrates relatively large, unrestricted grants to a small set of cultural, health, and regional nonprofits—often providing general operating support. Their giving favors established institutions (museum/historical society), performing arts organizations, and regional service providers, with a geographic focus that includes New York City and Maine. Grants are sizable and sometimes repeated to the same recipients, indicating partnership-style support rather than many small gifts.
A $4.7 million general-purpose grant to "See Statement Attached" in New York anchors the John & Patricia Klingenstein Fund’s recent giving and signals a style built around large, flexible support. The fund makes unusually concentrated grants to a small set of institutions rather than many small awards, and several of its biggest gifts go to established cultural and regional nonprofits. In New York City, that includes Dexter Hall at the New-York Historical Society, which received $1.15 million in 2024 for general purpose support and a Strawberry Lunch allocation. The fund also backs major civic and educational institutions with operating or annual support, such as UJA-Federation of New York, The New York Public Library, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Beyond New York, the fund has provided substantial support to Maine-based organizations, including Northern Light Health Foundation, Waynflete, and 7 Lakes Alliance. Its portfolio also includes performing arts, conservation, bioethics, and gender-focused medicine, suggesting a broad but institution-centered approach to philanthropy.
In cultural philanthropy, the fund supports both museums and performing arts institutions. It gave $120,000 to The Frick Collection for general purpose support and $75,000 to the Metropolitan Opera Association Inc for general purpose support, alongside larger awards to New York historical and museum institutions elsewhere in the grant list. Education and research also appear prominently. Teachers College Columbia University received $30,000 for its annual fund, Yale University received $10,000 for an alumni fund, and Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics received $15,000 for the Berman Institute of Bioethics. The fund also supports gender equity in science: The Rockefeller University’s Women and Science Initiative received $15,000 for Women & Science, and the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine received $15,000 for general purpose support. In Maine-related community and conservation work, it awarded $425,000 to 7 Lakes Alliance for general purpose support.
Typical grants are modest relative to the fund’s larger awards, with a p25 of $500, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $17,500. That spread points to a structure that includes many smaller institutional gifts alongside a few very large commitments. The recent record also shows repeated support to the same organizations across years, including separate grants to Teatro Nuovo in 2024 and multiple grants associated with 7 Lakes Alliance. The fund is a regular funder rather than a DAF and also funds individuals. Its recent grants are concentrated in general-purpose and annual-fund support, with occasional stock-based giving noted in the records.
$5.3M
$0
$2.4M
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $500 and $18K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$18K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a handful of organizations with repeated funding and large general-purpose gifts rather than many small or project-restricted awards.
Notable grantees: New‑York Historical Society (Dexter Hall), Northern Light Health Foundation, Teatro Nuovo, 7 Lakes Alliance, Waynflete (Waynflete Grant)
The grant record is entirely U.S.-based, with 78 grants going to recipients in the United States. New York City is a major recipient hub, with grants to institutions in Manhattan and other boroughs, including New York, Staten Island, and Garrison in New York state. Maine is another recurring location, with grants to Brewer, Portland, and Belgrade Lakes. The recipient-state pattern is strongest in Massachusetts, which is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation’s headquarters are in New York, NY.
The fund supports cultural institutions, education and research organizations, health-related nonprofits, and regional community groups. Recent grants include support for a historical society, performing arts groups, a health foundation in Maine, bioethics research, and a gender-specific medicine organization.
The typical grant-size profile is p25 of $500, median of $5,000, and p75 of $17,500. That pattern suggests many smaller awards, with occasional larger grants that reach into the hundreds of thousands or millions.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated support to some organizations across multiple years, including Teatro Nuovo and 7 Lakes Alliance. The fund also makes follow-on institutional gifts such as annual-fund and general-purpose support.
Grants are U.S.-based, with New York City and Maine appearing repeatedly in the recipient list. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and 59% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state of New York.
The fund gives to higher-education and research-related recipients such as Teachers College Columbia University for its annual fund, Yale University for an alumni fund, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, and The Rockefeller University’s Women and Science Initiative. It also supported the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESTHER & JOSEPH KLINGENSTEIN FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $4,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KLINGENSTEIN THIRD GENERATION FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $780,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Dexter Hall at the New-York Historical Society | New York, NY | $1,150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE $1,100,000 STRAWBERRY LUNCH $ 50,000 |
| Northern Light Health Foundation | Brewer, ME | $1,000,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Waynflete Grant | Portland, ME | $600,000 | 2024 | GENRAL PURPOSE |
| Teatro Nuovo | New York, NY | $525,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Teatro Nuovo Grant | New York, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| 7 Lakes Alliance | Belgrade Lakes, ME | $425,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE- 5/31/2023 $225,000 GENERAL PURPOSE- 11/13/2023 $200,000 |
| The Frick Collection | New York, NY | $120,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UJA-Federation of New York | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL CAMPAIGN |
| Metropolitan Opera Association Inc | New York, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| The Hastings Center | Garrison, NY | $70,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| The New York Public Library | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Gilder Lehrman Grant | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AIM Academy BR | Conshohocken, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Teachers College Columbia University | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| Deerfield Academy | Deerfield, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| The Rockefeller University | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | UNIVERSITY COUNCIL ANNUAL FUND |
| The Wild Center | Tupper Lake, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics | Baltimore, MD | $15,000 | 2024 | BERMAN INSTITUTE OF BIOETHICS |
| Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Citizens Union Foundation | Staten Island, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Women and Science Initiative The Rockefeller Univ | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | WOMEN & SCIENCE |
| Baptist Joint Committee | Washington, DC | $12,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| American Enterprise Institute | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | ALUMNI FUND |
| Freedom Forum | Laurel, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | LIBERTY WORK |
| EL Education | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Greenwich Hospital | Greenwich, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Waynflete School | Portland, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | WAYNEFLETE FUND |
| Carnegie Hall | New York, NY | $6,500 | 2024 | PATRON PROGRAM |
| Maine Resilience Building Network | Manchester, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | WM CULLEN BRYANT FELLOWS |
| Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| No Limits Foundation | Wales, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | CAMP NO LIMITS |
| Smith College | Northampton, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | ALUMNAE FUND |
| Hope's Door | Hawthorne, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| United Way of Greenwich | Greenwich, CT | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| New York Landmarks Conservancy | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Lincoln Center Theater | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| The Literacy Lab | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COS COB, CT | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| American Folk Art Museum | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Bruce Museum | Greenwich, CT | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Smith College Club of NYC | Brooklyn, NY | $2,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| Library of America | New York, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Horizons at New Canaan Country School | New Canaan, CT | $1,500 | 2024 | HORIZONS PROGRAM |
| Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Katonah, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| New York Public Radio | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | WQXR |
| SAFE HORIZON | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
ESTHER & JOSEPH KLINGENSTEIN FUND
$4,500,000GENERAL PURPOSE
KLINGENSTEIN THIRD GENERATION FOUNDATION
$780,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Dexter Hall at the New-York Historical Society
$1,150,000GENERAL PURPOSE $1,100,000 STRAWBERRY LUNCH $ 50,000
Northern Light Health Foundation
$1,000,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Waynflete Grant
$600,000GENRAL PURPOSE
Teatro Nuovo
$525,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Teatro Nuovo Grant
$500,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE- 5/31/2023 $225,000 GENERAL PURPOSE- 11/13/2023 $200,000
The Frick Collection
$120,000GENERAL PURPOSE
AIM Academy BR
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
The Wild Center
$25,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics
$15,000BERMAN INSTITUTE OF BIOETHICS
Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Citizens Union Foundation
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Baptist Joint Committee
$12,500GENERAL PURPOSE
Yale University
$10,000ALUMNI FUND
Freedom Forum
$10,000LIBERTY WORK
Waynflete School
$10,000WAYNEFLETE FUND
Maine Resilience Building Network
$5,000WM CULLEN BRYANT FELLOWS
Smith College
$5,000ALUMNAE FUND
Hope's Door
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Lincoln Center Theater
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
Bruce Museum
$2,000GENERAL PURPOSE
Smith College Club of NYC
$2,000SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Library of America
$1,500GENERAL PURPOSE
New York Public Radio
$1,000WQXR