The Mark Jacobson Charitable Foundation concentrates large, unrestricted operating support to major academic and healthcare institutions in the New York/New Jersey region. Its recent giving is dominated by two beneficiaries—New York University and Northwell Health Foundation—indicating a preference for sustaining institutional capacity at well-established organizations rather than many small community grants.
Highly concentrated giving: a small number of large grants focused on repeat, institutional operating support to a few flagship grantees (NYU and Northwell) in the NY/NJ area.
The Mark Jacobson Charitable Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by large operating support to major institutions in the New York and New Jersey region, especially New York University and Northwell Health Foundation. Those awards point to a pattern of backing established organizations with recurring, unrestricted funding rather than a wide spread of smaller project grants. The foundation made a $250,000 operational support grant to New York University in 2024 and a $235,000 operational support grant in 2023, while Northwell Health Foundation received $175,000 in 2023 and $137,500 in 2024. Beyond those core recipients, the foundation also supported educational and health-related institutions with smaller awards, including Berkshire Waldorf School Inc and St Jude's Children's Hospital. The recent record shows a funder that concentrates on institutional capacity, with most of its giving directed to a small number of recipients and grant sizes ranging from modest support to six-figure operating grants.
In higher education, the foundation gave $250,000 to New York University for operational support in 2024, following a $235,000 operational support grant in 2023. That repeated support suggests a continuing relationship with a large university rather than a one-time award. In healthcare, Northwell Health Foundation received $175,000 in 2023 and $137,500 in 2024, both for operating support. The foundation also touched agricultural and educational programming through smaller grants: Hawthorne Valley Association received $20,000 in 2024 and $6,000 in 2023 for agricultural programs support, while Berkshire Waldorf School Inc received $20,000 for educational support in 2025. These awards show a mix of institutional support and program-specific funding across education, health, and agricultural education.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $137,500 at the 75th percentile, showing a split between smaller awards and much larger institutional grants. Its recent record also shows repeat funding: New York University, Northwell Health Foundation, and Hawthorne Valley Association each appear in multiple years. The foundation gives to nonprofits and does not fund individuals. The awards are generally operating support or unrestricted support, with a small number of program-specific grants such as agricultural programs support and research support.
$1M
$1.3M
$74K
$182K
Most grants fall between $6K and $138K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$138K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: New York University, Northwell Health Foundation, Regional academic and healthcare institutions (representative of the foundation's target profile)
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States. New York is the top state by grant count, with awards landing in New York City, New Hyde Park, Westbury, Ghent, Monroe, and East Chatham. Massachusetts also appears through Berkshire Waldorf School Inc and Berkshire Waldorf High School. Outside the Northeast, the record includes a grant to Girls Rising in San Diego, California. The recipient mix points to a regional pattern centered on the New York metropolitan area.
It most often supports established educational and healthcare institutions, especially through operating support. Recent grants include large awards to New York University and Northwell Health Foundation, plus smaller support for organizations such as Berkshire Waldorf School Inc, Hawthorne Valley Association, and St Jude's Children's Hospital.
Its grant-size distribution runs from $6,000 at the 25th percentile to $20,000 at the median and $137,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards include both smaller $5,000–$20,000 grants and six-figure operating grants.
Yes. New York University received grants in both 2023 and 2024, Northwell Health Foundation received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Hawthorne Valley Association appears in both 2023 and 2024. That pattern indicates recurring support for some recipients.
New York is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in that state include New York, New Hyde Park, Westbury, Ghent, Monroe, and East Chatham. All recorded grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Three areas stand out in the recent record: university operating support, health-system operating support, and agricultural or educational programming. Examples include operational support to New York University, operating support to Northwell Health Foundation, and agricultural programs support to Hawthorne Valley Association.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION | WESTBURY, NY | $137,500 | 2025 | Operating support |
| BERKSHIRE WALDORF SCHOOL INC | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | Educational support |
| Girls Rising | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Operating Support |
| Flying Deer Nature Center Inc | EAST CHATHAM, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating support |
| BERKSHIRE WALDORF HIGH SCHOOL | STOCKBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Support |
| New York University | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION | NEW HYDE PARK, NY | $137,500 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| HAWTHORNE VALLEY ASSOCIATION | Ghent, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Agricultural Programs Support |
| New York University | New York, NY | $235,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION | NEW HYDE PARK, NY | $175,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| YESHIVA KOL ARAYA | MONROE, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| HAWTHORNE VALLEY ASSOCIATION | Ghent, NY | $6,000 | 2023 | Agricultural Programs Support |
| ST JUDE'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT & RESEARCH |
NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION
$137,500Operating support
BERKSHIRE WALDORF SCHOOL INC
$20,000Educational support
Girls Rising
$10,000Operating Support
Flying Deer Nature Center Inc
$5,000Operating support
BERKSHIRE WALDORF HIGH SCHOOL
$5,000Operating Support
New York University
$250,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION
$137,500OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
HAWTHORNE VALLEY ASSOCIATION
$20,000Agricultural Programs Support
New York University
$235,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
NORTHWELL HEALTH FOUNDATION
$175,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
YESHIVA KOL ARAYA
$10,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
HAWTHORNE VALLEY ASSOCIATION
$6,000Agricultural Programs Support
ST JUDE'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$1,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT & RESEARCH