The Axinn Foundation concentrates its giving on scientific research infrastructure and higher-education program support, alongside targeted nonprofit relief for food insecurity in Long Island and emergency international food response. Grants are few but large, with a multi-million dollar capital commitment to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and recurring support for NYU’s Graduate School prize, while smaller, one-off grants fund local food banks and emergency food relief for Ukraine. The foundation appears to favor institutions on Long Island/NYC and a mix of capacity-building (facilities, academic prizes) and direct service food assistance.
A $2 million grant to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for scientific research facility buildings stands out in The Joan F and Donald E Axinn Foundation Inc’s recent record. That commitment sits alongside repeated support for New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, including the Axinn Foundation Fellowship for Writing and the Axinn Foundation/E.L. Doctorow Prize, showing a mix of capital support and program funding in higher education. The foundation also gives to Long Island food banks and emergency food aid, with grants to Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, and Interfaith Nutrition Network. Another thread is literary and academic recognition: Barnard College received support for the Anna Quindlen Award writer-in-residence and creative writing award. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s giving is concentrated in a small number of institutions and tends to favor relatively large awards, especially for research infrastructure, graduate programming, and direct food assistance.
Scientific research infrastructure is a major theme in the foundation’s recent giving. It awarded $2,000,000 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for scientific research facility buildings. In higher education, NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science received $231,900 in 2025 for the Axinn Foundation Fellowship for Writing and the Axinn Foundation/E.L. Doctorow Prize in the Graduate School of Arts and Science, after similar awards of $211,316 in both 2024 and 2023 for the same prize. The foundation also backs creative writing recognition at Barnard College, with $25,000 grants in 2023 and 2024 for the Anna Quindlen Award writer-in-residence and creative writing award. Food insecurity is another clear line of support, including grants to Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, Interfaith Nutrition Network, and The Inn.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile, even though the recent list also includes larger commitments for research and graduate-school programming. The pattern shows repeat funding: NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and several Long Island food-relief groups recur across multiple years. The foundation makes grants from a family foundation structure and also funds individuals, which fits the presence of fellowship and prize support in the data. The recent record is grant-based rather than program-related investing.
$3M
$23.5M
$5.7M
$3.4M
Most grants fall between $25K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 90% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a few institutional beneficiaries: one very large capital grant, recurrent mid-size funding to an academic program, and several smaller operational grants to local and emergency food-assistance groups. Mix of repeat funding for select institutions and single-year support for frontline service providers.
Notable grantees: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NYU Graduate School of Arts & Science, Interfaith Nutrition Network, Island Harvest, World Central Kitchen
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and entirely U.S.-based in the recent list. New York recipients dominate, including Cold Spring Harbor, New York City, Bethpage, Hauppauge, and Hempstead. The top state by grant count is NY, and 90% of grants went to recipients in that state. Outside New York, the recent grants list includes World Central Kitchen in Washington, DC for Ukraine-related food relief. No non-U.S. recipient countries appear in the recent data.
The recent grants show support for scientific research infrastructure, graduate arts and science programming, creative writing awards, and food insecurity relief. Named recipients include Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science, Barnard College, Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, Interfaith Nutrition Network, and The Inn.
Yes. NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Long Island Cares, Island Harvest, and Interfaith Nutrition Network also appear more than once across the recent grants list, showing recurring support rather than only one-time awards.
The distribution centers on $25,000 and $50,000 grants: p25 is $25,000, the median is $25,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent list also includes much larger awards for specific institutional projects, such as the $2,000,000 grant to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Yes. Barnard College received $25,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024 for the Anna Quindlen Award writer-in-residence and the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Foundation/Anna Quindlen Award for Creative Writing. NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science also received support tied to the Axinn Foundation Fellowship for Writing and the E.L. Doctorow Prize.
New York is the main giving state, with 90% of grants going to recipients in NY. The recent list includes recipients in Cold Spring Harbor, New York City, Bethpage, Hauppauge, and Hempstead, which aligns with the foundation’s local geographic scope of giving.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY | COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | $2,000,000 | 2025 | SCIENTIC REASEARCH FACILITY BUILDINGS |
| NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE | NEW YORK, NY | $231,900 | 2025 | AXINN FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP FOR WRITINGAXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE |
| LONG ISLAND CARES | HAUPPAUGE, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | FOOD INSECURITYFOOD INSECURITY |
| INTERFAITH NUTRITION NETWORK | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE |
| ISLAND HARVEST | BETHPAGE, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE |
| NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE | NEW YORK, NY | $211,316 | 2024 | AXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE |
| BARNARD COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | THE ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE & THE JOAN AND DONALD E. AXINN FOUNDATION/ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING |
| INTERFAITH NUTRITION NETWORK | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE |
| LONG ISLAND CARES | HAUPPAUGE, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | FOOD INSECURITY |
| NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE | NEW YORK, NY | $211,316 | 2023 | AXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE |
| THE INN | HEMPSTEAD, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | FOOD INSECURITY |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | FOOD INSECURITY FOR UKRAIN EFFORT |
| BARNARD COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | THE ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE & THE JOAN AND DONALD E. AXINN FOUNDATION/ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING |
| LONG ISLAND CARES | HAUPPAUGE, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | FOOD INSECURITY |
| ISLAND HARVEST | BETHPAGE, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE |
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY
$2,000,000SCIENTIC REASEARCH FACILITY BUILDINGS
NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE
$231,900AXINN FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP FOR WRITINGAXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
LONG ISLAND CARES
$50,000FOOD INSECURITYFOOD INSECURITY
INTERFAITH NUTRITION NETWORK
$50,000FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE
ISLAND HARVEST
$50,000FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE
NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE
$211,316AXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
BARNARD COLLEGE
$25,000THE ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE & THE JOAN AND DONALD E. AXINN FOUNDATION/ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING
INTERFAITH NUTRITION NETWORK
$10,000FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE
LONG ISLAND CARES
$10,000FOOD INSECURITY
NYU GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE
$211,316AXINN FOUNDATION/E.L. DOCTOROW PRIZE IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
THE INN
$50,000FOOD INSECURITY
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN
$50,000FOOD INSECURITY FOR UKRAIN EFFORT
BARNARD COLLEGE
$25,000THE ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE & THE JOAN AND DONALD E. AXINN FOUNDATION/ANNA QUINDLEN AWARD FOR CREATIVE WRITING
LONG ISLAND CARES
$25,000FOOD INSECURITY
ISLAND HARVEST
$25,000FOOD INSECURITY ASSISTANCE