The Clark Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of large, locally focused awards: a sustained scholarship program, significant support for a particular elder care/residential facility, and infrastructure/public safety funding in the Cooperstown area. Grants are high-dollar and targeted, often made repeatedly to the same named programs or institutions, indicating an emphasis on long-term local impact rather than broad national funding.
The Clark Foundation’s largest recent commitment is a multi-million-dollar scholarship program in Cooperstown, paired with repeated support for a local elder care home and public safety equipment in the same community. That combination points to a funder that uses large, recurring grants to sustain a small number of institutions over time. In the recent grant list, the scholarship program received $3,759,322 in 2025, $3,882,688 in 2024, and $3,628,247 in 2023, showing a consistent annual pattern rather than one-off awards. The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home also appears repeatedly, including $2,000,000 in both 2023 and 2024 and an additional $1,500,000 in 2025 for general operating support. Beyond those anchor grants, the foundation supports civic and community organizations in New York, including the Cooperstown Fire Department, Fenimore Art Museum, and several city-based education and service nonprofits. The overall picture is a locally focused foundation with high-dollar awards, recurring relationships, and an emphasis on institutions that deliver long-term community services.
Scholarships are a defining part of the foundation’s giving. The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program received $3,759,322 in 2025 and similar multi-million-dollar grants in prior years, indicating a sustained commitment to student aid rather than a single campaign. In elder care, The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home received $1,500,000 in 2025 for general operating support after earlier $2,000,000 grants in 2023 and 2024. Public safety and infrastructure are also part of the portfolio: the Cooperstown Fire Department received $1,500,000 in 2025 for replacement of an aerial ladder truck. In arts and civic life, Fenimore Art Museum received $870,000 in 2025 for general operating support, a special initiative, and capital support.
Typical grants are large, with a p25 of $100,000, a median of $150,000, and a p75 of $250,000, but the recent grant list shows repeated awards far above those levels. Many grantees recur across multiple years, including the scholarship program, The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home, City Harvest Inc, New Visions for Public Schools, Uncommon Schools Inc, and Goddard Riverside Community Center. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. Its recent grants include general operating support, general support, capital and construction, equipment replacement, and special initiative funding.
$21.5M
$453.7M
$41.8M
$37.2M
Most grants fall between $100K and $250K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$250K
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Highly concentrated giving: few, very large grants that recur to the same recipients; focused geographically (Cooperstown/Upstate NY) with three grantees receiving the majority of total dollars.
Notable grantees: The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program, The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home, Cooperstown Fire Department
Giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in New York, which accounts for 99% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Cooperstown appears repeatedly as a recipient city, especially for the scholarship program, the elder care home, the fire department, the hospital, and the art museum. New York City recipients also appear frequently, including organizations in New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY. The recipient country distribution is entirely domestic, with 268 grants in the US.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on scholarships, elder care, public safety, and New York education and service organizations. Examples include The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program, The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home, the Cooperstown Fire Department, and NYC-based groups such as New Visions for Public Schools and City Harvest Inc.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $100,000 at the 25th percentile, $150,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger multi-year commitments, such as million-dollar grants for scholarships, elder care, and fire equipment.
Yes. Several organizations appear repeatedly in the recent grants list, including The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program, The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home, City Harvest Inc, New Visions for Public Schools, Uncommon Schools Inc, and Goddard Riverside Community Center. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
Grantmaking is highly localized: 99% of grants go to recipients in New York. Cooperstown appears often in the recent grants, and New York City organizations also receive repeated support, including groups in New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program | Cooperstown, NY | $3,759,322 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home | Cooperstown, NY | $1,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Cooperstown Fire Department | Cooperstown, NY | $1,500,000 | 2025 | REPLACEMENT OF AERIAL LADDER TRUCK |
| Fenimore Art Museum | Cooperstown, NY | $870,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT, SPECIAL INITIATIVE, & CAPITAL SUPPORT |
| Goddard Riverside Community Center | New York, NY | $475,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT & GENERAL SUPPORT FOR #DEGREES NYC |
| Uncommon Schools Inc | New York, NY | $450,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC SCHOOLS |
| New Visions for Public Schools | New York, NY | $450,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| New York City Charter School Center | New York, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| City Harvest Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Bowery Residents' Committee Inc | New York, NY | $325,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital | Cooperstown, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH PROGRAM |
| East Side House Settlement | Bronx, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Women In Need Inc | New York, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROJECT SUPPORT FOR LEAD INITIATIVE |
| College for Every StudentBrilliant Pathways | Essex, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR LEATHERSTOCKING CONSORTIUM |
| Fenimore Farm & Country Village | Cooperstown, NY | $280,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT & SPECIAL INITIATIVE |
| Lawyers Alliance for New York | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Sanctuary for Families | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Food Bank for New York City | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Graham Windham | Brooklyn, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Safe Horizon | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Urban Assembly | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Lenox Hill Neighborhood House | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Children's Aid Society | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Glimmerglass Festival | Cooperstown, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Children's Village | Dobbs Ferry, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| New York Cares Inc | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Urban Pathways | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Per Scholas Inc | Bronx, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| The Fortune Society | Long Island City, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Human Services Council of New York City Inc | New York, NY | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Grand Street Settlement | New York, NY | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CAMBA Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Studio in a School Association Inc | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Queens Community House | Forest Hills, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SCO Family of Services | Garden City, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Center for Justice Innovation (Formerly Center for Court Innovation) | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Center for Employment Opportunities | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Ascendus | New York, NY | $175,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| Student Leadership Network | New York, NY | $175,000 | 2025 | COLLEGE BOUND INITIATIVE |
| Coalition for the Homeless Inc | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Sunnyside Community Services | Sunnyside, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS |
| The DreamYard Project Inc | Bronx, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Henry Street Settlement | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Harlem RBIDREAM | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Family Legal Care | New York, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| Jacob A Riis Neighborhood Settlement | Long Island City, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The New York Immigration Coalition | New York, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
The Clark Foundation Scholarship Program
$3,759,322SCHOLARSHIPS
The Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home
$1,500,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Cooperstown Fire Department
$1,500,000REPLACEMENT OF AERIAL LADDER TRUCK
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT, SPECIAL INITIATIVE, & CAPITAL SUPPORT
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT & GENERAL SUPPORT FOR #DEGREES NYC
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC SCHOOLS
New York City Charter School Center
$400,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
City Harvest Inc
$400,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AND PROJECT SUPPORT FOR LEAD INITIATIVE
College for Every StudentBrilliant Pathways
$300,000SUPPORT FOR LEATHERSTOCKING CONSORTIUM
Fenimore Farm & Country Village
$280,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT & SPECIAL INITIATIVE
The Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services
$250,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Glimmerglass Festival
$250,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS
Center for Justice Innovation (Formerly Center for Court Innovation)
$200,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR NYC PROGRAMS
Harlem RBIDREAM
$150,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT