The John S Hilson Family Fund concentrates on supporting higher education institutions, with a particular tilt toward arts/design and liberal arts colleges in the New York region. Grants are provided as general/general-purpose support, suggesting a preference for flexible funding rather than program-restricted gifts. The majority of dollars are concentrated in a very small number of large awards rather than many small grants.
Highly concentrated giving: very few grants (3) with one very large, unspecified disbursement and two substantial general-purpose gifts to colleges. Prefers unrestricted funding to institutional grantees rather than many small or program-specific grants.
A $352,050 general-purpose grant in 2023 to a listed schedule of recipients stands out in The John S Hilson Family Fund’s recent record. The fund paired that large award with a 2024 pattern of flexible support to higher education institutions, especially colleges and arts-oriented schools in the New York region. Pratt Institute received two of the larger 2024 gifts, including $70,000 for general purpose and another $25,000 for the same purpose, while Manhattanville College received $30,000. Those awards sit alongside smaller unrestricted grants to schools and cultural nonprofits, showing a funder that uses general-purpose support across a range of institutions rather than tying gifts to narrow projects. The mix includes liberal arts colleges, design education, and independent schools, with several grants directed to New York-area organizations and others reaching institutions in nearby states. The fund also extends beyond education to a few health, legal, environmental, and community organizations, but the core pattern remains anchored in higher education and arts-related learning. Overall, the fund appears to favor flexible support, with the largest recent dollars concentrated in a small number of awards rather than spread evenly across many recipients.
Higher education is the clearest throughline in the fund’s recent grants. In 2024, it gave $30,000 to Manhattanville College in Purchase for general purpose, and $17,500 to Boston University in Boston for general purpose. Arts and design education is another visible thread: Pratt Institute in Brooklyn received $70,000 and another $25,000, both listed as general purpose. The fund also supported Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier with $5,000, again unrestricted. Beyond colleges, the portfolio reaches arts and culture nonprofits as well as independent schools, with grants to Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan, Fractured Atlas in New York, and Whitby School in Greenwich. The common feature across these areas is not project specificity but flexible support for institutions tied to education, arts, and related community use.
Typical grant size is modest, with a p25 of $500, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $10,000, even though a few awards are much larger. The recent record suggests a mix of one-off and repeated support: Pratt Institute appears more than once in 2024, while many other recipients show a single grant entry. The fund is not an individual-giving vehicle and does not make program-related investments. Its grants are generally structured as general-purpose support, pointing to a responsive, unrestricted style rather than tightly earmarked funding.
$619K
$4.4M
$31K
$331K
Most grants fall between $500 and $10K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 41% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE (large unspecified disbursement), Pratt Institute, Manhattanville College
Grantmaking is regional, with New York as the top state by grant count and 41% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. New York City-area recipients appear often, including Brooklyn, Purchase, and New York itself. Other recurring locations include Connecticut cities such as New Canaan, Greenwich, Norwalk, and New Haven, plus nearby Boston, Evanston, and Washington, DC. All recent grants in the provided list went to US recipients.
The recent grants point most strongly to higher education institutions, especially private colleges and arts/design schools. Examples in the list include Pratt Institute, Manhattanville College, Boston University, Vermont College of Fine Arts, and Northwestern University. The fund also makes some grants to independent schools and a smaller number to other nonprofit types.
The grants in the recent list are overwhelmingly labeled general purpose, including larger awards to Pratt Institute and Manhattanville College as well as smaller gifts to many other recipients. That pattern indicates flexible support rather than narrowly earmarked project funding.
The distribution centers on relatively small grants: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $10,000. Even so, the fund also made a much larger $352,050 general-purpose grant in 2023 and several five- and six-figure awards in 2024.
New York is the top state by grant count, and 41% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients in the state include organizations in Brooklyn, Purchase, and New York City.
The recent list shows both patterns, but repeat support appears for some recipients. Pratt Institute appears twice in 2024, while many other organizations appear only once in the provided recent-grants list.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt Institute | Brooklyn, NY | $70,000 | 2024 | General Purposee |
| MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE | PURCHASE, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ST Andrews School | Middletown, DE | $25,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Pratt Institute | Booklyn, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Boston University | Boston, MA | $17,500 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| Silvermine Arts Center | New Canaan, CT | $15,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Kellogg School of Management | Evanston, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| The Big Door Ranch Rescue | Loxahatchee Groves, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| One Story | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Diabetes Research Institute | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Deerfield Academy | Derfield, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Vermont College of Fine Arts | Montpelier, VT | $5,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| KWMR | Point Reyes Station, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Eaglebrook School | Deerfield, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| St John Paul II Academy | Brooklyn, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| The Humane Society | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Grateful Gatherings | Oakland, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation | New York, NY | $1,500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Bonefish & Tarpon Trust | Miami, FL | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| NAACP Legal Defense & Education | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Trout Unlimited | Arlington, VA | $1,000 | 2024 | General Puroose |
| HEAL Trafficking | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Fractured Atlas | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England | New Haven, CT | $1,000 | 2024 | general Purpose |
| Hope Chicago | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Silvermine Community Association | Norwalk, CT | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| National MS Society | New Yoek, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | General Purpoe |
| Whitby School | Greenwich, CT | $600 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Deerfield Academy | Deerfield, MA | $515 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Smile Train | New Yoek, NY | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Amnesty International | New Yoek, NY | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| International Justice | Washington, DC | $500 | 2024 | General Purpsoe |
| Project Sunshine | New York, NY | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| University of Richmond | Richmond, VA | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | New York, NY | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | Montgomery, AL | $500 | 2024 | general Purpose |
| National Parks Conservation Association | New York, NY | $500 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Missouri Review | Colunmbia, MO | $250 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Greenwich Emergency Medical Center | Riverside, CT | $200 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Collegiate School | New York, NY | $200 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| CLMP - Council of Literary Magazines & Presses | New York, NY | $100 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| The Sun | Chapel Hill, NC | $100 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE | NEW YORK, NY | $352,050 | 2023 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
Pratt Institute
$70,000General Purposee
MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ST Andrews School
$25,000General Purpose
Pratt Institute
$25,000General Purpose
Boston University
$17,500GENERAL PURPOSE
Silvermine Arts Center
$15,000General Purpose
Kellogg School of Management
General Purpose
The Big Door Ranch Rescue
$10,000General Purpose
One Story
$10,000General Purpose
Diabetes Research Institute
$10,000General Purpose
Deerfield Academy
$10,000General Purpose
Vermont College of Fine Arts
$5,000General Purpose
KWMR
$2,500General Purpose
Eaglebrook School
$2,500General Purpose
St John Paul II Academy
$2,500General Purpose
The Humane Society
$2,500General Purpose
Grateful Gatherings
$2,000General Purpose
The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation
$1,500General Purpose
Northwestern University
$1,000General Purpose
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
$1,000General Purpose
NAACP Legal Defense & Education
$1,000General Purpose
Trout Unlimited
$1,000General Puroose
HEAL Trafficking
$1,000General Purpose
Fractured Atlas
$1,000General Purpose
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
$1,000general Purpose
Hope Chicago
$1,000General Purpose
Silvermine Community Association
$1,000General Purpose
National MS Society
$1,000General Purpoe
Whitby School
$600General Purpose
Deerfield Academy
$515General Purpose
Smile Train
$500General Purpose
Amnesty International
$500General Purpose
International Justice
$500General Purpsoe
Project Sunshine
$500General Purpose
University of Richmond
$500General Purpose
St Jude Children's Research Hospital
$500General Purpose
Southern Poverty Law Center
$500general Purpose
National Parks Conservation Association
$500General Purpose
Missouri Review
$250General Purpose
Greenwich Emergency Medical Center
$200General Purpose
Collegiate School
$200General Purpose
CLMP - Council of Literary Magazines & Presses
$100General Purpose
The Sun
$100General Purpose
SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE
$352,050GENERAL PURPOSE