The Zemurray Foundation concentrates philanthropic support in New Orleans and the Gulf South, funding major local institutions in higher education, cultural institutions, and urban conservation. Its largest gifts go to Tulane University and a named research trust, while significant investments also support the New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park and major local healthcare and nature institutions. The foundation’s giving reflects civic stewardship of anchor institutions that shape the region’s education, research, cultural life and public green space.
The Zemurray Foundation’s recent giving is defined by large, repeated support for New Orleans institutions, especially Tulane University and the Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust. Those two recipients appear across multiple years and at seven-figure levels, signaling a pattern of sustained backing for university-led research and named research support rather than isolated project grants. The foundation also makes major gifts to arts, conservation, and health organizations that shape civic life in the city, including the New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park Conservancy, Audubon Nature Institute, and Childrens Hospital. Its grantmaking profile points to a regional funder with a strong anchor-institution orientation. In the recent grant list, New Orleans grantees dominate, but the portfolio also reaches into education and civil-society work outside traditional local institutions, such as the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Touro Synagogue, and Youth Empowerment Project. The foundation’s active grant programs use a letter-of-intent process for eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the greater New Orleans region, with priorities that include education, health, environmental sustainability, and cultural life.
Education and research are central to the Zemurray Foundation’s portfolio. It gave $2,900,000 to Tulane University in 2023 for education, followed by $1,275,000 in 2025 and $1,005,000 in 2024, showing repeat support over time. It also made a $3,000,000 grant in 2023 and a $1,500,000 grant in 2025 to Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust for research. Arts and cultural institutions are another clear theme. The foundation awarded $2,526,000 to New Orleans Museum of Art in 2024 for arts and culture, and $157,500 to Wyes- Tv in 2024 for arts and culture. In conservation and environmental work, it gave $1,207,500 to City Park Conservancy in 2024 for conservation, alongside $500,000 to Ducks Unlimited Se La in 2025 for environment. Health also appears in the recent list through a $1,000,000 grant to Childrens Hospital in 2025.
The typical grant size is $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent grant list also includes several seven-figure awards. The same recipients appear across multiple years, especially Tulane University, Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Audubon Nature Institute, Deep South Today, and Youth Empowerment Project. That points to recurring support rather than one-off giving. Zemurray Foundation is a private foundation, not a pass-through funder for individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its active LOI-based grantmaking suggests a screened application process rather than open unsolicited proposals.
$7M
$101.2M
$4.4M
$8.3M
Most grants fall between $6K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 77% of grants go to recipients in LA.
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small set of repeat, anchor institutions; few total grants with multiple multi-million-dollar commitments, regionally focused and institution-building rather than broad small-dollar philanthropy.
Notable grantees: Tulane University, Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust, New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park Conservancy, Children's Hospital
Grantmaking is concentrated in Louisiana, with 77% of grants to recipients in the HQ state and the top state by grant count also being LA. New Orleans appears most often in the recent list, including Tulane University, New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park Conservancy, Childrens Hospital, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Outside Louisiana, the foundation has supported recipients in Memphis, Coral Gables, Miami, Washington, DC, Chicago, Evanston, and Ridgeland. All recorded recipient-country data in the file is U.S.-based.
The foundation uses a letter-of-intent process. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the greater New Orleans region can submit an LOI, and selected organizations may be invited to submit a full proposal for grant consideration.
Its active grant programs emphasize education, health, environmental sustainability, and cultural life. The recent grant list also shows support for research, conservation, philanthropy infrastructure, civil society, social entrepreneurship, and youth-related work.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $6,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes larger grants in the hundreds of thousands and millions.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Tulane University, Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust, Greater New Orleans Foundation, Audubon Nature Institute, Deep South Today, and Youth Empowerment Project.
Giving is concentrated in Louisiana, with 77% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. New Orleans is the most frequent recipient city in the recent grant list, with additional grants in several other U.S. cities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust | New Orleans, LA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | Research |
| Tulane University | New Orleans, LA | $1,275,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Childrens Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Health |
| Ducks Unlimited SE LA | Memphis, TN | $500,000 | 2025 | Environment |
| Greater New Orleans Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $465,000 | 2025 | Philanthropy |
| Zamorano Pan-Am Agricultural Schoo | Washington, DC | $450,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Salvadoran American Humanitarian Fu | Coral Gables, FL | $300,000 | 2025 | Philanthropic |
| Contextos NFP | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Civil Society |
| Greater NO Development Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $250,000 | 2025 | Civil Society |
| Deep South Today | Ridgeland, MS | $150,000 | 2025 | Civil Society |
| Youth Empowerment Project | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 2025 | Youth |
| St Augustine High School | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Touro Synagogue | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 2025 | Civil Society |
| Propeller | New Orleans, LA | $83,333 | 2025 | Social Entreprenuership |
| The Idea Village | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 2025 | Social Entrepreneurship |
| Environmental Defense Fund | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | Environment |
| NO Family Justice Alliance | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 2025 | Social Services |
| Loyola University | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Silence is Violence | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 2025 | Social Services |
| STEM Library Lab | Metairie, LA | $40,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Live Oak Wilderness Camp | New Orleans, LA | $40,000 | 2025 | Youth |
| Louisiana Endowment for the Humanit | New Orleans, LA | $33,333 | 2025 | Arts and Culture |
| City Park Conservancy | New Orleans, LA | $27,500 | 2025 | Conservation |
| New Orleans Museum of Art | New Orleans, LA | $21,000 | 2025 | Arts & Culture |
| Youth Run Nola | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 2025 | Youth |
| Junior Achievement | New Orleans, LA | $15,000 | 2025 | Youth |
| Pro Bono Publico Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $10,000 | 2025 | Philanthropic |
| Audubon Natute Institute | New Orleans, LA | $5,000 | 2025 | Conservation |
| National Center for Family Philanth | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | Research |
| New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Found | New Orleans, LA | $3,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Bureau of Governmental Research | New Orleans, LA | $3,000 | 2025 | Civil Society |
| Louisiana Childrens Museum | New Orleans, LA | $2,000 | 2025 | Youth |
| NO Police and Justice Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $1,000 | 2025 | Criminal Justice |
| New Orleans Museum of Art | New Orleans, LA | $2,526,000 | 2024 | Arts & Culture |
| City Park Conservancy | New Orleans, LA | $1,207,500 | 2024 | Conservation |
| Tulane University | New Orleans, LA | $1,005,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Audubon Nature Institute | New Orleans, LA | $500,000 | 2024 | Conservation |
| Salvadoran American Humanitarian Fu | Miami, FL | $210,505 | 2024 | Philanthropic |
| WYES- TV | New Orleans, LA | $157,500 | 2024 | Arts and Culture |
| Deep South Today | Ridgeland, MS | $150,000 | 2024 | Civil Society |
| Fabretto Childrens Foundation | Evanston, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Youth Empowerment Project | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 2024 | Youth |
| St Augustine High School | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Propeller | New Orleans, LA | $83,333 | 2024 | Social Entreprenuership |
| Sustaining Our Urban Landscape | New Orleans, LA | $75,000 | 2024 | Environment |
| Zamorano Pan-Am Agricultural Schoo | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Idea Village | New Orleans, LA | $50,000 | 2024 | Social Entrepreneurship |
| STEM Library Lab | Metairie, LA | $40,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Louisiana Endowment for the Humanit | New Orleans, LA | $33,333 | 2024 | Arts and Culture |
| New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Found | New Orleans, LA | $27,000 | 2024 | Education |
Samuel Z Stone CIPR Trust
$1,500,000Research
Tulane University
$1,275,000Education
Childrens Hospital
$1,000,000Health
Ducks Unlimited SE LA
$500,000Environment
Greater New Orleans Foundation
$465,000Philanthropy
Zamorano Pan-Am Agricultural Schoo
$450,000Education
Salvadoran American Humanitarian Fu
Philanthropic
Contextos NFP
$250,000Civil Society
Greater NO Development Foundation
$250,000Civil Society
Deep South Today
$150,000Civil Society
Youth Empowerment Project
$100,000Youth
St Augustine High School
$100,000Education
Touro Synagogue
$100,000Civil Society
Propeller
$83,333Social Entreprenuership
The Idea Village
$50,000Social Entrepreneurship
Environmental Defense Fund
$50,000Environment
NO Family Justice Alliance
$50,000Social Services
Loyola University
$50,000Education
Silence is Violence
$50,000Social Services
STEM Library Lab
$40,000Education
Live Oak Wilderness Camp
$40,000Youth
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanit
$33,333Arts and Culture
City Park Conservancy
$27,500Conservation
New Orleans Museum of Art
$21,000Arts & Culture
Youth Run Nola
$15,000Youth
Junior Achievement
$15,000Youth
Pro Bono Publico Foundation
$10,000Philanthropic
Audubon Natute Institute
$5,000Conservation
National Center for Family Philanth
$5,000Research
New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Found
$3,000Education
Bureau of Governmental Research
$3,000Civil Society
Louisiana Childrens Museum
$2,000Youth
NO Police and Justice Foundation
$1,000Criminal Justice
New Orleans Museum of Art
$2,526,000Arts & Culture
City Park Conservancy
$1,207,500Conservation
Tulane University
$1,005,000Education
Audubon Nature Institute
$500,000Conservation
Salvadoran American Humanitarian Fu
$210,505Philanthropic
WYES- TV
$157,500Arts and Culture
Deep South Today
$150,000Civil Society
Fabretto Childrens Foundation
$100,000Education
Youth Empowerment Project
$100,000Youth
St Augustine High School
$100,000Education
Propeller
$83,333Social Entreprenuership
Sustaining Our Urban Landscape
$75,000Environment
Zamorano Pan-Am Agricultural Schoo
$50,000Education
Idea Village
$50,000Social Entrepreneurship
STEM Library Lab
$40,000Education
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanit
$33,333Arts and Culture
New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Found
$27,000Education
Current and upcoming funding from Zemurray Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Letter of intent may be submitted by 501(c)(3) organizations located in the greater New Orleans region. The foundation does not consider unsolicited grant requests and may invite selected cases to submit a full proposal.
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