John & Amy Griffin Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- John & Amy Griffin Foundation accepts no unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; an introduction that leads to an invitation is the sensible first step.
- Its stated purpose is to support public charities recognised under IRC section 501(c)(3), and its recorded grants are mostly general support across education, museums and cultural bodies, youth services, community programmes, and health and social-service charities, so a small public charity with broad work may fit.
- No geographic focus is stated, although the filing shows grants mainly in New York, so an organisation elsewhere should not assume it is excluded but should weigh that pattern before approaching.
- Most of its grants fall between $5,000 and $200,000 and half were $25,000 or less, so a modest request is in line with its giving, though that band is typical rather than a ceiling, since its largest grant was $5,000,000.
- In its most recent filing, 81% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its earlier filing, so existing relationships appear to carry real weight.
Overview
John & Amy Griffin Foundation is a US private foundation based in Pearl River, NY.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation’s stated primary purpose is to support, by grants and distributions, other organisations exempt as public charities under IRC section 501(c)(3). Its recorded grants are chiefly designated as general support, with other purposes including community-based programmes, annual funds and education. The recipient record spans schools and other educational institutions, museums and cultural organisations, youth-serving organisations, community programmes, and health and social-service charities. The filings therefore show broad grant support for public charities across several kinds of work, without identifying a narrower stated programme focus.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 81% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2024 filings, half of its 80 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 49% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 81% of grant dollars went to organisations John & Amy Griffin Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 12% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 47 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- iMentor · General support$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Metropolitan Museum of Art · General support$1,255,0002024 tax year
- Robin Hood Foundation · Community-based programs$730,0002024 tax year
- National Black Theatre Workshop · General support$550,0002024 tax year
- Virginia Athletics Foundation · General support$456,2502024 tax year
- Boys' Club of New York · General support$333,3342024 tax year
- Foundation For Invidividual Right · General support$200,0002024 tax year
- University of Virginia · Annual fund$150,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Homer J Smith JR — Treasurer & Secretary
- Amy M Griffin — Director
- John A Griffin — Director, President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,194,368 | $3,054,703 | $28,978,670 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,683,800 | $9,529,584 | $29,563,039 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to John & Amy Griffin Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Pearl River, NY
Applying to John & Amy Griffin Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Pearl River, NY