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Frederick And Sharon Klingenstein Fund

Annual Giving
$1.3M

Frederick And Sharon Klingenstein Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,330,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Number of Grants: Approximately 4 grants annually
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York area
  • Total Assets: $19.1 million (2023)

Contact Details

Address: 61 Broadway, Suite 1601, New York, NY 10006

EIN: 06-1471980

Tax Status: 501(c)(3) private foundation (tax-exempt since January 1997)

Note: No public website, phone number, or email address is publicly available for this private foundation.

Overview

The Frederick and Sharon Klingenstein Fund is a private family foundation established by Frederick Adler Klingenstein (1931-2019) and his wife Sharon Klingenstein (d. 2012). The foundation has been operating for approximately 28 years and maintains total assets of approximately $19.1 million as of 2023, with annual charitable disbursements of $1.33 million.

Frederick Klingenstein was Chairman and CEO of the investment firm Wertheim & Company and later co-founded Klingenstein, Fields & Co., a wealth advisory firm. He was also Chairman of the Mount Sinai Medical Center Board of Trustees from 1985 to 1995, leading the institution through a significant period of growth. Both Frederick and Sharon were recipients of Mount Sinai's Noble Deeds Society Honorary Award in 2010 for their extraordinary contributions over more than 40 years of service.

The foundation gives primarily for the arts (particularly museums), education (with emphasis on medical schools), and health, children, youth, and social services. The fund is related to, but separate from, the broader Klingenstein family philanthropic network that operates under Klingenstein Philanthropies (which includes the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund and the Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

This is a private family foundation that makes approximately 4 grants annually through trustee discretion. Grant amounts are not publicly disclosed, though the foundation distributed $1.33 million in total grants in 2023.

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles or published guidelines.

Priority Areas

Based on the founders' philanthropic interests and biographical information, the foundation's priority areas include:

  • Arts and Museums: Support for major cultural institutions, particularly in New York (documented support to Museum of Modern Art)
  • Medical Education and Research: Strong emphasis on medical schools and healthcare institutions, particularly Mount Sinai Medical Center
  • Education: Support for independent schools and educational institutions
  • Health: Healthcare-related initiatives
  • Children and Youth Services: Programs serving young people
  • Social Services: General social service organizations

What They Don't Fund

Information about specific exclusions is not publicly available. As a small private foundation making only 4 grants annually, the fund likely has a very narrow focus and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Governance and Leadership

Founders: Frederick Adler Klingenstein (1931-2019) and Sharon Klingenstein (d. 2012)

Frederick Klingenstein was a prominent investment banking executive and philanthropist who served in numerous leadership roles:

  • Chairman, Mount Sinai Medical Center Board of Trustees (1985-1995)
  • Vice Chairman, American Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees
  • Former Chairman, Investment Committee, American Museum of Natural History
  • Past President and Chairman Emeritus, Rye Country Day School
  • Past Chairman, Finance Committee, UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies
  • Trustee, St. Lawrence University

The foundation is part of the Klingenstein family's broader philanthropic legacy. Frederick's father, Joseph Klingenstein, co-founded Wertheim & Company and established the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund in 1945.

Current board composition and trustees are not publicly disclosed, though the foundation continues to operate following Frederick's death in 2019.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Frederick and Sharon Klingenstein Fund is a private family foundation that makes grants through trustee discretion. The foundation consistently makes approximately 4 grants annually to organizations with which the trustees have pre-existing relationships.

As a private foundation without a public application process, grants are typically awarded to organizations that:

  • Have established relationships with family members or trustees
  • Align with the founders' long-standing philanthropic interests (particularly Mount Sinai Medical Center, major museums, and educational institutions)
  • Are identified through the trustees' networks and boards on which family members serve

Organizations seeking support should not submit unsolicited proposals to this foundation.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Success Rates

Not applicable - this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Given this foundation's structure as a private family fund without a public application process, there are no application success factors to document. The foundation makes grants based on trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships with organizations that were important to Frederick and Sharon Klingenstein during their lifetimes.

Organizations with the highest likelihood of receiving support are those that:

  • Have historical relationships with the Klingenstein family
  • Were causes championed by Frederick and Sharon during their lifetimes (particularly Mount Sinai Medical Center, Museum of Modern Art, American Museum of Natural History, and Rye Country Day School)
  • Align with the founders' documented interests in medical education, arts and culture, and independent education

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not Open to Unsolicited Applications: This private family foundation does not accept grant proposals from organizations without pre-existing relationships with the trustees.
  • Very Selective: With only 4 grants made annually from $1.33 million in total giving, this is an extremely focused foundation.
  • Established Beneficiaries: Grants likely continue to flow to organizations that were important to Frederick and Sharon Klingenstein, particularly Mount Sinai Medical Center and major New York cultural institutions.
  • Family Foundation Structure: Operates as a traditional private family foundation where trustees make grant decisions based on personal knowledge and relationships rather than competitive application processes.
  • Related but Separate: While connected to the broader Klingenstein family philanthropic network, this fund operates independently from Klingenstein Philanthropies (which includes the Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund and Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation).
  • Focused on Founders' Legacy: Grant priorities reflect Frederick's leadership roles at Mount Sinai, American Museum of Natural History, and Rye Country Day School, as well as the couple's broader interests in arts, education, and healthcare.

References

Research accessed: December 2025

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