Altman Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 13-1623879 · since 1919altmanfoundation.org·New York·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$12.9M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,500 to $120k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

216 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Altman Foundation funds education, health, strengthening communities, cultural engagement, youth development, arts and services to not-for-profits, with its geographic focus given as the State of New York and priority to New York City.
A realistic request should be modest: typical grants range from $1,500 to $120,000, with half of its grants at $50,000 or less, so pitching within that range fits the pattern, though the largest grant recorded was $250,000.
The process is staged and best approached through a Letter of Inquiry in the first instance, since full applications are only invited for strong-fit candidates when portfolio openings arise.
It looks relationship-led and competitive, as 86% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded in its two prior filings, so a first-time applicant should expect to be competing hard for the remainder.
It does not fund individuals, capital projects or capital equipment, galas and fundraising events, conferences or performances unless connected to a current Altman grant, budget deficits, or the operating expenses and ongoing services of public or voluntary hospitals, and in education it does not fund individual early childhood programmes, individual district schools, charter schools, public universities or ongoing programmes of private colleges and universities.

Overview

Altman Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation seeks to enrich New York City residents’ quality of life by supporting programmes and institutions that advance opportunity and equity for individuals, families and communities. Its grantmaking covers education, health, strengthening communities, cultural engagement, youth development and the arts, alongside services to not-for-profits, with programmes and organisations based within the five boroughs. In education it focuses on disadvantaged children and young people, including learning and post-secondary access; its health work targets underserved, uninsured or vulnerable populations and community-based care. Community funding addresses economic security and essential resources, while its arts and youth work promotes access, inclusion and positive development. It favours initiatives that expand or enhance multiple programmes across a system or network and, in health, systemic or community-wide approaches. Its approach is to take chances on promising ideas, stay the course with high-performing grantees and learn alongside them, judging proposals by outcomes, the applicant’s capacity to achieve them, and willingness to adjust using evidence.

Themes

Education
Health
Strengthening Communities
Cultural Engagement
Youth Development
Arts
Services to Not-for-Profits

Geographic Focus

State of New York. Priority: New York City.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals for any purpose
Bricks and mortar, other capital projects, or the purchase of capital equipment
Galas, benefits, and other fundraising events
Conferences or symposia that are not connected to current Altman grants
Concerts, theater or media performances, or art exhibitions that are not connected to current Altman grants
Instructional programming or artist-in-residence programs within the public schools or in correctional facilities
Budget deficits
Disease-specific projects, with the exception of initiatives aligned with our revised guidelines
Public universities or ongoing programs of private colleges and universities
Operating expenses and ongoing services of either public or voluntary hospitals
Education only: individual early childhood programs; individual district schools; charter schools; public universities; private colleges/universities

How to apply

Prospective organisations submit a Letter of Inquiry for consideration. When portfolio openings arise, strong-fit candidates receive a closer staff review and may be invited to submit a full application.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 617 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation gives priority to education initiatives that expand or enhance multiple programmes or schools across a system or network.
In health, the foundation prioritises projects aimed at systems change or systemic or community-wide approaches.
The foundation takes chances on promising ideas without being too prescriptive.
It stays the course with an issue and with high-performing grantees.
It learns alongside grantees to drive improvement in practice.
It considers a project's short- and longer-term outcomes and the applicant's chances of achieving them.
It looks for a learning organisation able to make meaningful adjustments using quantitative or qualitative data.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

New York97%

Michigan<1%

District of Columbia<1%

Connecticut<1%

Pennsylvania<1%

Massachusetts<1%

1 other state: <1%

The largest single recipient received 4% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations Altman Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
10% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

216 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 216 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k7%

$1k–$2.5k6%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k1%

$10k–$25k4%

$25k–$50k13%

$50k–$100k46%

$100k–$250k20%

$250k–$500k1%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

New York Community Trust · To support services and supports through the fund for the newest new yorkers, a collaborative fund
$250,0002024 tax year
Expanded Schools · For the high-impact tutoring initiative
$250,0002024 tax year
Goddard Riverside Community Center · To support direct college access and success services, training for college access and success professionals, and research and advocacy to close postsecondary attainment gaps
$200,0002024 tax year
Fund for Public Schools · To ensure effective implementation of the career navigation roadmap
$200,0002024 tax year
New York Foundation · To help support the neighborhoods first fund
$175,0002024 tax year
New Visions for Public Schools · To promote improved postsecondary outcomes among students from new visions schools as well as nyc public schools more broadly
$175,0002024 tax year
United Way of New York City · To support change capital fund's capacity building of nonprofit, community-based organizations in high-poverty neighborhoods
$175,0002024 tax year
National Education Equity Lab · To expand access to college coursework from top colleges and universities for nyc public high school students
$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

Joyce Shen — Trustee
David Nocenti — Trustee
Ellen L Rautenberg — Assistant Secretary, Trustee
Lisa Hinds — Trustee
William A Goodloe — Trustee
Wilfred A Finnegan — Assistant Treasurer, Trustee
James M Burke — Trustee
Deborah T Velazquez — President, Trustee
Beverly F Chase — Secretary, Trustee
John W Townsend — Vice President, Treasurer, Trustee
Jane B O'Connell — Chair, Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$20,449,704	$12,553,457	$277,355,017	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$18,396,836	$12,550,565	$283,326,707	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$21,414,704	$12,875,141	$286,541,001	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.