Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $74.5 million (2024)
Total Assets: $226 million (2024)
Grant Range: $1,000 - $10.8 million
Median Grant: $50,000
Number of Grants: 168 (2024)
Geographic Focus: New York City and Northeastern United States
Application Method: Invitation only - Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: 15 Maiden Lane, Suite 500, New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 269-8628
Email: Not publicly available
Website: None

Note: This foundation maintains a low public profile and does not prefer to be contacted directly. They do not have a website or public application portal.

Overview

The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation was established in 1983 by Anna-Maria Kellen (1918-2017) and Stephen M. Kellen. Anna-Maria was born in Berlin and fled Nazi Germany with her family to New York, where she married Stephen Kellen in 1940. Stephen Kellen was a native of Berlin and the late co-chairman of the investment firm Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Holdings.

The foundation has evolved into one of the most significant private foundations supporting arts, education, and healthcare, distributing approximately $74.5 million annually through 168 grants. The foundation maintains an exceptionally low public profile and does not articulate specific funding priorities publicly, but its grantmaking consistently centers on the arts, education, and health—particularly cancer research and treatment. The foundation operates on a proactive grantmaking model based on family interests and long-term institutional relationships. Leadership has passed to the next generation, with Marina Kellen French serving as Vice President and continuing her parents' philanthropic legacy. The foundation received recognition for transformative gifts, including a $35 million contribution to Hospital for Special Surgery in 2021 and major endowments to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Frick Collection.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with defined application cycles. Instead, they make discretionary grants through trustee decision-making. Recent data shows:

168 grants awarded in 2024 (down from 205 in 2023)
Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $10.8 million
Median grant: $50,000
Most awards fall between $10,000 and $150,000

The foundation has demonstrated capacity for transformational gifts exceeding $30 million to institutions with which they have longstanding relationships.

Priority Areas

Arts and Culture: Major ongoing support for:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (endowed the directorship position)
The Frick Collection (endowed the directorship)
Carnegie Hall
Metropolitan Opera
New York Philharmonic
Lincoln Center
Berlin Philharmonic

Higher Education: Support for institutions including:

Columbia University
Bard College
Skidmore College
Fordham University
Wellesley College
Curtis Institute of Music
Harlem School of the Arts
Parsons School of Design (The New School)

Health and Medical Research:

Hospital for Special Surgery ($60 million over the past decade)
Cancer Research Institute
Mayo Clinic ($32 million in 2019 for cancer research infrastructure)
Healthcare facilities and medical research

Faith-Based Organizations: Regular support for Jewish and Christian institutions throughout New York and beyond

German-American Relations: Founding benefactor and ongoing supporter of the American Academy in Berlin (established 1998 in Anna-Maria Kellen's childhood home)

What They Don't Fund

This information is not publicly articulated, but based on their giving patterns, the foundation appears to focus exclusively on:

Established, prestigious institutions
Organizations in New York City and the Northeastern United States
Institutions with which they have pre-existing relationships
Cultural, educational, and medical/healthcare organizations

The foundation does not appear to fund grassroots organizations, social services, environmental causes, or international development.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Michael M. Kellen - President (unpaid)
Marina Kellen French - Vice President ($16,000 annual compensation)
- Daughter of founders Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen
- Also serves as president of the Marina Kellen French Foundation
- Trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Carnegie Hall, Hospital for Special Surgery, and the American Academy in Berlin
- Received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit (First Class) of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2014
Andrew Gundlach - Secretary/Treasurer (unpaid)
Caroline L. Kellen - Director ($16,000 annual compensation)
Christopher N. Kellen - Director ($16,000 annual compensation)
Annabelle Garrett - Director ($16,000 annual compensation)

Key Staff

Maria Szabo Goessler - Foundation Administrator ($72,000)
Robert Folino - Financial Administrator ($67,500)
Christina Cohen - Assistant Foundation Administrator ($53,750)

Leadership Philosophy

Marina Kellen French has articulated the foundation's personal, relationship-driven approach to philanthropy:

"We were inspired by all lives that will be changed in this new building. I care deeply about HSS and the decision to make this gift was very personal." - On the $35 million gift to Hospital for Special Surgery

"It is a great joy and honor to support The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I inherited my love of the arts from my parents..." - On endowing The Met's directorship

The foundation's approach reflects Anna-Maria Kellen's own philanthropic style, which involved deep personal engagement with beneficiary institutions—from selecting logos to attending to operational details.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through:

Trustee discretion based on family interests and values
Long-term institutional relationships built over decades
Proactive identification of worthy projects by foundation leadership
Personal connections and board affiliations of family members

This is described as a "private, quiet funder that does not prefer to be contacted."

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's giving patterns reveal they support institutions where family members serve as trustees or have deep personal connections:

Board service: Marina Kellen French serves as a trustee at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hospital for Special Surgery, Carnegie Hall, and other institutions that receive major foundation support
Personal relationships: Marina Kellen French specifically mentioned her "personal friendship with Dr. Thomas Sculco" and confidence in physicians at HSS as factors in their $35 million gift
Longstanding partnerships: The foundation has contributed nearly $60 million to HSS over a decade, suggesting they build relationships through sustained giving over time
Family heritage connections: The American Academy in Berlin was established in Anna-Maria Kellen's childhood home, demonstrating how personal history influences giving
German-American ties: The foundation has shown particular interest in institutions fostering German-American cultural relations, reflecting the founders' biography

Organizations already receiving foundation support have typically been major, well-established New York cultural, educational, or medical institutions with decades-long track records.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate on a formal application-to-decision timeline. Grants appear to be made through ongoing trustee deliberations throughout the year based on institutional relationships and family priorities.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications (0% - they are not accepted).

For preselected organizations, success depends entirely on alignment with family interests, strength of personal relationships with trustees, and the foundation's historical pattern of support.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process. Organizations that receive grants typically do so as part of ongoing, multi-year relationships with sustained support.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, analysis of their giving patterns reveals what drives their philanthropic decisions:

Relationship-Driven Philanthropy

The foundation's approach is fundamentally personal. Marina Kellen French's statement about the HSS gift emphasizes this: "the decision to make this gift was very personal." Organizations that receive support typically have:

Deep personal connections to family members (friendships, professional relationships, shared history)
Family member board service (Marina Kellen French serves as trustee at several major beneficiaries)
Multi-generational relationships (institutions supported over decades, not one-time gifts)

Institutional Profile

Organizations receiving grants share common characteristics:

Established, prestigious institutions with decades or centuries of operating history
National or international reputation for excellence (Metropolitan Museum, Carnegie Hall, Mayo Clinic)
Located in New York City or have significant New York presence
Cultural and educational focus reflecting the founders' values and background

Transformational Impact Potential

The foundation has shown willingness to make exceptionally large gifts ($30+ million) when:

They can name significant institutional assets (directorships, buildings, towers)
The gift will have lasting, visible impact ("all lives that will be changed")
There's demonstrated institutional excellence and leadership quality

German-American Cultural Bridge

Given the founders' biography (fleeing Nazi Germany, establishing American Academy in Berlin in Anna-Maria's childhood home), the foundation shows particular interest in:

Institutions fostering German-American relations
Cultural exchange and understanding
Preserving European cultural heritage in America

Values-Driven Giving

Anna-Maria Kellen's hands-on approach to philanthropy—involving herself in details from logos to centerpieces—suggests the family values:

Personal engagement beyond writing checks
Attention to institutional culture and operational excellence
Long-term commitment to beneficiary organizations
Cultural and educational advancement as core mission

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted - This foundation operates entirely on an invitation-only, trustee-discretion model. There is no application process to pursue.
Relationship-based giving model - Grants flow from personal connections, board service, and multi-generational family relationships with institutions. Marina Kellen French's trustee positions correlate strongly with major foundation gifts.
Focus on elite, established institutions - The foundation supports nationally and internationally recognized organizations (Met, Carnegie Hall, Mayo Clinic), not emerging or grassroots groups.
Transformational gifts to longtime partners - While median grants are $50,000, the foundation has capacity for $30+ million gifts to institutions with which they have deep, sustained relationships (HSS received $60 million over a decade).
Geographic concentration - Despite national giving capacity, the vast majority of grants center on New York City and Northeastern United States institutions.
Cultural heritage emphasis - The foundation's giving reflects the founders' biography: German-Jewish refugees who became American philanthropic leaders, with particular interest in arts, education, and German-American cultural exchange.
Private, low-profile operation - No website, no public communications, minimal press engagement. This is a family foundation that operates quietly and does not seek publicity or unsolicited contact.

References

All sources accessed December 24, 2025.