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Charina Endowment Fund Inc

Annual Giving
$17.0M
Grant Range
$25K - $1.0M

Charina Endowment Fund Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $17,017,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $370,474,581
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts
  • Application Type: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: 375 Park Ave., Ste. 1602, New York, NY 10152

Note: The Charina Endowment Fund does not maintain a public website, phone number, or email contact. The foundation operates with a deliberately low profile and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

The Charina Endowment Fund Inc was established in 1992 from a bequest of Horace W. Goldsmith and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. With assets exceeding $370 million and annual giving of approximately $17 million, the foundation operates as a traditional private grantmaker under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Led by Richard L. Menschel (former senior director at Goldman Sachs) and Ronay A. Menschel (former NYC Deputy Mayor), along with their three daughters who serve as officers, the foundation maintains a deliberately low profile with no public website or open application process.

The Menschel brothers (Richard and Robert) received the 2015 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for their dedication to philanthropic work, which embodies Andrew Carnegie's philosophy that "with wealth comes a responsibility to contribute to the world's betterment and a more open and just society." The foundation distributes 69-70 grants annually ranging from $25,000 to $1,000,000 across diverse areas including education, arts and culture, health, human services, environment, and social justice initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Charina Endowment Fund does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles. Instead, the foundation proactively identifies and supports organizations through existing relationships and board connections. Grants typically range from $25,000 to $1,000,000, with the foundation making approximately 69 awards annually.

Funding Approach: The foundation makes multi-year commitments to select organizations. For example, they provided a multimillion-dollar commitment to Cornell University over several years, and contributed $15 million to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health over multiple years.

Priority Areas

Education

  • K-12 education reform and innovation
  • Teacher training and fellowship programs
  • Higher education institutions (particularly Cornell, Harvard, Syracuse, Bard, Rockefeller University)
  • Educational leadership development
  • Support for organizations like KIPP NYC and Citizen Schools

Arts & Culture

  • Museum support (Museum of Modern Art, Jewish Museum, Neue Galerie New York, Art Institute of Chicago)
  • The Morgan Library & Museum
  • Museum of the City of New York
  • 9/11 Memorial & Museum
  • Manhattan Theatre Club
  • Performing arts organizations

Health & Healthcare

  • Hospital for Special Surgery (major multi-million dollar recipient)
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Nantucket Cottage Hospital
  • Breast Cancer Research Foundation
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital

Human Services

  • Organizations serving children (Harlem Children's Zone)
  • Support for economically disadvantaged populations
  • Services for homeless populations
  • Programs for older adults (Citymeals-on-Wheels)

Environment

  • Central Park Conservancy
  • Scenic Hudson
  • Nantucket Land Council
  • Madison Square Park Conservancy

Social Justice & Human Rights

  • International Rescue Committee
  • American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
  • Brennan Center for Justice
  • Vera Institute of Justice
  • Criminal justice reform initiatives

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation:

  • Does not accept unsolicited grant applications
  • Does not fund organizations outside their preselected portfolio
  • Focuses primarily on organizations in New York, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC
  • Does not engage in direct charitable activities (operates solely as a grantmaker)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors/Officers:

  • Richard L. Menschel (Chairman, Director): Former senior director at Goldman Sachs, Harvard MBA '59, Syracuse University graduate. Serves on boards of Hospital for Special Surgery, The Morgan Library & Museum, and Vera Institute of Justice. Recipient of 2015 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. His philanthropic philosophy: "Excellence is where you find it. It's not about being the biggest or the most well known."

  • Ronay A. Menschel (President, Director): Cornell University graduate (A.B. 1964), former NYC Deputy Mayor and Executive Administrator (1978-1982) under Mayor Ed Koch. Former Vice Chairman of Cornell's Board of Trustees. Chair of Phipps Houses (nonprofit affordable housing developer). On their education priorities: "concerned about the effectiveness of K-12 education" and "heartened by the interest among young people in teaching."

  • Celene A. Menschel (Treasurer, Director): Daughter of Richard and Ronay, Harvard graduate

  • Charis B. Menschel (Co-Secretary, Director): Daughter of Richard and Ronay, Harvard graduate

  • Sabina C. Menschel (Co-Secretary, Director): Daughter of Richard and Ronay, Harvard graduate

Note: All officers report $0 compensation, reflecting the family's hands-on, volunteer approach to philanthropy.

Philanthropic Philosophy:

The Menschels share Andrew Carnegie's belief that "with wealth comes a responsibility to contribute to the world's betterment and a more open and just society." Robert Menschel (Richard's brother) echoes Carnegie's sentiment that surplus wealth should be used "year by year for the general good." Their approach emphasizes strategic, thoughtful giving that leverages both financial resources and personal expertise to create meaningful societal impact.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Charina Endowment Fund has explicitly indicated in its IRS Form 990 filings that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Organizations cannot apply for funding through any formal mechanism. The foundation proactively identifies organizations to support through:

  • Existing board connections and relationships
  • Personal knowledge of leaders Richard and Ronay Menschel
  • Organizations where family members serve on boards
  • Long-standing institutional relationships

Getting on Their Radar

The Menschels operate their philanthropy with minimal public profile—there is no website, no published guidelines, and no public contact information beyond a mailing address. Based on documented giving patterns, organizations that receive support tend to have one or more of these characteristics:

1. Board Connections: Richard Menschel serves or has served on boards of:

  • Hospital for Special Surgery (Chairman Emeritus)
  • The Morgan Library & Museum
  • Vera Institute of Justice

Organizations where these board members are actively engaged appear to receive sustained, substantial support.

2. Alumni Connections:

  • Cornell University (Ronay's alma mater) receives multi-year, multimillion-dollar commitments
  • Harvard University (Richard's MBA, all three daughters attended) receives major gifts across multiple schools
  • Syracuse University (Richard's undergraduate institution) receives support

3. Geographic and Social Justice Priorities: The foundation supports organizations in their key geographic areas (New York, Massachusetts, Washington DC) that align with their demonstrated interests in:

  • Education innovation and teacher development
  • Criminal justice reform
  • Support for economically disadvantaged and homeless populations
  • Arts and cultural institutions
  • Major medical institutions

4. Multi-Year Relationships: Evidence suggests the foundation prefers sustained, multi-year relationships with organizations rather than one-time grants. Organizations that have received support appear to maintain ongoing relationships over multiple years.

Strategic Consideration: Given the closed nature of the foundation's grantmaking, the most realistic path to potential support would be through:

  • Building relationships with organizations already in their portfolio
  • Connections through board members or advisors who know the Menschel family
  • Demonstrated excellence in fields they actively support
  • Geographic alignment with their priority areas

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications and makes funding decisions internally based on trustees' discretion and existing relationships.

Success Rates

Not applicable - with 69-70 grants made annually from a preselected pool of organizations, there is no traditional application success rate.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - as the foundation does not accept applications, there is no reapplication process. Organizations that receive funding appear to maintain ongoing relationships with the foundation over multiple years.

Application Success Factors

Since the Charina Endowment Fund operates on an invitation-only basis without a public application process, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, analysis of their documented giving patterns reveals clear priorities and preferences:

1. Demonstrated Excellence and Impact

Richard Menschel's stated philosophy: "Excellence is where you find it. It's not about being the biggest or the most well known." This suggests the foundation values:

  • Organizations that demonstrate clear impact regardless of size
  • Innovation and leadership in their fields
  • Quality of work over organizational prestige

2. Personal Connection and Board Engagement

Organizations that receive substantial, sustained support often have direct connections to the Menschel family through:

  • Board service (Richard's roles at Hospital for Special Surgery, Morgan Library, Vera Institute)
  • Alumni relationships (Cornell, Harvard, Syracuse)
  • Personal knowledge of organizational leadership

3. Multi-Year Vision and Strategic Planning

Evidence from their major grants (e.g., multimillion-dollar commitments to Cornell and Harvard) suggests they prefer:

  • Organizations with clear strategic vision requiring sustained support
  • Multi-year funding relationships rather than one-time grants
  • Institutions investing in innovative approaches to longstanding challenges

4. Focus on Specific Populations

Based on their stated priorities and giving patterns, organizations serving these populations align with their mission:

  • Children and youth (Harlem Children's Zone, KIPP NYC)
  • Economically disadvantaged individuals (Phipps Houses connection through Ronay's board service)
  • Special populations: homeless, older adults (Citymeals-on-Wheels)

5. K-12 Education Innovation

Ronay Menschel has articulated they are "concerned about the effectiveness of K-12 education" and "heartened by the interest among young people in teaching." Their support for:

  • Harvard Teacher Fellows program
  • Citizen Schools
  • KIPP NYC
  • Educational leadership initiatives demonstrates this priority area.

6. Geographic Alignment

The foundation concentrates giving in:

  • New York (majority of grants)
  • Massachusetts (environmental and educational causes)
  • Washington, DC (social justice and human rights organizations)

Organizations outside these areas rarely receive support.

7. Social Justice and Criminal Justice Reform

Demonstrated through support for:

  • Vera Institute of Justice (Richard serves on board)
  • ACLU Foundation
  • Brennan Center for Justice
  • International Rescue Committee

Organizations working on systemic change in these areas align with documented priorities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists: The Charina Endowment Fund explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and works only with preselected organizations. Traditional grant applications are not possible.

  • Relationship-driven grantmaking: Funding flows through existing relationships, board connections, and alumni ties. Organizations without direct connections to the Menschel family or their network are unlikely to receive consideration.

  • Substantial, sustained commitments: When the foundation funds an organization, grants tend to be significant ($25,000-$1,000,000) and often span multiple years, suggesting they prefer deep partnerships over broad distribution.

  • "Excellence is where you find it": Richard Menschel's philosophy emphasizes impact and quality over size or prestige, meaning smaller, innovative organizations can receive significant support if they demonstrate excellence and connect with the foundation's priorities.

  • Geographic concentration: Organizations must operate primarily in New York, Massachusetts, or Washington, DC to align with the foundation's stated geographic focus.

  • Multi-generational family foundation: With Richard and Ronay's three daughters serving as officers, this foundation appears positioned for long-term operation, suggesting they value organizations capable of sustained partnerships across decades.

  • Low-profile operation: The deliberate absence of a website, published guidelines, or public communications strategy indicates the Menschels prefer to operate quietly and make decisions based on their personal knowledge and judgment rather than responding to external requests.

References

  1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Charina Endowment Fund Inc (EIN: 133675545)

  2. Grantmakers.io Profile - Charina Endowment Fund Inc

  3. Inside Philanthropy - "Richard and Ronay Menschel"

  4. Inside Philanthropy - "Low Profile, Long Track Record: The Philanthropy of the Menschel Brothers"

  5. Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy - "Menschel, Richard L. and Robert B."

  6. Harvard Alumni - "Launching the Harvard Teacher Fellows"

  7. Harvard Gazette - "$12.5M to support innovation in education at HSPH"

  8. Ronay Menschel - Wikipedia

  9. New York Fed - "Ronay Menschel Elected to New York Fed Board of Directors"

  10. Instrumentl - Charina Endowment Fund Inc 990 Report

  11. Charity Navigator - Charina Endowment Fund Inc Profile

  12. Philanthropy New York - The Charina Endowment Fund, Inc.

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