Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund

• This foundation gives by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a speculative approach is unlikely to succeed; organisations should wait to be identified rather than submit a cold proposal.
• Its geographic focus is New York City, Northern New Jersey and Israel, so work outside these places is less likely to fit its priorities.
• A realistic request should be modest: about 8 in 10 of its 301 grants fall between $5,000 and $170,000, and the median grant is $25,000, with half of its 301 grants at $25,000 or less.
• The foundation looks strongly relationship-led rather than open to new applicants generally, since 95% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the previous two filings, so most of its money goes to organisations it already knows.
• Given the invitation-only process, small charities without an existing relationship or invitation should not submit unsolicited applications.

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

• Children's Museum of Manhattan · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $21,616,5702024 tax year
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $1,325,0002024 tax year
• New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $1,001,0002024 tax year
• Whitney Museum of American Art · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $657,1002024 tax year
• Metropolitan Museum of Art · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $400,0002024 tax year
• Robin Hood Foundation · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $300,0002024 tax year
• Skidmore College · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $300,0002024 tax year
• Aspen Institute · To further educational, religious, medical, cultural, societal and environmental causes.
  $235,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.