The Great Island Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- Its work fits best if your organisation does conservation or environmental work, such as aquatic or forest restoration, climate resilience or renewable energy, though the filing also records general grants to schools, arts, food, health and social-service groups.
- The filing says the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is not the route in and you should not send one.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $5,000 and $1,000,000, and half of those grants were $100,000 or less, so a modest request sits within its typical giving.
- Repeat giving is strong: 52% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so an existing connection matters.
- Without a prior relationship, treat any approach as a long shot.
Overview
The Great Island Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filing records grants for conservation and ecological work, including aquatic ecosystem and species restoration, ecological restoration linked with climate resilience, forest conservation, the transition to renewable energy, Arctic protection, blue-carbon initiatives, and Appalachian conservation and climate work. It also records charitable general-purpose grants to a wider mix of organisations, including a school, an art centre, a food bank, a museum, a healthcare foundation, a theatre and social-service organisations. The recipient record therefore includes environmental work as well as education, culture, food support, health and social services. The filing limits contributions to preselected charitable organisations and says unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Florida, California, District of Columbia, Canada, Virginia, Europe, North America and The Netherlands.
How to apply
The filing indicates that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; it provides no further application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 52% 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 28 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: 1%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 32%
- The largest single recipient received 27% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 52% of grant dollars went to organisations The Great Island Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 7% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
- 41% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 5 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1M (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Ocean Research and Conservation Association · Dedicated to protect and restore aquatic ecosystems and species sustain through science-based conservation action.$3,000,0002024 tax year
- Blue Forest Finance · To accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities.$1,500,0002024 tax year
- New Venture Fund · Alaska's tongass national forest: land, climate, and the future$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Stichting European Climate Foundation · Pie americas program - transition to renewables and phase out of coal, oil & gas$750,0002024 tax year
- Rewild · Collaborating for conservation and climate in the appalachians$50,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Christian Nolen — President
- Malcolm C Nolen — Treasurer
- Eliot Nolen — Secretary
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,334,305 | $1,800,000 | $38,919,425 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,363,181 | $3,000,000 | $40,506,752 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,086,603 | $6,300,000 | $119,252,030 | 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.
Sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to The Great Island Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to The Great Island Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY