The Lipman Family Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and that its application method is by invitation only, so organisations without an invitation should not apply.
- Its grants lean towards the arts, so arts and cultural organisations, such as art museums, match its stated purposes most closely, though the filing also shows health, environmental, education and humanitarian grants.
- Typical grants fall between $1,000 and $50,000, with a median of $5,000, against annual giving of $2,520,653, so a modest request fits most of its grants, although the largest grant was about $2,400,000.
- Repeat recipients received 90% of its grant dollars to organisations in the filing, so existing relationships appear to matter.
- No geographic focus is stated; the filing shows grants mainly in California, New York and Colorado, which describes where it has given rather than who may apply.
Overview
The Lipman Family 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
Grant purposes in the filings show substantial support for the arts, including promoting and presenting art. Other grants support the protection of redwood and open space, geological research, humanitarian relief, and health and reproductive-health work. Further purposes include education, food security and transport. Recipients include art museums and cultural organisations, land trusts, geological and environmental bodies, schools and libraries, alongside health and humanitarian organisations. Grantmaking is concentrated in California, with substantial activity in New York and Colorado and further grants across the United States.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Arts
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York and Colorado.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 90% 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 206 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 39% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to organisations The Lipman Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 73 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- San Jose Museum of Art · To promote arts ($958,675 cash and $1,420,000 art donation)$525,0002024 tax year
- Storm King Art Center · To promote arts ($235,000 cash and $500,000 art donation)$335,0002024 tax year
- Montalvo · To promote arts$294,6482024 tax year
- Sempervirens Fund · To protect and permanently preserve redwood$250,0002024 tax year
- Shrem Museum Of Art At Uc Davis · To support art$210,0002024 tax year
- Gsa Foundation · To strengthen gsa's mission to be the premier geological society supporting the global community in scientific discovery, communications, and application of geoscience knowledge.$200,0002024 tax year
- John Muir Land Trust · To protect the places that make the east bay special$100,0002024 tax year
- For-Site Foundation · To promote the creation, understanding, and presentation of art$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
- Benjamin H Lipman — Secretary
- Timothy E Lipman — Treasurer
- Peter W Lipman — Vice President
- Beverly S Lipman — President
- Susan Shaheen — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,131,496 | $4,801,225 | $69,612,750 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,877,867 | $2,497,800 | $74,222,331 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,030,598 | $2,520,653 | $77,901,967 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Lipman Family 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 Lipman Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY