William S Paley Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This foundation only accepts applications by invitation, so unsolicited approaches are not accepted; organisations working in media and cultural institutions, museums, youth and community organisations, schools, food relief and homelessness services, policy and research bodies, health institutions and other charities may find a fit, though the filings show grants going mainly to organisations in New York.
- A realistic request should be modest: half of its 93 grants across its recent filings were $20,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 of the 93 grants to organisations fell between $5,000 and $535,000, with a median of $20,000, although the largest grant was around $33,000,000.
- There are no submission deadlines, so timing is flexible, but full financial information should be disclosed if invited to apply.
- The foundation appears highly relationship-led rather than competitive in the open sense: in its latest filing, 99% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its two prior filings, suggesting it mainly continues existing relationships.
- Grants cannot be made to individuals.
Overview
William S Paley Foundation is a US private foundation based in Jefferson Valley, 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 filings show that grants are chiefly recorded as general operating support, alongside programme, capital, festival and arts-related purposes. Recipients include media and cultural institutions, museums, youth and community organisations, schools, food relief and homelessness services, policy and research bodies, health institutions and other charities. The recorded giving is heavily concentrated among organisations in New York, with a smaller share reaching organisations in other states. The filings say grants cannot be made to individuals. They also state that charitable organisations are preselected, that full financial information should be disclosed, and that there are no submission deadlines.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
How to apply
No particular form is required, but full financial information should be disclosed.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 93 grants to organisations were $20,000 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%
- The largest single recipient received 61% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations William S Paley Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 33 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Paley Center for Media · General operating support$3,050,1062024 tax year
- Paley Center for Media · Gjg grant$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Greenpark Foundation · Paley park - program support$1,306,8332024 tax year
- Jerusalem Foundation · Capital pledge$533,0002024 tax year
- Paley Center for Media · Paley televison festival$500,0002024 tax year
- Museum of Modern Art · General operating support$110,0002024 tax year
- Jerusalem Foundation · Innovation$100,0002024 tax year
- Jerusalem Foundation · Paley art center$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Jacqueline Scalisi — Director
- Faiza J Saeed — Director
- Daniel L Mosley — Treasurer & Secretary / Director
- William C Paley — Vice President
- Patrick S Gallagher — Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $28,919,960 | $8,245,058 | $168,241,014 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $27,592,886 | $38,417,470 | $183,072,484 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,008,090 | $8,239,939 | $178,754,577 | 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 William S Paley Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Jefferson Valley, NY
Applying to William S Paley Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Jefferson Valley, NY