The Overbrook Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 13-6088860 · since 1949overbrook.org·Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salva…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$8.3M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,000 to $100k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$47,500

Typical grant (median)

160 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The Overbrook Foundation funds human rights and environmental work, with a geographic priority on the United States and Latin America, so check your focus matches before considering an approach.
It does not accept unsolicited requests and funds by invitation only, so small nonprofits without an existing relationship or invitation should not send in applications.
A realistic request would be modest: about eight in ten of its 429 grants to organisations fell between $1,000 and $100,000, and the median grant was $45,000, though its largest grant, to Community Funds, an organisation it funds every year that regrants to other organisations, was about $1,700,000.
The funding pattern looks relationship-led rather than open to new applicants generally: 78% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two preceding filings, so most of its money goes to established partners.
Given the invitation-only process, focus on building a relationship or securing an introduction rather than submitting a proposal directly.

Overview

The Overbrook Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Overbrook Foundation supports organisations advancing human rights and conserving the natural environment. Its Environment Program addresses climate change and biodiversity loss through forest protection, ocean and coastline restoration, behaviour change and support for communities living in or near affected areas, with particular emphasis on the United States and Latin America. It supports coastal restoration, locally rooted organisations challenging extractive-industrial projects, prevention of deforestation in tropical forests, and efforts to shift from single-use plastics towards reuse. Its Human Rights Program focuses on defending democracy and advancing reproductive rights, health and justice in the United States, while supporting human rights defenders in Latin America, particularly Central America. It prioritises leading national and local organisations that partner with, or are led by, communities most impacted by rights violations.

Themes

Climate action
Biodiversity conservation
Democracy
Reproductive health and rights
Latin American human rights

Geographic Focus

Priority: United States; Latin America.

How to apply

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant inquiries.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 78% 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 429 grants to organisations were $45,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Foundation prioritises leading national and local organisations that partner with, or are led by, communities most impacted by rights violations.
Its environmental grantmaking emphasises the leadership of communities most impacted by the effects of the climate crisis.
It supports environmental organisations rooted locally and fighting projects that will exacerbate the climate crisis.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

New York37%

California21%

District of Columbia14%

Colorado4%

Texas2%

Washington2%

6 other states: 9%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 11%

The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to organisations The Overbrook Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
2% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Colombia, Belize, Guatemala, Canada).
41% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

160 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $47,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 160 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k8%

$1k–$2.5k8%

$2.5k–$5k3%

$5k–$10k7%

$10k–$25k14%

$25k–$50k11%

$50k–$100k41%

$100k–$250k9%

$250k–$500k0%

$500k–$1M0%

$1M and over1%

Median $47,500 (tax year 2024)

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

Community Funds · Funding of Donor Advised Funds
$1,669,5902024 tax year
Environment America Research and Policy Center · Cleaner, Quieter Lawn Care: Moving America away from gas-powered lawn equipment
$200,0002024 tax year
NEO Philanthropy · State Infrastructure Fund
$150,0002024 tax year
Mongabay · General Operating Support
$150,0002024 tax year
Lawyering Project · General Operating Support
$100,5152024 tax year
Wildlife Conservation Society · Protecting Mesoamericas Forests and People through Community-based Conservation
$100,0002024 tax year
Perpetual Use · General Operating Support
$100,0002024 tax year
GreenWave · General Operating Support
$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

Noah Leff — Cfao
Eric Weingartner — President & CEO
Isaiah Orozco — Director
Elizabeth Lindemann — Director
Helen Lang — Director
Robert Labaree — Director
Olivia Kooyman — Director
Michael Grunwald — Director
Kathyrn C Graham — Director
Julie Graham — V-Chair / Secretary
James Graham — Director (Beginning Feb 2024)
Joyce Fensterstock — Chair
Carolyn Cole — Director
Alla Brocksmit — Director (Beginning Feb 2024)
Stephen Altschul — Director
Emily Altschul-Miller — Director
Arthur Altschul Jr — V-Chair / Treasurer

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$14,542,402	$8,985,565	$181,857,459	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$13,862,002	$7,226,643	$201,495,759	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$13,212,958	$8,273,495	$217,509,522	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.