The Hearst Foundations
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Hearst Foundations works across four stated areas: culture, education, health and social service, so a request should sit clearly within one of them.
- Its typical grants fall between $75,000 and $225,000 (about 8 in 10 grants), with a median of $125,000 and a largest grant of $500,000, so a request near the middle of that band is realistic, though the band is not a ceiling.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through its Grants Portal, where each request receives staff evaluation including proposal review, financial analysis and team discussions, and organisations considered for Board approval receive a site visit and further due diligence, so allow time for that process.
- In its most recent filing, 5% of grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the two filings before that, so repeat funding is a small share of its giving, and no geographic focus is stated, although the filings show grants mainly in New York, California and the United States.
Overview
The Hearst Foundations 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 Hearst Foundations state four funding areas: culture, education, health and social service. The website also identifies the United States Senate Youth Program and the Hearst Journalism Awards Program as signature programmes. It describes the United States Senate Youth Program as an educational experience for outstanding high school students to spend a week in Washington experiencing their national government in action, and says the Hearst Journalism Awards Program awards scholarships to students for outstanding performance in college-level writing, photojournalism, radio, television and multimedia. Organisations apply through the Grants Portal; requests receive staff evaluation, including proposal review, financial analysis and team discussions.
Themes
- Culture
- Education
- Health
- Social Service
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California and the United States.
How to apply
Applicants submit applications through the Hearst Foundations Grants Portal.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 5% 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 383 grants to organisations were $125,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Requests undergo staff evaluation, including proposal review, financial analysis and team discussions.
- Organisations being considered for Board approval receive a site visit and further due diligence.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 17%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 28%
- The largest single recipient received 1% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 5% of grant dollars went to organisations The Hearst Foundations 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 111 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $150k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Save the Children Federation · To provide support for Early learning in Rural Areas$500,0002024 tax year
- Children's Museum of Manhattan · To support the restoration renovation of a landmark bldg to become the museums new home$500,0002024 tax year
- New Museum · To provide support for the capital expansion of the museum and service capacity$350,0002024 tax year
- Center for Disability Services · To support the Center Health Care clinic for patients with intellectual and development disabilities$300,0002024 tax year
- Hunter College Foundation · To support the Nursing Program$250,0002024 tax year
- Carnegie Hall Corporation · To support music education$250,0002024 tax year
- Crohns & Colitis Foundation · To support early career researchers in inflammatory bowel disease$250,0002024 tax year
- National Park Foundation · To support environmental education programs$250,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Mary Fisher — Treasurer Controller
- Donna Kalajian Lagani — Vice President Eastern Director
- Karen Alsup — Deputy Investment Officer
- Roger P Paschke — Assistant Treasurer Chief Investment Officer
- Gilbert C MaurerDeceased 2025 — Vice President Director
- Mitchell I Scherzer — Vice President Assistant Treasurer
- Steven R Swartz — Vice President Director
- George R Hearst III — Vice President Director
- Lisa H Hagerman — Vice President Director
- Carlton J Charles — Assistant Treasurer
- Eve B Burton — Assistant Secretary
- Catherine A Bostron — Assistant Secretary
- James M Asher — VP, Secretary Director
- Mark F Miller — Vice President Director
- Anissa B Balson — Vice President Director
- David J Barrett — Vice President Director
- John G Conomikes — Vice President Director
- Frank J Bennack Jr — Vice President Director
- William R Hearst III — Vice President Director
- Virginia H Randt — President Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $23,014,690 | $18,980,000 | $343,830,760 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $21,244,744 | $17,550,000 | $394,053,165 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $21,946,437 | $16,975,000 | $430,327,798 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Hearst Foundations?
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Applying to The Hearst Foundations?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required