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The Weill Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$19.6M
Grant Range
$500K - $100.0M

The Weill Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $19,620,000 (2023)
  • Assets: $359,500,000
  • Average Grant: $1,962,000
  • Number of Grants: 10 (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: National (multiple U.S. cities)
  • Application Process: No unsolicited applications accepted

Contact Details

Foundation Address: Albany, NY
EIN: 13-6223609

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. They work exclusively with preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

Established around 1967, the Weill Family Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Sanford I. Weill (former CEO and Chairman of Citigroup Inc.) and Joan Weill. With assets totaling approximately $359.5 million and annual grantmaking of nearly $20 million, the foundation represents one of the most significant private philanthropies in the United States. The Weills are signatories to The Giving Pledge, having committed to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy. Their lifetime giving has surpassed $1 billion, supporting major institutions in education, healthcare, and the arts. The foundation focuses on three core areas: arts and culture, education, and health, with a strong emphasis on long-term institutional partnerships rather than broad grant distribution.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Weill Family Foundation does not operate traditional grant programs with open applications. Instead, they make substantial contributions to a select number of preselected charitable organizations through trustee discretion.

Grant Characteristics:

  • Average Grant Size: $1,962,000 (2023)
  • Annual Distribution: Approximately $19.6 million
  • Number of Awards: 10 grants in 2023 (14 in 2022)
  • Application Method: Invitation only / no public application process

Priority Areas

Education:

  • Higher education institutions, particularly medical schools
  • K-12 education and workforce development programs
  • Graduate student fellowships
  • Debt-free medical education initiatives
  • Career academies (finance, hospitality, IT, and engineering)

Healthcare:

  • Medical research institutions
  • Cancer research and treatment centers
  • Neuroscience research
  • Patient care initiatives
  • International medical education (Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti)

Arts and Culture:

  • Performing arts institutions
  • Music education and preservation
  • Dance organizations
  • Cultural centers

Notable Beneficiary Institutions:

  • Weill Cornell Medical College (over $650 million in lifetime giving)
  • Carnegie Hall (over $100 million in lifetime giving)
  • Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation
  • Stanford University (cancer research)
  • UCSF (cancer research and neuroscience)
  • University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
  • National Academy Foundation

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly documented, the foundation's giving pattern indicates:

  • They do not support organizations outside their established focus areas
  • They do not accept unsolicited applications from unknown organizations
  • Their giving is concentrated on major institutions rather than small grassroots organizations
  • Focus is national/international rather than local community organizations

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

  • Sanford I. Weill - Chairman and Treasurer
  • Joan Weill - President
  • Michael Masin - Secretary
  • Michael Freedman - Chief Investment Officer
  • Jessica Bibliowicz - Director (daughter of Sanford and Joan Weill)
  • Tommy Bibliowicz - Director
  • David Bibliowicz - Director
  • Arthur Mahon - Director
  • Viju Rajan - Director

All board members serve without compensation.

Leadership Philosophy:

Sanford Weill has served as Chairman of Carnegie Hall since 1991, Weill Cornell Medical College since 1996, and founded the National Academy Foundation in 1980. Joan Weill serves as Chair of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation (since 2000) and Paul Smith's College of the Adirondacks (since 2005).

The Weills have articulated their philosophy: "Shrouds don't have pockets" - reflecting their commitment to giving away their wealth during their lifetime. They emphasize that philanthropy involves far more than financial contributions, stating they donate "time, energy, experience, passion, and intellect" alongside financial resources.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Weill Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with the board identifying and selecting organizations that align with the foundation's strategic priorities and existing institutional relationships.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's focus on established, major institutions and their emphasis on long-term commitments, the pathway to funding typically involves:

Pre-existing Institutional Relationships: The Weills make long-term commitments to organizations where they hold leadership positions. Sanford and Joan Weill both serve on multiple nonprofit boards, and their grantmaking often follows these institutional affiliations.

Board-Level Connections: The foundation's giving pattern suggests that organizations where family members or board directors have direct governance involvement are most likely to receive support. The Weills compare their nonprofit support to "buying stock in that organization," indicating they seek deep, sustained partnerships rather than transactional relationships.

Major Institution Status: Historical giving shows a strong preference for nationally or internationally recognized institutions in higher education, healthcare, and the arts, particularly those with the capacity to absorb and deploy multi-million dollar gifts effectively.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only nature and the size of grants (averaging nearly $2 million), decisions likely involve extended board deliberations and relationship development over months or years rather than weeks.

Success Rates

With only 10 grants awarded from $359.5 million in assets, the foundation operates with extreme selectivity, focusing on a small number of substantial partnerships rather than broad distribution.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

Long-term Partnership Approach: The Weills explicitly state they "make long term commitments to the organizations they lead." Their giving philosophy emphasizes sustained engagement rather than one-time grants. Organizations receiving funding typically have ongoing relationships spanning years or decades.

Strategic Focus and Selectivity: From their Giving Pledge letter, the Weills emphasize: "You can't support everything. Focus and selectivity are essential." This indicates they prioritize depth over breadth, with concentrated giving to a small number of major institutions.

Hands-On Governance: The Weills donate "time, energy, experience, passion, and intellect" alongside financial resources. Organizations where the Weills can take active governance roles (board membership, chairmanships) are significantly more likely to receive funding.

Education and Partnership: The Weills state that "education and partnership are at the heart of our philanthropic approach," suggesting they value organizations that can articulate clear educational outcomes and demonstrate capacity for genuine partnership.

Institutional Capacity: With an average grant size of nearly $2 million, the foundation supports organizations with the infrastructure, governance, and strategic planning capacity to absorb and deploy substantial gifts effectively. Recent major grants include $100 million for the Weill Cancer Hub West and $160 million for debt-free medical education at Weill Cornell.

Calculated Risk-Taking: The Weills emphasize "embracing calculated risks" in their philanthropic approach, suggesting they support innovative programs with measurable potential for significant impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications - traditional grant writing will not result in funding
  • Funding opportunities exist almost exclusively for major educational, healthcare, and arts institutions with capacity for multi-million dollar partnerships
  • The Weills prioritize organizations where they can take active governance roles and make long-term commitments
  • Average grant size of nearly $2 million indicates focus on transformational institutional support rather than project grants
  • Historical giving shows strong preference for medical education, cancer research, neuroscience, career academies, and performing arts institutions
  • The foundation values strategic focus over broad distribution - they support a small number of organizations very substantially
  • Personal relationships and board-level connections appear central to grantmaking decisions
  • Organizations should demonstrate capacity for genuine partnership, educational outcomes, and innovative approaches to systemic challenges

References

Accessed December 2025

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