Marrus Family Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,543,875 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: $100 - $1,000,000
• Number of Awards: 64 (2024)
• Average Grant: ~$24,100
• Total Assets: $23,150,880 (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts

Contact Details

• Phone: 212-486-5500
• Address: 500 5th Ave, Floor 37, New York, NY 10110
• EIN: 13-6279584

Note: The foundation has no public website and does not operate a public application portal.

Overview

The Marrus Family Foundation Inc. is a private family foundation incorporated in New York with tax-exempt status dating to November 1968. With total assets of approximately $23.15 million as of 2024, the foundation has seen significant asset growth over the past decade, more than doubling from $10.4 million in 2016. The foundation is led by family members Michael Marrus (President), David Marrus (Vice President), and Andrew Marrus (Treasurer), none of whom receive compensation for their roles.

Annual charitable disbursements have grown steadily, reaching approximately $1.54 million across 64 grants in 2024. The foundation's primary giving is concentrated in education (with particular emphasis on early childhood literacy and arts education), human services, and philanthropy/voluntarism. Giving is geographically focused on the northeastern United States, with New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts representing the core areas of interest.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Marrus Family Foundation does not advertise named grant programs. All grantmaking is conducted at trustee discretion. Based on 990 data and publicly documented grants:

• Education Grants: Including early childhood literacy and education (confirmed recipient: Jumpstart), and arts education for young people (confirmed recipient: Opening Act)
• Human Services Grants: Including services for individuals with special needs (family leadership connected to Rising Treetops at Oakhurst, NJ)
• Arts and Culture Grants: Including support for cultural institutions (family leadership connected to the Museum of the City of New York)
• Philanthropy/Voluntarism Support: Supporting the broader philanthropic sector

The foundation made 64 grants in 2024 totaling approximately $1.54 million, averaging around $24,100 per grant.

Priority Areas

Based on publicly documented giving and family leadership's nonprofit involvements:

• Early childhood education and school readiness
• Literacy and educational achievement gap reduction
• Arts education for young people and community arts
• Services for individuals with disabilities and special needs
• Cultural institutions and museums
• Human services in the New York/New Jersey region

What They Don't Fund

No formal exclusions list is published. As a private family foundation operating without a public application process, there is no documented guidance on exclusions.

Governance and Leadership

Michael Marrus — President (uncompensated)

David Marrus — Vice President (uncompensated)

Andrew Marrus — Treasurer (uncompensated). Serves as Vice President of the Board at Rising Treetops at Oakhurst (NJ), a nonprofit serving individuals with special needs.

Jennifer Marrus (associated family member, not a foundation officer) — Founding member of Jumpstart's Tri-State Advisory Board and current National Board member. Also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the City of New York. Her professional background includes Vice President of Marketing at American Express.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Marrus Family Foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants entirely at the discretion of its officers/trustees. The foundation has no public website, no published grant guidelines, and no grant portal.

Grants appear to be made based on:

• Pre-existing relationships with family members who serve on nonprofit boards
• Event sponsorships of organizations the family members support
• The philanthropic interests and personal networks of the Marrus family

Getting on Their Radar

The following information is specific to this foundation:

• Jennifer Marrus serves on Jumpstart's National Board of Directors. Jumpstart is a confirmed multi-year recipient. Organizations working in early childhood education who engage with Jumpstart's network may attract the foundation's attention.

• Andrew Marrus serves as Vice President on the Board of Rising Treetops, a NJ-based organization serving individuals with special needs. Organizations in disability services connected to the Rising Treetops network may be of interest.

• The Marrus family is connected to the Museum of the City of New York, with multiple family members on boards and committees. Organizations in the NYC cultural sector who engage with MCNY's leadership circle may find a pathway to the foundation.

• Opening Act listed the foundation as a special event sponsor for their June 2024 gala, suggesting that arts education organizations in New York that engage in event-based fundraising may receive support.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a discretionary family foundation, grants are likely made on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available. Multi-year support to trusted organizations appears to be common (e.g., Jumpstart).

Application Success Factors

Given the absence of a public application process, success depends on understanding the family's philanthropic interests and building genuine relationships:

1. Early childhood education is a core documented interest, particularly through Jennifer Marrus's 20+ year involvement with Jumpstart, which focuses on school-readiness for economically disadvantaged preschoolers.

2. Arts education for young people is a documented priority, as evidenced by the foundation's sponsorship of Opening Act's theater programs for underserved youth in NYC.

3. Special needs and disability services have family-level connection through Andrew Marrus's board leadership at Rising Treetops.

4. New York City cultural institutions are supported, particularly the Museum of the City of New York where multiple family members are involved.

5. The foundation supports organizations where family members are personally involved. The correlation between board roles and foundation grants is strong.

6. Grants range widely from $100 to $1,000,000, suggesting both event sponsorships and larger programmatic awards are possible.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - relationship building is essential
• Jennifer Marrus is the most publicly visible philanthropic actor - her board roles at Jumpstart and MCNY are directly linked to confirmed grants
• Focus areas: early childhood education, arts education for youth, and special needs services in NY, NJ, and MA
• The foundation is growing - assets have doubled since 2016 and annual giving has increased to $1.54 million
• Event sponsorships may be a gateway to foundation support
• Next generation involvement through Ryan and Jake Marrus at MCNY suggests evolving interests

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Marrus Family Foundation Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136279584 (Accessed February 2024)

2. Instrumentl 990 Report - Marrus Family Foundation Inc. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/marrus-family-foundation-inc (Accessed February 2024)

3. Candid/Foundation Directory - Marrus Family Foundation Inc. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=MARR002 (Accessed February 2024)

4. Opening Act Annual Gala Page. https://openingact.org/annual-gala/ (Accessed February 2024)

5. Jumpstart 2023-2024 Annual Report. https://www.jstart.org/impact/annual-report/2023-2024-annual-report/ (Accessed February 2024)

6. Jumpstart - "Jennifer Marrus: A Constant Source of Kindness". https://www.jstart.org/2013/11/18/jennifer-marrus-constant-source-kindness/ (Accessed February 2024)

7. Museum of the City of New York - Director's Circle Benefit. https://www.mcny.org/event/directors-circle-benefit-1 (Accessed February 2024)