Block Friedman Family Foundation Inc.

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $2,986,000 (2024)
• Total Assets: $36,193,390 (2024)
• Number of Grants: 19 grants (2024)
• Geographic Focus: New York City metropolitan area
• Application Process: Invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 499 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor South Tower, New York, NY 10018-6803

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or publicly listed contact information. Communication is typically initiated by the foundation.

Overview

The Block Friedman Family Foundation Inc. (formerly the Adele and Leonard Block Foundation) was established in 1945 in New Jersey and is now based in New York City. Supported by the estate of Adele Block, the foundation has grown substantially in recent years, with total assets increasing from approximately $3 million in 2018 to over $36 million in 2024. The foundation distributed $2,986,000 in grants in 2024 across 19 awards. As a private family foundation, it focuses its philanthropic efforts on supporting nonprofit organizations in the New York City metropolitan area, with particular emphasis on the arts, education, health, and human services. The foundation maintains a highly focused giving strategy and operates on an invitation-only basis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific names or application cycles. Rather, it makes grants through trustee discretion to organizations aligned with its mission.

Grant Characteristics:

• Average grant size: Approximately $157,000 (based on 2024 annual giving divided by 19 grants)
• Types of support: General operating support and project support

Priority Areas

The foundation gives primarily for:

• Arts and Culture: Supporting arts organizations and cultural institutions
• Education: Educational programs and institutions
• Health: Health-related organizations and initiatives
• Human Services: Social service organizations serving communities in need

Geographic Focus

• Primary focus: New York City metropolitan area
• All grantmaking is concentrated in this region

What They Don't Fund

As a private family foundation operating on an invitation-only basis, the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or applications from organizations outside their established network.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors and Officers

The foundation is governed by family members who serve as officers and directors:

• Thomas Block - President and Director
• Peggy Block Danziger - Vice President and Director
• Marilyn Friedman - Vice President and Director
• Jonathan Block - Vice President and Director
• Alison Block - Vice President and Director
• Robert Heun - Treasurer and Director
• Philip Heimlich - Secretary and Director

All officers and directors serve without compensation, with 99%+ of the foundation's expenses directed to charitable disbursements.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Block Friedman Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's trustees to organizations they have identified and invited to receive funding. The foundation works primarily with organizations already known to them through pre-existing relationships.

Decision Timeline

As an invitation-only funder, the foundation does not publish information about decision timelines. Grant decisions are made by the board of trustees according to their own internal schedule.

Grant Recipients

The foundation has supported organizations including:

• Citizens Committee for Children of New York, Inc.
• The Center for Reproductive Rights, Inc.

Grant recipient information is available through the foundation's annual Form 990-PF tax filings, which are publicly accessible through ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer and other nonprofit databases.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding from the Block Friedman Family Foundation typically demonstrate:

Strong Alignment with Mission: Organizations working in arts, education, health, or human services in the New York City metropolitan area

Established Track Record: The foundation appears to support established organizations with proven impact in their respective fields

Connection to Foundation Leadership: As a family foundation, personal connections and familiarity with the organization's work appear to be significant factors in funding decisions

Geographic Focus: Organizations must be serving the New York City metropolitan area

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Invitation-only structure: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional grant-seeking strategies will not be effective
• Family foundation model: Decisions are made by family trustees who direct funding based on their own research and relationships
• Strong geographic focus: All funding is directed to the New York City metropolitan area
• Multiple focus areas: The foundation supports diverse causes including arts, education, health, and human services rather than specializing in a single area
• Substantial grant sizes: With nearly $3 million distributed across 19 grants annually, individual grants average around $157,000
• Growing assets: The foundation's assets have grown significantly (from $3M to $36M between 2018-2024), suggesting potential for expanded grantmaking in the future
• Transparent reporting: While not accepting public applications, the foundation maintains complete transparency through its annual Form 990-PF filings

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: Block Freidman Family Foundation Inc. (EIN: 226026000). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/226026000 (Accessed January 2026)
• Candid Foundation Directory Online: The Block Friedman Family Foundation Inc. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=BLOC012 (Accessed January 2026)
• Cause IQ: The Block Friedman Family Foundation. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/adele-and-leonard-block-foundation,226026000/ (Accessed January 2026)
• GrantStation: The Block Friedman Family Foundation. https://grantstation.com/grantmakers/block-friedman-family-foundation (Accessed January 2026)
• Grantmakers.io: Block Friedman Family Foundation Inc. Profile. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/226026000-block-friedman-family-foundation-inc/ (Accessed January 2026)