The Stewart J. Rahr Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Work in youth, education or medical research fits the foundation's stated mission, and its grants have also gone to health and cancer, children's wish-granting, educational, Jewish and arts organisations.
- It does not fund individuals, so individuals should not apply, and organisations must comply with section 501(c)(3) and be in good standing.
- Its website has a grant application form that accepts applications on a rolling basis, but most of its funding is proactive and identified by staff, so an unsolicited request is not the main route in.
- A request near $50,000, the median grant, sits well within the band into which about 8 in 10 of its 103 grants fall, which runs from $10,000 to $500,000, though its largest grant was $1,000,000.
- Since 85% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, most of its money goes to familiar grantees, but a new applicant can still apply if it sets out clearly how its work fits the foundation's purpose, mission and vision.
Overview
The Stewart J. Rahr 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 foundation says its mission is to support youth, education and medical research. It accepts grant applications from organisations, although the majority of its funding is proactive and identified by staff. Applications must operate within its purpose, mission and vision, and organisations must comply with section 501(c)(3) and be in good standing. Its grant record includes health and cancer organisations, children's wish-granting charities, educational institutions, Jewish organisations, and arts and cultural bodies. The foundation describes its approach as combining proactive staff-identified funding with applications from organisations.
Themes
- Youth
- Education
- Medical research
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California and District of Columbia.
What They Don't Fund
- Grants directly to individuals
How to apply
Organisations can apply by completing the grant application form on the website; after submission, they receive an email confirmation that their request has been reviewed.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 85% 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 103 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Most funding is proactive and identified by staff.
- Applications must fit the foundation's purpose, mission and vision, and organisations must be in good standing under section 501(c)(3).
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 5%
- The largest single recipient received 16% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to organisations The Stewart J. Rahr Foundation 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 22 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Make-A-Wish Metro New York · For donee's exempt purpose$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Friends of United Hatzalah · For donee's exempt purpose$950,0002024 tax year
- NYU Langone Health · For donee's exempt purpose$666,6672024 tax year
- Melanoma Research Alliance · For donee's exempt purpose$500,0002024 tax year
- Prostate Cancer Foundation · For donee's exempt purpose$420,0002024 tax year
- Columbia University in the City of New York · For donee's exempt purpose$400,0002024 tax year
- NephCure Kidney International · For donee's exempt purpose$250,0002024 tax year
- American Heart Association · For donee's exempt purpose$150,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Steven Burns — Vice President, Treasurer
- Stewart J Rahr — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $9,325,112 | $8,993,533 | $118,749,868 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,850,473 | $5,418,589 | $126,816,458 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $5,445,596 | $4,936,667 | $143,389,867 | 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 Stewart J. Rahr Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@rahrfoundation.org
- New York, NY
- rahrfoundation.org
Applying to The Stewart J. Rahr Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@rahrfoundation.org
- New York, NY
- rahrfoundation.org