Leon Levy Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 30-6085406 · since 2004leonlevyfoundation.org·New York·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$39.3M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,500 to $325k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$25,000

Typical grant (median)

213 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

This foundation funds the ancient world, arts and humanities, human rights, Jewish culture, nature and gardens, and neuroscience, with New York City as its priority geographic focus, so fit matters most if your work sits in one of these themes and in that area.
It does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry, as grant requests and inquiries are by invitation only, so there is no route in by cold application.
Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has already funded, showing a strong preference for long-term, trusted partnerships over new relationships.
For size of request, about 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $1,500 and $325,000, with a median grant of $25,000, so a modest request is typical even though the largest grant was around $10,500,000.
Given the invitation-only process, small charities new to the foundation should focus on building visibility and connections in its fields of interest rather than preparing a proposal to send in.

Overview

Leon Levy 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 advances the humanist values of understanding, appreciation and preservation, through grantmaking guided by Leon Levy and Shelby White’s deep and diverse interests. It supports organisations, primarily in New York City, that enhance cultural life, expand knowledge and encourage exceptional achievement across a broad range of fields. Its six programme areas are ancient world, arts and humanities, human rights and civil liberties, Jewish culture, nature and gardens, and neuroscience. It makes grants of all sizes for both operating and project support. Most grantees are long-term partners with whom it has built trusted relationships; in areas of special interest, it creates Initiatives to pursue a unique idea or further scholarship that might not otherwise find funding. The Foundation relies on the expertise of its grantee partners.

Themes

Ancient world
Arts and humanities
Human rights
Jewish culture
Nature and gardens
Neuroscience

Geographic Focus

Priority: New York City.

How to apply

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry; grant requests and inquiries are by invitation only.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 74% 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 598 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

Grantmaking is guided by Leon Levy and Shelby White’s deep and diverse interests.
Most grantees are long-term partners with whom the Foundation has built trusted relationships.
The Foundation relies on the expertise of its grantee partners.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

New York84%

Massachusetts4%

District of Columbia3%

New Jersey2%

California<1%

Arizona<1%

6 other states: 2%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%

The largest single recipient received 28% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 74% of grant dollars went to organisations Leon Levy Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
3% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Bahamas, Israel, Italy, India).
4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

213 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $25,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 213 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k6%

$1k–$2.5k6%

$2.5k–$5k1%

$5k–$10k16%

$10k–$25k19%

$25k–$50k15%

$50k–$100k11%

$100k–$250k14%

$250k–$500k3%

$500k–$1M4%

$1M and over5%

Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

New York University · Project support.
$8,726,7862024 tax year
Graduate Center, City University of New York · Endowment support
$3,275,0002024 tax year
New York Academy of Sciences · Project support.
$2,818,1012024 tax year
Prospect Park Alliance · Endowment support
$2,050,0002024 tax year
City College New York The · Project support.
$1,555,0002024 tax year
New York Public Library · Endowment support
$1,440,0002024 tax year
Metropolitan Museum of Art · Project support.
$1,035,0002024 tax year
Bard Graduate Center · Project support.
$1,035,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Tracy White — Trustee
Shelby White — Trustee
Meredith Ross — President
John Bernstein — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$65,732,529	$35,063,579	$495,447,526	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$44,531,390	$33,002,873	$495,233,110	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$42,586,586	$39,282,628	$490,716,440	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.