MJS Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 45-3826353 · since 2012mjsfoundation.org·New York·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$22.7M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $1M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$103k

Typical grant (median)

58 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

The MJS Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so it is not open to a direct, cold approach from a charity that has not already been chosen by the foundation; only preselected charitable organisations receive grants.
Its stated priority is the New York City area, and its interests lie in education, social services, health care and autism, so work outside those themes or that area is unlikely to fit.
A realistic request would be modest: typical grants run from $10,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $150,000, and half of its 196 grants were $150,000 or less, though the largest grant, $5,500,000, went to Robin Hood Foundation, an organisation it funds every year and which regrants to others.
Giving is heavily relationship-led rather than competitive in an open-call sense, as 94% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded in the two preceding filings, so new applicants without an existing connection have little visible route in.
Given the invitation-only approach, a small nonprofit without a prior relationship or introduction should not plan to apply directly.

Overview

MJS 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 (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The MJS Foundation focuses its support in the New York City area, aiming to reach communities in need and enhance the quality of education, social services and health care. Its stated philanthropic interests include NYC community, Long Island, other social services and education, and autism, special education and related services. Its grants have gone to educational institutions, medical organisations, libraries and community-service organisations, alongside other charitable bodies. The site does not spell out who may apply or describe an open application route; the filing says it gives only to preselected charitable organisations.

Themes

Education
Social services
Health care
Autism

Geographic Focus

Priority: New York City area.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 94% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 196 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

New York85%

Massachusetts7%

California7%

District of Columbia<1%

Florida<1%

South Carolina<1%

2 other states: <1%

The largest single recipient received 20% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to organisations MJS Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
<1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (India).
27% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

58 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $103k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 58 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$1k–$2.5k2%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k7%

$25k–$50k14%

$50k–$100k12%

$100k–$250k22%

$250k–$500k21%

$500k–$1M7%

$1M and over12%

Median $103k (tax year 2025)

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

Robin Hood Foundation · General operating support for rhf's grantmaking programs
$5,000,0002025 tax year
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Gift to a donor-advised fund to help mjs administer smaller gifts to charities
$3,469,8802025 tax year
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Pledged gift to support the tisch cancer hospital and lung cancer center of excellence
$2,000,0002025 tax year
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Gift to support the dr. martin feuer pulmonary educational fund
$1,000,0002025 tax year
Park Avenue Synagogue · Gift in honor of jim simons yahrzeit
$1,000,0002025 tax year
Center for Discovery · Pledged gift to support the endowment campaign
$1,000,0002025 tax year
Felicity House · Gift to support community space devoted to women with autism
$1,000,0002025 tax year
Stony Brook Foundation · Gift to support the mjs challenge
$933,7102025 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Susan E Gibbons — Director
Jeffrey Wacksman — Director
Joseph Cosmai — Treasurer & Secretary / Director
Marilyn Simons — President & Board Chair

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$26,802,946	$29,370,698	$29,457,691	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$23,255,933	$31,921,600	$73,921,189	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$21,796,155	$22,667,665	$48,016,627	Filing for 2025 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.