Coleman and Susan Burke Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold proposal is unlikely to be considered, and the filing does not describe how an invitation is issued, so any approach should go through a relationship your organisation already has.
- Its stated themes are the environment and music, and its recorded grants include a museum's climate-change work, an environmental law centre and a botanical collection, so only work in those areas is worth pursuing.
- In the filing, 95% of grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so its recipient list changes very little from year to year.
- Giving has fallen across the three filings, from $5,100,000 to $1,050,000, and its typical grants have run from $50,000 to $3,600,000, with a median of $1,000,000, so any request should be sized with that falling total in mind.
- No geographic focus is stated, so location alone should not rule your organisation in or out.
Overview
Coleman and Susan Burke 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 web pages about the foundation (sps.edu), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation supports programmes and organisations related to the environment or music. Its grant record includes support for climate-change work connected with a museum, an environmental law centre, a botanical collection, and causes focused on the environment and music. Its stated purpose therefore encompasses environmental interests and music, while its recorded recipients include educational, scientific, legal and botanical institutions. It directs its charitable contributions to preselected organisations rather than inviting unsolicited requests. The filings record grants to universities and a botanical institution, with purposes tied to climate change and environmental law.
Themes
- Environment
- Music
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Connecticut and Ohio.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 95% 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 7 grants to organisations were $1,000,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 65% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to organisations Coleman and Susan Burke Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Case Western Reserve University · The coleman p. burke environmental law center$1,000,0002025 tax year
- Yale University · To support causes focused on the environment and music$50,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Erik Burke — Officer
- Susan Burke — Officer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $5,273,895 | $5,100,000 | $25,100,440 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,194,578 | $4,000,000 | $23,625,719 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $1,256,217 | $1,050,000 | $26,050,756 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Coleman and Susan Burke Foundation?
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Contact
- New York, NY
Applying to Coleman and Susan Burke Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- New York, NY