Gray Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 47-1408100 · since 2014grayfoundation.org·New York·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$64.2M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $550k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

132 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

Gray Foundation funds two distinct areas: BRCA research and related cancers, and education, healthcare and opportunity for NYC youth from low-income communities, with a stated geographic priority of New York City.
It operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so organisations outside its existing network should not expect to apply directly.
Most grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $550,000, with a median of $50,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic, though the foundation has also made a $25,000,000 grant.
Giving is relationship-led: 58% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the previous two years' filings, so new relationships are a smaller share of the money distributed.
Given the invitation-only process, the best approach for a small nonprofit is to seek an introduction or connection to the foundation's existing partners rather than submitting a cold application.

Overview

Gray Foundation is a US private foundation based in Albany, 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 Gray Foundation describes a dual mission: accelerating research, raising awareness and improving treatment for individuals and families affected by BRCA mutations and related cancers, and expanding access to education, healthcare and opportunity for NYC youth from low-income communities. It says it partners with leading organisations in its youth work and supports world-class scientists to accelerate early detection and interception of BRCA-related cancers. The foundation frames its work around improving options and outcomes for BRCA carriers and families and low-income NYC youth. Its filings also show grants to universities, medical centres, cancer research bodies and education and youth organisations, consistent with those stated fields.

Themes

BRCA research
NYC youth education
NYC youth healthcare
NYC youth opportunity

Geographic Focus

Priority: New York City.

How to apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; no further application steps are stated.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 58% 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 457 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

Where grants go

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

Grant dollars by state

New York50%

Pennsylvania26%

Massachusetts13%

District of Columbia5%

Connecticut2%

Minnesota2%

6 other states: 2%

The largest single recipient received 26% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 58% of grant dollars went to organisations Gray Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
<1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

132 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 132 grants in tax year 2025 by size

Under $1k4%

$1k–$2.5k1%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k1%

$10k–$25k10%

$25k–$50k31%

$50k–$100k21%

$100k–$250k14%

$250k–$500k6%

$500k–$1M4%

$1M and over8%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2025)

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

American Friends of Tel Aviv University · Faculty of medical and health sciences
$25,000,0002025 tax year
University of Pennsylvania · Project support, drapkin atlas program, basser interception center, general support
$13,128,2732025 tax year
NYC Kids Rise · To further the exempt purpose of the organization.
$5,017,6002025 tax year
United Negro College Fund · Gray nyc scholars cohort
$2,441,3992025 tax year
Harvard University · Hms project, chen atlas informatics, santagata project, sorger project, brugge-atlas project
$2,312,6362025 tax year
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · Cycle for survival, blackstone 2025 cfs campaign, atlas/bioportal team, lacobuzio-donahue project, engage scholarship
$1,070,0002025 tax year
Montefiore Medical Center · School based health programs
$1,000,0002025 tax year
CUNY School of Medicine Foundation · Scholarships
$1,000,0002025 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Mindy Gray — Secretary & Treasurer
Charissa Fernandez — President
Dana Zucker — Chief Executive Officer
Jonathan Gray — President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$48,446,203	$44,960,813	$293,550,674	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$49,277,026	$45,484,199	$366,739,453	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$68,456,476	$64,222,440	$425,001,366	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.