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Gray Foundation

Annual Giving
$45.5M
Grant Range
$0K - $5.0M

Gray Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $45.5 million (2024)
  • Total Giving Since 2015: $550 million+
  • Grant Range: $226 - $5,000,000
  • Number of Awards: 146 (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: National (BRCA research); New York City (youth initiatives)
  • Application Method: Mixed (Open LOI for BRCA research; invitation-only for NYC youth programs)

Contact Details

Address: 321 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Website: https://www.grayfoundation.org/

Email: grants@grayfoundation.org (for BRCA research eligibility questions)

Overview

The Gray Foundation was launched in 2014 by Mindy and Jon Gray (President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone) and made its first grant in 2015. The foundation has a dual mission: accelerating research, raising awareness, and improving treatment for individuals and families with inherited BRCA mutations and related cancers, while also expanding access to education, healthcare, and opportunity for NYC youth from low-income communities. Since its founding, the foundation has distributed over $550 million, with $200 million+ allocated to BRCA initiatives and $150 million+ to NYC youth initiatives. The foundation's personal connection stems from the loss of Mindy's sister, Faith Basser, to BRCA-related ovarian cancer. In 2012, the Grays committed $25 million to establish the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center, which has become the global leader in BRCA research. The foundation is led by CEO Dana Zucker and President Charissa Fernández, with Chi Van Dang serving as Chief Science Advisor.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

BRCA Team Science Program: Up to $1 million/year for 3 years (up to $3 million total per team)

  • Multi-institutional, multidisciplinary research teams
  • Focus on prevention, interception, and early detection of BRCA-related cancers
  • Open Letter of Intent process
  • Multiple grants awarded per cycle (7 teams funded in 2023 for $25 million total; 7 teams in 2019 for $25 million)
  • Rolling application - program guidelines and LOI forms available on website

NYC Kids RISE: $32 million+ committed since 2016

  • College savings program establishing NYC Scholarship Accounts
  • Over 140,000 students supported across all NYC neighborhoods
  • Partnership-based model

Gray NYC Scholars Program (via UNCF): $55 million total commitment

  • $50,000 per year scholarships for graduating NYC seniors attending HBCUs
  • Includes support services: college success coach, online learning communities, HBCU mentor network
  • 82 scholars supported across 12 colleges to date

University Partnerships: Varies (example: $1 million to Stony Brook University)

  • Gap-closing scholarships for undergraduate students
  • Support for debt-free graduation and on-campus housing
  • Recent major gift to Tel Aviv University Medical School to increase enrollment by 25% and double Arab Israeli student enrollment

Priority Areas

BRCA Research:

  • Early disease identification and interception
  • Precancer and early cancerous lesions in BRCA-associated cancers
  • Development of prevention and early detection approaches
  • Cross-institutional data harmonization (Gray BRCA Pre-Cancer Atlas)
  • PARP inhibitor research for prevention
  • Cascade screening tool implementation

NYC Youth Education:

  • College access and scholarship programs
  • Financial literacy and college savings
  • Support for underrepresented students
  • HBCU pathway programs
  • Medical school access

Healthcare for NYC Youth:

  • Mental health services
  • School-based health programs

Youth Opportunity:

  • Arts programs
  • Athletics
  • Skills development
  • Community engagement

What They Don't Fund

  • For-profit enterprises (cannot receive grant funds, though may participate as collaborators without funding)
  • Organizations outside their two core missions (BRCA research and NYC youth)
  • Unsolicited proposals for NYC youth initiatives (invitation-only)

Governance and Leadership

Founders:

  • Mindy Gray - Co-Founder, Secretary and Treasurer (serves without compensation)
  • Jon Gray - Co-Founder and President (serves without compensation); President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone

Executive Leadership:

  • Dana Zucker - Chief Executive Officer (compensation: $592,000)
  • Charissa Fernández - President of the Gray Foundation (formerly Executive Director of Teach for America)

Scientific Leadership:

  • Chi Van Dang - Chief Science Advisor

Notable Quotes:

From foundation materials on BRCA research: "The aspirational goal would be to understand the process of cancer development early enough and then look at ways to intervene, hopefully eradicate, and prevent the cancer from even developing."

On their approach: "The goal of these awards is to maximize collective impact so each new discovery leads to further advances and innovations toward the prevention, early detection, and interception of cancer."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For BRCA Research Grants:

The Gray Foundation accepts Letters of Intent (LOI) for BRCA Team Science Program proposals. Program guidelines and LOI forms are available for download at grayfoundation.org/brca-initiatives.

Eligibility:

  • Investigators must hold a medical or other doctoral degree
  • Must have faculty appointment equivalent to Assistant Professor or higher
  • Applicants must be academic medical or research institutions anywhere in the world
  • Multiple applications from the same institution are permitted
  • For-profit enterprises are not eligible to apply as lead applicants

Application Process:

  1. Review program guidelines and download LOI form from website
  2. Submit Letter of Intent
  3. Questions about eligibility should be sent to grants@grayfoundation.org prior to submitting LOI
  4. Selected applicants invited to submit full proposal

For NYC Youth Initiatives:

No public application process. As stated on their website: "Organizations must be invited to submit a proposal. Upon review of the proposal, Foundation staff will schedule a meeting and/or site visit. We do not accept unsolicited proposals."

Getting on Their Radar (NYC Youth Initiatives Only)

The Gray Foundation works with 70+ partner organizations in NYC, including major institutions like CUNY, Montefiore Health System, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Door, Children's Aid, and KIPP NYC. Organizations cannot self-nominate; they must be identified and invited by Gray Foundation staff to submit proposals. The foundation focuses on organizations working in education and college access, healthcare (particularly mental health and school-based health), and youth opportunity programs (arts, athletics, skills development).

While there is no formal pathway to request consideration, organizations working in these areas with demonstrated impact in NYC low-income communities should ensure their work is visible in the NYC nonprofit ecosystem, as the foundation appears to identify potential partners through their established network and field presence.

Decision Timeline

BRCA Research Grants: Specific timelines not publicly disclosed, but program operates on a periodic cycle (major awards announced in 2019 and 2023, suggesting 3-4 year cycles aligned with grant periods).

NYC Youth Initiatives: Timeline not publicly disclosed for invitation-based process.

Success Rates

BRCA Research Program: In 2023, 7 teams were selected from the applicant pool to receive $25 million total ($3.57 million average per team). In 2019, 7 teams were similarly selected for $25 million total. Specific application numbers and success rates are not publicly disclosed.

Overall Foundation: In 2024, 146 awards were made; in 2023, 172 awards; in 2022, 178 awards.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in publicly available materials. For BRCA research grants, eligibility questions should be directed to grants@grayfoundation.org.

Application Success Factors

For BRCA Research Grants

Emphasis on Collaboration: The foundation specifically funds "multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams," indicating a strong preference for collaborative approaches over single-institution proposals. Successful teams bring together diverse expertise.

Focus on Prevention and Interception: The foundation's stated mission emphasizes "prevention, early detection, and interception" rather than treatment of advanced disease. Proposals should align with this upstream approach.

Team Science Model: The foundation values "collective impact so each new discovery leads to further advances and innovations." Proposals should demonstrate how findings will build on existing knowledge and enable future breakthroughs.

Recent Funded Research Examples:

  • Early disease identification in fallopian tubes
  • Gray BRCA Pre-Cancer Atlas (cross-institutional data harmonization and sample collection)
  • PARP inhibitor research for prevention of precancerous lesions
  • Cascade screening tool implementation

Foundation's Stated Priorities: The current grant cycle mission is "to fund research projects that bring together the best minds in cancer research to study BRCA-associated precancer and early cancerous lesions in order to develop new prevention, early detection and interception approaches."

For NYC Youth Initiatives (Invitation-Only)

Organizations in the foundation's portfolio share common characteristics:

Scale and Reach: Partners like NYC Kids RISE serve 140,000+ students across all NYC neighborhoods, suggesting preference for programs with broad impact.

Comprehensive Support Models: The Gray NYC Scholars Program provides not just funding ($50,000/year) but also wraparound services (success coaches, learning communities, mentor networks). The foundation values holistic approaches.

Focus on Underrepresented Students: Recent Tel Aviv Medical School gift specifically aimed to "double the number of Arab Israeli students." HBCU scholarship program demonstrates commitment to minority-serving institutions.

Three Core Areas: Education/college access, healthcare (particularly mental health and school-based), and youth opportunity (arts, athletics, skills development).

Institutional Strength: Partners include major established organizations (CUNY, Montefiore, Metropolitan Museum) as well as specialized nonprofits (The Door, Children's Aid, KIPP).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Two Distinct Pathways: BRCA research grants have an open LOI process; NYC youth initiatives are strictly invitation-only. Do not submit unsolicited proposals for youth programs.

  • Substantial Funding Available: The foundation makes significant commitments ($1-5 million for BRCA research teams; $32-55 million for major youth initiatives), indicating capacity for transformational grants rather than small awards.

  • Collaboration is Essential for BRCA Grants: Single-institution proposals are unlikely to succeed. Assemble multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams before applying.

  • Prevention Over Treatment: For BRCA research, focus proposals on early detection, interception, and prevention rather than treatment of advanced disease. Use foundation language about "precancer" and "early cancerous lesions."

  • Personal Mission Connection: The foundation's work stems from personal loss (Mindy's sister Faith Basser), and they value research that could prevent others from experiencing similar losses.

  • Long-Term Commitment Model: The foundation makes 3-year grants and has sustained multi-year commitments to partner organizations (e.g., $32M+ to NYC Kids RISE since 2016), suggesting they prefer deep partnerships over one-time grants.

  • Geographic Specificity for Youth Programs: NYC youth initiatives are geographically restricted to New York City and focus on low-income communities. Do not apply if you serve other regions.

References

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