Four Friends Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- Four Friends Foundation funds nonprofits in creative youth development and strategic storytelling, so your request should centre on young people's creative work and communications projects clearly tied to your goals and outcomes.
- It accepts requests by invitation only and does not take unsolicited proposals, so a cold proposal is unlikely to be considered.
- About 8 in 10 of its 81 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $75,000, with a median of $25,000, so a modest request in that range fits its usual giving, though its largest grant was $150,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- In the filing, 47% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, which is a share of dollars rather than of grants.
- No geographic focus is stated, and no deadlines are given, so confirm the timing before planning your approach.
Overview
Four Friends Foundation is a US private foundation based in Albany, 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 funds nonprofits that nurture, inspire and activate young creators through artistic expression, supporting creative youth development organisations that provide trajectory-changing opportunities for young people through the arts. Through its flagship 4Youth grant programme, it builds communications capacity for partner nonprofits through strategic storytelling, helping them catalyse stakeholders and mobilise support. It also offers general operating support alongside strategic storytelling grant dollars, and provides communications expertise to help scope projects and source vendors. Its strategic storytelling work focuses on communications projects clearly aligned with organisational goals and outcomes. The foundation equips nonprofits with communications tools to build results-driven storytelling platforms.
Themes
- Creative youth development
- Strategic storytelling
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York, California, Michigan and Vermont.
How to apply
The grant opportunity is invitation-only; the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 47% 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 81 grants to organisations were $25,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Its strategic storytelling projects are clearly aligned to organisational goals and outcomes.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 47% of grant dollars went to organisations Four Friends Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 5% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 38 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Cedars-Sinai Women's Guild · Unrestricted$110,0002024 tax year
- Inside Out Literary Arts · Restricted to capacity building$104,4002024 tax year
- Urban Arts Partnership · Capacity building$103,2002024 tax year
- Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls · Capacity building$100,6002024 tax year
- L A County Museum Of Art · Unrestricted$65,0002024 tax year
- Brooklyn Conservatory of Music · Unrestricted$50,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network · Unrestricted$50,0002024 tax year
- Citymeals on Wheels · Unrestricted$50,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Katja Shaye — Trustee
- Eva Shaye — Trustee
- Robert Shaye — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $769,925 | $553,173 | $34,757,996 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,415,386 | $1,034,500 | $4,459 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,803,694 | $1,226,229 | $51,491,652 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to Four Friends Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required