The McLain Foundation (US)
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send a cold request unless it has been invited.
- Its grants have tended toward social causes and education, a pattern drawn from the grants rather than stated by the foundation.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $10,000 and $130,000, half are $30,000 or less, and the median is $30,000, so a request near that size is realistic, although that band is not a ceiling because the largest grant was about $2,500,000.
- Repeat giving is heavy, with 82% of grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded, so an existing relationship or introduction matters far more here than a first approach.
Overview
The McLain Foundation (US) is a US private foundation based in Tarrytown, NY.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The recorded grants went to charitable organisations with arts, educational, social and medical purposes. Recipients included arts organisations, universities and museums, as well as charities working on education, social and medical causes. Social-purpose grants accounted for the largest share of recorded grant dollars, while educational grants were the most numerous; arts and medical grants also featured. The giving reached organisations in the United States and overseas, including the United Kingdom. The filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Social causes
- Education
Geographic Focus
Geography.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% 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 27 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 68%
- The largest single recipient received 55% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations The McLain Foundation (US) had funded in earlier filings.
- 68% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (United Kingdom).
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 9 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $64,344 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Donmar Warehouse · Arts$126,3282024 tax year
- Princeton University · Educational$100,0002024 tax year
- Smithsonian · Educational$100,0002024 tax year
- Women for Women International · Educational$87,7072024 tax year
- Felix Project · Medical$64,3442024 tax year
- Liger Charitable Foundation · Education$30,0002024 tax year
- Middle East Children's Alliance · Social$15,0002024 tax year
- West London Zone · Educational$12,7092024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Christopher Keech Flecther — Director
- Chloe Mclain — Trustee
- Chelsea Mclain — Trustee
- Cameron Mclain — Trustee
- Carina Mclain — Trustee
- Ian Terry — Trustee
- Helle Mclain — Secretary
- B Hardy Mclain — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,503,154 | $1,248,274 | $25,284,279 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,993,301 | $2,811,423 | $25,761,251 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $801,249 | $546,088 | $30,009,547 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The McLain Foundation (US)?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Tarrytown, NY
Applying to The McLain Foundation (US)?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Tarrytown, NY