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New Jersey · Private foundation

Hess Foundation Inc

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$63M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
141
Grants FY2024
131
Organizations funded FY2023
19%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$50,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$20,150,000
Organizations funded a year
119 to 153
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
16
Total assets, FY2024
$219M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 19% of the organizations Hess Foundation Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 17% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 83% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $6.6M went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23
Arts & CultureHuman ServicesEducationHealthRecreation & SportsInternationalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving137$63M28%
FY2023131$40M19%
FY2022119$31M17%
FY2021127$47M13%
FY2020138$32M22%
FY2019136$32M26%
FY2018145$27M27%
FY2017153$33Mn/a
98% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Arts & Culture$100MHealth$67MEducation$52MSocial Science$36MInternational$12MReligion$11MRecreation & Sports$8.2MCommunity Improvement$5.5MOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
VT
NH
MN
IL
WI
NY
MA
OR
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
VA
MD
AZ
NC
DC
OK
AL
GA
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Philadelphia Museum of Art$33,797,500817%
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc$19,300,00074%
Philadelphia Orchestra Association$13,145,00085%
Trustees of Deerfield Academy$10,750,00072%
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia$10,160,000825%
Park Avenue Synagogue Inc$9,250,0008n/a
Center for Strategic and International Studies$8,010,00063%
Whitney Museum of American Art$7,666,02382%
Steppingstone Foundation Inc$6,526,333731%
Steppingstone Scholars Inc$6,225,000631%
Show all 255 grantees
All grantees of Hess Foundation Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Philadelphia Museum of Art$33,797,500817%
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc$19,300,00074%
Philadelphia Orchestra Association$13,145,00085%
Trustees of Deerfield Academy$10,750,00072%
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia$10,160,000825%
Park Avenue Synagogue Inc$9,250,0008n/a
Center for Strategic and International Studies$8,010,00063%
Whitney Museum of American Art$7,666,02382%
Steppingstone Foundation Inc$6,526,333731%
Steppingstone Scholars Inc$6,225,000631%
Usta Foundation Incorporated$6,000,000612%
Heights Philadelphia$5,025,000248%
Museum Associates$4,410,00041%
Project Home$3,030,00081%
Mass General Brigham Incorporated$3,001,0004n/a
King's Academy Inc$3,000,000544%
Children's National$2,445,00061%
United Way of Greater Houston$2,250,00061%
The Rockefeller University$2,010,00011%
Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation Inc$2,005,00016%
The Franklin Institute$1,775,00083%
Trustees of Calder Gardens$1,500,00017%
Film at Lincoln Center Inc$1,490,00083%
Barnard College$1,342,50070%
Metropolitan Museum of Art$1,330,00080%
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Incorporated$1,250,00038%
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai$1,200,00050%
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Inc$1,050,00081%
Usta National Tennis Center Incorporated$1,025,00011%
Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation$1,010,00032%
Ryan's Case for Smiles$1,000,000714%
Jackson Health Foundation Inc$1,000,00025%
Philabundance$990,00080%
The Studio Museum in Harlem$950,00081%
The Trustees of Princeton University$906,50080%
Baby2baby$860,00071%
Please Touch Museum$850,00044%
Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc$815,00061%
Zoological Society of Philadelphia$805,00080%
Elevate 215$750,000711%
The Center for Reproductive Rights Inc$730,00070%
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pa$700,00033%
Double Edge Theatre Productions Inc$691,000713%
Society of General Internal Medicine$650,00073%
The Phillips Collection$648,00081%
Washington International School$585,00051%
City Harvest Inc$565,00030%
Norristown Zoological Society$560,00062%
Melanoma Research Foundation$550,00026%
Beth David Reform Congregation$543,0005n/a
Inglis Foundation$500,00051%
The Barack Obama Foundation$500,00050%
Turrell Art Foundation$500,00012%
Derby Academy Trustees$473,00052%
Raymond and Miriam Klein Jcc (D/B/A Kleinlife)$450,00025%
Philadelphia City Rowing Inc$445,000812%
Philadelphia City Fund Inc$425,00030%
Maternity Care Coalition$405,00051%
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Pittsburgh$400,00081%
Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates Inc$360,00071%
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assn$350,00070%
Animal Care and Control Team$350,00022%
Medical Missions for Children Inc$350,000719%
Anti-Defamation League$345,00080%
The Mount Sinai Hospital$325,00010%
The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia$325,000211%
Philadelphia Soccer 2026$320,00046%
World Jewish Congress (American Section) Inc$300,00031%
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center$300,00030%
The Teak Fellowship Inc$275,00052%
Education Law Center - PA$270,00082%
Share Food Program$250,00011%
Emerging Public Leaders Inc$250,000518%
Kenyan Schools of Hope$250,00049%
The Trust for Public Land$250,00010%
The Barnes Foundation$230,00080%
Children First PA$215,00063%
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History$210,00042%
International Cardiac Alliance Inc$200,000413%
Jazz at Lincoln Center Inc$200,00011%
Children's Hospital Corporation$200,00020%
The Bail Project Inc$200,00010%
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia$200,00080%
Federation Day Care Services D/B/A Federation Early Learning Services$200,00080%
Ford's Theatre Society$190,00080%
Lyford Cay Foundation Inc$185,00071%
African American Museum in Philadelphia$175,00054%
Project Chimps$170,00084%
Historic Morven Inc$150,00052%
Richard J Caron Foundation$150,00050%
Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies$150,00062%
Harlem Children's Zone Inc$150,00030%
Washington Institute for Near East Policy$150,00011%
Culturetrust Greater Philadelphia$150,00032%
Rutgers University Foundation$150,00060%
The Global Development Incubator Inc$150,00012%
Morehouse College$150,00010%
Caring for Friends$135,00050%
Theatre Horizon Inc$135,00047%
Whyy Inc$130,00080%
Museum of Modern Art$127,50010%
Studentsponsor Partners Inc$125,00021%
Via Art Fund Inc$122,50062%
Support Center for Child Advocates$115,00080%
Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Socie Ty$110,00024%
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance$105,00051%
Mercy Corps$100,50050%
Histiocytosis Association Inc$100,00042%
Navy Seal Foundation Inc$100,00010%
The Institute for Sports Medicine Research$100,000256%
Efi Foundation$100,00011%
Inner City Scholarship Fund Inc$100,00010%
Visionspring Inc$100,00020%
Friends of the Schuylkill Navy$100,000118%
Lymphoma Research Foundation$100,00011%
Atlantic Golf Club Educational Fund Inc$100,0001n/a
The Play Equity Fund$100,00012%
American Jewish Committee$100,00010%
The Historymakers$100,00012%
First Up$100,00051%
St George's Society of New York$100,00017%
Prep for Prep$100,00011%
Team Rubicon Inc$100,00020%
Prostate Cancer Foundation$100,00010%
Society for Medical Decision Making Inc$95,00031%
Bryn Mawr Theatre Film Institute$85,00042%
Episcopal Academy$85,00040%
The Magee Memorial Hospital for Convalescents$85,00080%
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society$80,00080%
Jackie Robinson Foundation Inc$80,00011%
American Museum of Natural History$75,00050%
Upper Merion Area Community Cupboard$75,00017%
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Special Asset Fund of Tpf$70,00070%
National Constitution Center$65,00080%
The Fabric Workshop and Museum$60,00070%
The Lab School of Washington$55,00060%
Noble and Greenough School$55,00070%
Fair Elections Center$55,00030%
The Buckley School$51,00020%
The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology$50,00050%
A Better Chance in Lower Merion Inc$50,00015%
Autism Speaks Inc$50,00010%
Harvard Lampoon Trust$50,00016%
Neighbors Helping Neighbors on the Main Line Inc$50,00018%
United States Association for UNHCR$50,00010%
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center Inc$50,00011%
Mount Sinai Health System Inc$50,00010%
Citymeals-On-Wheels$50,00020%
Riverdale Country School Inc$50,00010%
Ronald McDonald House of New York Inc$50,00010%
Young Audiences of New Jersey Inc$50,00021%
Women's Medical Fund Inc$50,00052%
Community Legal Services$40,00040%
Loon Preservation Committee$40,0002n/a
Lower Merion Conservancy$40,00081%
Squam Lakes Conservation Society$40,00041%
President and Fellows of Middlebury College$35,00070%
Garces Family Foundation$35,00011%
Teach for America Inc$30,00020%
Why Not Prosper Inc$30,00051%
Friends of Hudson River Park Inc$30,00011%
Family Promise of the Main Line$30,00026%
American Irish Historical Society Inc$30,00032%
Baker Industries Inc$30,00021%
Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia$30,00061%
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia$30,00030%
Riverbend Environmental Education Center$30,00031%
President and Trustees of Bates College$29,00060%
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Inc$28,0002n/a
Play on Philly$25,00050%
Children in Conflict Inc$25,00014%
Living Beyond Breast Cancer$25,00010%
Lower Merion Library Foundation$25,00058%
Teaching Matters Inc$25,00010%
The Philharmonic Symphony Society of Ny Inc$25,00010%
Everybody Wins DC Inc$25,00014%
Project 440 Inc$25,00015%
Robin Hood Foundation$25,00010%
Nationalities Service Center of Philadelphia$25,00010%
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center$25,00011%
Museum of the American Revolution$25,00010%
Accessmatters$25,00010%
Mighty Writers$25,00030%
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals$25,00010%
Kieve Wavus Education Inc$25,00020%
The Pennsylvania Innocence Project$25,00012%
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University Inc$25,00010%
The Philanthropy Workshop Inc Dba Forward Global$24,00020%
The Brearley School$20,00010%
Kimmel Center Inc$20,00040%
New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia$20,00022%
Womens Way$20,00021%
Moore College of Art and Design$20,00030%
Congregation Emanuel$15,8601n/a
Ashoka$15,00030%
Natural Lands Trust Inc$15,00030%
Good Plus Foundation Inc$15,00010%
Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services Inc$15,00020%
North10 Philadelphia$15,00010%
The Company Theatre Inc$15,00011%
Stone Soup Pdx$15,00011%
Bicycle Coalition Of Greater Philadelphia$12,50020%
Kristi House Inc$12,50010%
Overtown Youth Center Inc$12,50010%
Old Colony Montessori School Inc$12,00020%
North Bennet Street School$11,00020%
Women Against Abuse Inc$10,00010%
Southern Poverty Law Center Inc$10,00020%
ICU Baby Inc$10,00011%
Brandywine Workshop and Archives$10,00020%
The Metrohealth Foundation Inc$10,00010%
St James School$10,0001n/a
Founding Forward (Formerly the Union League Legacy Foundation)$10,00020%
New York-Presbyterian Fund Inc$10,00010%
Friends of the High Line Inc$10,00010%
Edward Charles Foundation$10,00010%
Team Up Philly$10,00023%
50 Ways Foundation Inc$10,000110%
Kids Off the Block Inc$10,00016%
Vietgroup Empowers$10,000112%
The Berkshire School Inc$10,00010%
Volunteer Medical Serv Corps of Lm & Nar$10,00020%
Friends of Holly Hill Farm Inc$10,00040%
Chocolate Church Arts Center$10,00012%
South Florida Golf Foundation Inc$10,000119%
Manhattan Theatre Club Inc$10,00010%
Mitzvah Circle Foundation$10,00010%
Pine Manor College$10,00010%
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc$10,00020%
National Immigration Law Center$8,00020%
Pathways for Middle East Peace$5,00012%
Stowe Land Trust$5,00010%
Trinity Boston Connects Inc$5,00010%
Trolley Car Helping Hands$5,0001n/a
Dia Center for the Arts Inc$5,00010%
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence$5,0001n/a
Sharing Excess$5,0001n/a
Samaritans of New York Inc$5,00011%
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts$5,00010%
Children's Literacy Initiative$5,00010%
New Leash on Life USA$5,0001n/a
Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter Schoo$5,00010%
Greater Boston Food Bank Inc$5,00010%
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation USA$5,00011%
Ceasefire Pennsylvania Education Fund$5,0001n/a
Association for Public Art$5,00010%
Art of the Rural$4,00011%
The Kennedy Collective Inc$4,00010%
Boston Community Pediatrics Inc$4,00010%
Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center$4,00010%
National Gallery of Art$4,00040%
The New York Times Communities Fund$3,95030%
Martha's Table Inc$3,00030%
The Synergos Institute Inc$1,05010%
International Research & Exchanges Board Inc$1,00010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 102 recipients with no EIN on record ($99M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Hess Foundation Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 6 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 200 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetPhiladelphia Museum of Art: $33,797,500 over 8y, 17% of budgetLincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc: $19,300,000 over 7y, 3.6% of budgetPhiladelphia Orchestra Association: $13,145,000 over 8y, 5.4% of budgetTrustees of Deerfield Academy: $10,750,000 over 7y, 2.2% of budgetThe College of Physicians of Philadelphia: $10,160,000 over 8y, 25% of budgetCenter for Strategic and International Studies: $8,010,000 over 6y, 3.3% of budgetWhitney Museum of American Art: $7,666,023 over 8y, 1.6% of budgetSteppingstone Foundation Inc: $6,526,333 over 7y, 31% of budgetSteppingstone Scholars Inc: $6,225,000 over 6y, 31% of budgetUsta Foundation Incorporated: $6,000,000 over 6y, 12% of budgetHeights Philadelphia: $5,025,000 over 2y, 48% of budgetMuseum Associates: $4,410,000 over 4y, 0.9% of budgetProject Home: $3,030,000 over 8y, 1.5% of budgetKing's Academy Inc: $3,000,000 over 5y, 44% of budgetChildren's National: $2,445,000 over 6y, 0.7% of budgetUnited Way of Greater Houston: $2,250,000 over 6y, 0.8% of budgetThe Rockefeller University: $2,010,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetStatue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation Inc: $2,005,000 over 1y, 6.0% of budgetThe Franklin Institute: $1,775,000 over 8y, 3.1% of budgetTrustees of Calder Gardens: $1,500,000 over 1y, 6.8% of budgetFilm at Lincoln Center Inc: $1,490,000 over 8y, 3.3% of budgetBarnard College: $1,342,500 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetMetropolitan Museum of Art: $1,330,000 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetEisenhower Exchange Fellowships Incorporated: $1,250,000 over 3y, 8.4% of budgetIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: $1,200,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetSponsors for Educational Opportunity Inc: $1,050,000 over 8y, 0.6% of budgetUsta National Tennis Center Incorporated: $1,025,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetFree Library of Philadelphia Foundation: $1,010,000 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetRyan's Case for Smiles: $1,000,000 over 7y, 14% of budgetJackson Health Foundation Inc: $1,000,000 over 2y, 5.4% of budgetPhilabundance: $990,000 over 8y, 0.2% of budgetThe Studio Museum in Harlem: $950,000 over 8y, 0.7% of budgetThe Trustees of Princeton University: $906,500 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetBaby2baby: $860,000 over 7y, 0.9% of budgetPlease Touch Museum: $850,000 over 4y, 3.9% of budgetNuclear Threat Initiative Inc: $815,000 over 6y, 1.0% of budgetZoological Society of Philadelphia: $805,000 over 8y, 0.4% of budgetElevate 215: $750,000 over 7y, 11% of budgetThe Center for Reproductive Rights Inc: $730,000 over 7y, 0.4% of budgetPlanned Parenthood Southeastern Pa: $700,000 over 3y, 2.6% of budgetDouble Edge Theatre Productions Inc: $691,000 over 7y, 13% of budgetSociety of General Internal Medicine: $650,000 over 7y, 3.4% of budgetThe Phillips Collection: $648,000 over 8y, 1.2% of budgetWashington International School: $585,000 over 5y, 1.0% of budgetCity Harvest Inc: $565,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetNorristown Zoological Society: $560,000 over 6y, 2.1% of budgetMelanoma Research Foundation: $550,000 over 2y, 6.1% of budgetInglis Foundation: $500,000 over 5y, 0.7% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 200.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The William Penn FoundationPA68.7× affinity39 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The William Penn Foundation · The Philadelphia Foundation · Independence Foundation · Connelly Foundation · Henry Dolfinger 2 Trust Uw · The Barra Foundation Inc · The Neubauer Family Foundation · The Pew Charitable Trusts · United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey · Lindback Cr & Mf Foundation Tw Main · The Daniel B and Florence E Green Foundation · Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Hess Foundation Inc with peer funders

About Hess Foundation Inc

How much does Hess Foundation Inc give?
Hess Foundation Inc reported 141 grants totaling $63,385,033 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 119 and 153 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does Hess Foundation Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (31%), Health (21%), Education (16%).
Who are Hess Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Philadelphia Museum of Art ($34M), Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc ($19M), Philadelphia Orchestra Association ($13M).
Does Hess Foundation Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 19% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Hess Foundation Inc accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Hess Foundation Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The William Penn Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, Independence Foundation.
Where is Hess Foundation Inc based?
Hess Foundation Inc is based in NJ.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 365 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Hess’ filings →

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