Grant funders / New York / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in New York
2987 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to New York nonprofits in recent years, together directing $2.1B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 2987 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
2987
Higher education funders
$2.1B
Given to New York nonprofits
31,650
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in New York
| # | Funder | Based in | Total New York giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $105.7M | 115 | 2024 |
| 2 | Foundation to Promote Open Society | New York | $75.0M | 51 | 2024 |
| 3 | Partnership for Inner City Education | New York | $63.6M | 106 | 2024 |
| 4 | The Hunter College Foundation Inc | New York | $61.9M | 14 | 2024 |
| 5 | Albany Medical Center Group | New York | $58.2M | 12 | 2024 |
| 6 | Open Society Institute | New York | $53.4M | 28 | 2024 |
| 7 | Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Inc | New York | $47.8M | 97 | 2024 |
| 8 | The Starr Foundation | New York | $43.0M | 35 | 2024 |
| 9 | Chesed Foundation of America | New York | $42.7M | 6 | 2025 |
| 10 | Paulson Family Foundation | New York | $39.6M | 12 | 2024 |
| 11 | John S and James L Knight Foundation | Florida | $33.3M | 57 | 2024 |
| 12 | The Brooklyn College Foundation Inc | New York | $32.9M | 6 | 2024 |
| 13 | Robertson Foundation | New York | $30.4M | 10 | 2024 |
| 14 | Srcco | North Carolina | $28.0M | 6 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in New York — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 2987 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in New York
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded New York nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to New York recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.