The Viola Fund
The Viola Fund is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2024 filing reports grants to preselected charitable organizations, including organizations working in environmental protection and the arts, as well as hospitals and universities.
The Viola Fund at a glance
In short: The Viola Fund gave $2.2M across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $121K), mostly in New York. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,171,650
- +96.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $120,647
- +96.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $19,802,474
- -5.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Viola Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Citrin Cooperman 50 Rockefeller Pl, New York, NY 10020
Phone: (212) 832-0400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Viola Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Environmental Defense Fund ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 104 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 1% to recipients in California, and less than 1% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Viola Fund open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $154K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 44% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 273% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 207% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $582K (2021) to $2.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Cornell-Weill Hospital New York, NY | General Support | $20,000 |
| Soka Gakkai International Santa Monica, CA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Open Stage Project New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Hospital for Special Surgery Fund Inc New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Magazzino Italian Art Foundation New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| The Feminist Institute TGI Digital New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Viola Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,802,474 | $1,125,369 | $2,217,175 | $2,171,650 | 18 | $2,182,775 | $1,090,969 | $1,054,151 |
| 2023 | $20,894,280 | $15,771,551 | $1,165,862 | $1,107,192 | 18 | $1,117,442 | $171,350 | $349,151 |
| 2022 | $6,288,591 | $95,249 | $2,215,535 | $2,142,692 | 19 | $2,150,442 | $140,943 | $334,478 |
| 2021 | $8,466,731 | $1,384,814 | $647,914 | $581,500 | 20 | $594,000 | $1,335,310 | $467,804 |
| 2020 | $7,729,831 | $611,203 | $1,795,184 | $1,688,500 | 29 | — | $515,932 | $434,237 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Viola Fund reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2024 grants include general support for organizations in several fields. The Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as preserving natural systems and finding practical solutions to environmental problems. The Whitney Museum of American Art says it presents and collects U.S. art, champions living artists, and fosters creativity, community, and the exchange of ideas. Artolution describes its work as using art projects to engage communities and alleviate trauma caused by conflict.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund made 18 grants totaling $2,171,650. Grant amounts ranged from $650 to $2,000,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest grant was $2,000,000 to the Environmental Defense Fund for general support. Other notable grants included $25,000 each to the Metropolitan Opera and the Whitney Museum of American Art, and $20,000 each to Cornell-Weill Hospital and Soka Gakkai International. Listed grants state general support as their purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Abby Leigh, Rebecca Leigh, and David Leigh as trustees.
The Viola Fund's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Abby Leigh
Trustee & As Required
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Leigh
Trustee & As Required
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Leigh
Trustee & As Required
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Viola Fund
How much does The Viola Fund give each year?
The Viola Fund gave $2.2M across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 18 grants.
What is The Viola Fund's typical grant size?
The Viola Fund's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $120,647, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Viola Fund that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Viola Fund give grants?
The Viola Fund gives mostly in New York: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (13 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does The Viola Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Viola Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Viola Fund's largest grantees?
The Viola Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Environmental Defense Fund ($2,000,000), Metropolitan Opera ($25,000) and Whitney Museum of American Art ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Viola Fund?
The Viola Fund reported $19.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Viola Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2024 grants include general support for organizations in several fields. The Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as preserving natural systems and finding practical solutions to environmental problems. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Viola Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Viola Fund's EIN?
The Viola Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3398045. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Viola Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Viola Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Viola Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-viola-fund-morg_7f17fffab0014c158a65f3a287acf3f6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133398045_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Viola Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-viola-fund-morg_7f17fffab0014c158a65f3a287acf3f6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Viola Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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