Vital Projects Fund Inc
Vital Projects Fund Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY that operates as a grantmaking organization. Established in 1992 and funded in 2006, the fund was created from the estate of stockbroker Horace W. Goldsmith and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. The foundation distributes half of its net assets to support charitable organizations across the United States.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$362.9M
+2.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.1M
-3.8% YoY
Grant Count
120
-9.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$126K
+5.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Vital Projects Fund supports a diverse range of charitable areas including:
- Arts and Culture: Performing arts, dance, theater, music, museums, and visual arts
- Criminal Justice Reform: Particularly known for supporting death penalty abolition efforts and criminal justice policy advocacy
- Education: Higher education and educational initiatives
- Health: Hospital care, in-patient medical care, rehabilitation, and diseases and conditions including HIV and AIDS
- Human Services: Basic and emergency aid, homeless services, and support for special populations
- International Development: International relations and development initiatives
- Environment: Natural resources and environmental protection
- Support for People with Disabilities
The fund has a particular emphasis on left-of-center advocacy and criminal justice policy. As stated by leadership, the fund opposes the death penalty and provides grants to help end it.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates through trustee-directed grantmaking rather than formal grant programs with published guidelines. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invitation-only basis. No public application process or contact information for grant inquiries has been published.
Grant Range
$25,000 - $150,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund primarily supports organizations in:
- New York
- California
- District of Columbia
The fund operates across numerous cities and states in the United States, including major urban centers like Los Angeles and Chicago.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $355,366,295 (as of 2023)
- $362,947,737 (as of 2024)
Annual Giving:
- $15,743,550 (2023)
- $15,142,525 (2024)
Revenue and Expenses:
- Total revenues: $59,706,442 (2023)
- Total expenses: $16,501,669 (2023)
- Investment income and dividends: $11,201,461 (2023)
Staffing: The organization operates with 5 employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $362,947,737 | $355,366,295 | $357,215,240 |
| Revenue | $50,271,344 | $59,706,442 | $7,084,980 |
| Expenses | $17,089,845 | $16,501,669 | $15,563,684 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $16,547,373 | $17,086,018 | $16,154,741 |
| Net Investment Income | $49,612,069 | $58,530,859 | $8,372,111 |
| Distributable Amount | $17,432,633 | $16,520,922 | $17,659,414 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
David F. Menschel serves as President, Director, and Treasurer. He is a Yale Law School graduate and former attorney at the Innocence Project.
Other directors include Marianne Sammarco and Jay Rivlin.
The fund is connected to the Menschel family philanthropic interests, which include arts and culture, education, health, New York City community, and human rights and criminal justice.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID F MENSCHEL | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR/TREASURER | 25 | $100,000 |
| MARIANNE SAMMARCO | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 20 | $75,000 |
| JAY RIVLIN | DIRECTOR | 2 | $40,000 |
| LAUREN E MENSCHEL | SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 375 Park Ave Ste 3601 New York City, NY 10152-3700
Telephone: 973-472-6250
Tax ID: 13-3711340
Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3) Private Foundation
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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