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Foundation Lookup

Form 990-PFTax year 2025EIN 13-3711340

Vital Projects Fund Inc

A private foundation in New York, NY. Its return for tax year 2025 lists 94 grants and $15.6 million paid in grants.

See which foundations fund work like yours Matching by cause, place and grant size

Tax year 2025 (period ending Dec 31, 2025), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

How to apply

Preselected only

The return checks the box saying the foundation gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets and giving by year

7 returns on file
Grants paid by tax year. The latest year is in blue.

  • Tax year 2025

    $15,638,500

    Grants listed
    94
    Assets, end of year
    $384,319,086

  • Tax year 2024

    $15,142,500

    Grants listed
    120
    Assets, end of year
    $362,947,737

  • Tax year 2023

    $15,743,550

    Grants listed
    132
    Assets, end of year
    $355,366,295

  • Tax year 2022

    $14,812,000

    Grants listed
    121
    Assets, end of year
    $357,215,240

  • Tax year 2021

    $15,445,000

    Grants listed
    141
    Assets, end of year
    $404,580,809

  • Tax year 2020

    $16,600,000

    Grants listed
    In an attachment
    Assets, end of year
    $357,141,423

  • Tax year 2019

    $15,579,000

    Grants listed
    In an attachment
    Assets, end of year
    $340,024,822

Grants paid in 2025

94 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Community Funds IncNew York City, NY

    General support

    $3,850,000
  2. Proteus FundWaltham, MA

    General support

    $2,753,000
  3. Chef Ann FoundationBoulder, CO

    General support

    $1,250,000
  4. Association for the Public Defender of MarylandBaltimore, MD

    General support

    $500,000
  5. Louisiana Parole Project IncBaton Rouge, LA

    General support

    $470,000
  6. Texas Defender ServiceHouston, TX

    General support

    $400,000
  7. Civil Rights CorpsWashington, DC

    General support

    $350,000
  8. Mitchell Hamline School of LawSt Paul, MN

    General support

    $230,000
  9. ACLU of Michigan FoundationDetroit, MI

    General support

    $210,000
  10. Duke UniversityDurham, NC

    General support

    $206,000
  11. Arizona Capital Representation ProjectTucson, AZ

    General support

    $200,000
  12. The Political Report IncWashington, DC

    General support

    $200,000
  13. Deep South TodayJackson, MS

    General support

    $175,000
  14. Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT

    General support

    $170,500
  15. City University of NY School of LawQueens, NY

    General support

    $150,000
  16. Parole Preparation Project IncNew York, NY

    General support

    $150,000
  17. Safe and Just MichiganLansing, MI

    General support

    $150,000
  18. Choosing Justice InitiativeNashville, TN

    General support

    $125,000
  19. Nurse Family PartnershipDenver, CO

    General support

    $125,000
  20. The Hadanou CollectiveDenver, CO

    General support

    $125,000
  21. Alabama AppleseedMontgomery, AL

    General support

    $120,000
  22. Atlantic Center for Capital RepresentationPhiladelphia, PA

    General support

    $110,000
  23. Food Bank for New York CityBronx, NY

    General support

    $110,000
  24. Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, LA

    General support

    $110,000
  25. National Religious Campaign Against TortureWashington, DC

    General support

    $105,000
  26. ACLU of Pennsylvania FoundationPhiladelphia, PA

    General support

    $100,000
  27. Advancing Real ChangeBaltimore, MD

    General support

    $100,000
  28. Center for Community AlternativesBrooklyn, NY

    General support

    $100,000
  29. Deserving LifeLas Cruces, NM

    General support

    $100,000
  30. Goodnation FoundationNew York, NY

    General support

    $100,000
  31. Illinois Prison ProjectChicago, IL

    General support

    $100,000
  32. Investigative Reports & Editors IncColumbia, MO

    General support

    $100,000
  33. Mad AgricultureBoulder, CO

    General support

    $100,000
  34. Mel Blount Youth Home of PA IncClaysville, PA

    General support

    $100,000
  35. Montana Innocence ProjectMissoula, MT

    General support

    $100,000
  36. Second Look AllianceBaton Rouge, LA

    General support

    $100,000
  37. Tides Center (powell Project)Denver, CO

    General support

    $100,000
  38. University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA

    General support

    $100,000
  39. Congregation of St Joseph's MinistryCleveland, OH

    General support

    $90,000
  40. Felony Murder Elimination ProjectClayton, CA

    General support

    $90,000
  41. New York City BalletNew York, NY

    General support

    $75,000
  42. Vermonters for Criminal Justice ReformBurlington, VT

    General support

    $75,000
  43. Southern Poverty Law CenterMontgomery, AL

    General support

    $60,000
  44. Tides FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    General support

    $60,000
  45. Partners for Justice IncNew York, NY

    General support

    $56,000
  46. New York Focus NewsBrooklyn, NY

    General support

    $55,000
  47. Players Philanthropy FundTowson, MD

    General support

    $53,000
  48. Center for Justice and Human DignityTempe, AZ

    General support

    $50,000
  49. Columbia UniversityNew York, NY

    General support

    $50,000
  50. Families Against Mandatory MinimumsWashington, DC

    General support

    $50,000
  51. Glide FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    General support

    $50,000
  52. I Have A Dream Foundation of Boulder CountyBoulder, CO

    General support

    $50,000
  53. LOOK2JUSTICESeattle, WA

    General support

    $50,000
  54. Nacdl Foundation for Criminal JusticeWashington, DC

    General support

    $50,000
  55. New York Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medical SchoolNew York, NY

    General support

    $50,000
  56. Prison Journalism Proect IncorporatedChicago, IL

    General support

    $50,000
  57. Social and Enviormental EntrepreneursCalabasas, CA

    General support

    $50,000
  58. Staten Island University HospitalStaten Island, NY

    General support

    $50,000
  59. Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LA

    General support

    $50,000
  60. Type Media Center IncNew York, NY

    General support

    $50,000
  61. Weill Medical College of Cornell UnivNew York, NY

    General support

    $50,000
  62. Woodhull Freedom FoundationJenkintown, PA

    General support

    $50,000
  63. Bridgehampton Chamber Music FestivalNew York, NY

    General support

    $40,000
  64. Long House ReserveEast Hampton, NY

    General support

    $40,000
  65. New York City CenterNew York, NY

    General support

    $30,000
  66. ReclaimSeattle, WA

    General support

    $30,000
  67. Transformative Justice CommunityPortland, OR

    General support

    $30,000
  68. ACLU of New Jersey FoundationNewark, NJ

    General support

    $25,000
  69. Advertising CouncilNew York, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  70. Brain & Behavior Research FDNNew York, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  71. City Harvest IncBrooklyn, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  72. Defender Association of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA

    General support

    $25,000
  73. Feeding AmericaChicago, IL

    General support

    $25,000
  74. Friends of Georgica Pond FoundationWainscott, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  75. Guild Hall of East HamptonEast Hampton, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  76. Homeless Prenatal ProgramSan Francisco, CA

    General support

    $25,000
  77. Mestizo Dance IncElmhurst, NY

    General support

    $25,000
  78. Committee to Protect JournalistsNew York, NY

    General support

    $20,000
  79. Ringling College of Art and DesignSarasota, FL

    General support

    $20,000
  80. Ability Center of VirginiaVirginia Beach, VA

    General support

    $15,000
  81. Asolo Theater IncSarasota, FL

    General support

    $15,000
  82. Best of the Batch FoundationHomestead, PA

    General support

    $15,000
  83. Coalition for the HomelessLouisville, KY

    General support

    $15,000
  84. Schools That CanNew York, NY

    General support

    $15,000
  85. ScrapPortland, OR

    General support

    $15,000
  86. There with CareBoulder, CO

    General support

    $15,000
  87. Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (was Center to Prev)Washington, DC

    General support

    $10,000
  88. DrawbridgeFairfax, CA

    General support

    $10,000
  89. Food Bank of the RockiesAurora, CO

    General support

    $10,000
  90. Outward Bound Bay AreaSan Francisco, CA

    General support

    $10,000
  91. Donnie Shell Scholarship FoundationRock Hill, SC

    General support

    $7,500
  92. Neighborhood Resilience ProjectPittsburgh, PA

    General support

    $7,500
  93. Hiram Halle Library FoundationPound Ridge, NY

    General support

    $5,000
  94. Katonah Village LibraryKatonah, NY

    General support

    $5,000

Where the money goes

By cause: grants to organizations we matched to the IRS list of exempt organizations, by their category.

  1. Education14 grants $4,771,50054% of the total
  2. Crime and legal aid14 grants $1,971,00022% of the total
  3. Civil rights3 grants $475,0005% of the total
  4. Arts and culture7 grants $395,0004% of the total
  5. Human services4 grants $340,0004% of the total
  6. Philanthropy and grantmaking4 grants $228,0003% of the total
  7. 6 other causes12 grants $652,5007% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. New York28 grants $5,251,000
  2. Massachusetts1 grant $2,753,000
  3. Colorado7 grants $1,725,000
  4. District of Columbia6 grants $765,000
  5. Louisiana4 grants $730,000
  6. Maryland3 grants $653,000
  7. Pennsylvania7 grants $407,500
  8. Texas1 grant $400,000
  9. California8 grants $395,000
  10. Michigan2 grants $360,000

Officers, directors and trustees

3 people as filed

As filed on the return, with average hours per week and pay from the foundation.

  • David F MenschelPRESIDENT/DIRECTOR/TREASURER Hours 25Pay $50,000
  • Jay RivlinDIRECTOR Hours 2Pay $0
  • Lauren E MenschelSECRETARY/DIRECTOR Hours 0.25Pay $0

The return

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