Bernard F & Alva B Gimbel Foundation
Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1943 that began a ten-year spend down in 2019; current grant focus areas are Defending and Strengthening Democracy and Climate and Environmental Justice. The foundation publishes recent grants (including 2024 and 2025 lists) and states it is not accepting unsolicited proposals.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
An established nonprofit working on defending/strengthening democracy or on climate and environmental justice, with capacity for general support or state infrastructure work and a track record suitable for mid-to-large grants.
Good Fit
- • Primary mission clearly aligned with democracy protection, voter engagement, or climate/environmental justice
- • Organizational scale and financial systems to manage grants in the $50K–$400K range
- • Existing relationships or partnerships with national intermediaries or previously funded groups
- • Track record of general support or state-level infrastructure work
- • Presence or program activity in New York, DC, CA or other states consistently funded by the foundation
Geography
Observed grants reached 14 states in the latest year; although New York received the largest single-state share (~36%), the foundation funds organizations across multiple regions including DC, CA and MA.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 68 distinct recipients (79 grants) with a mix of returning grantees and new entrants and a wide range of award sizes, indicating a broad and diverse recipient portfolio for the foundation’s scale.
New Applicants
The foundation publicly states it is not accepting unsolicited proposals and operates on a preselected/invitation basis; while 13 new recipients appeared in the latest year, there is no public application pathway for unfamiliar applicants.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
