A Letter from the Chairman & President

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was formed in 2015 through the merger of The Achelis Foundation and The Bodman Foundation. These foundations had been run jointly for many years, but the merger brought with it certain operational and administrative efficiencies. Each year the Foundation makes approximately $6.5 million in grants.

Although the Foundation is relatively small, we have always supported a broad variety of institutions rather than choosing to focus narrowly on one or two fields. In part this reflects the richness of New York’s not-for-profit sector, with hundreds of strong potential grantees. We try to engage with as many of these as our budget allows. Sometimes our broad focus has allowed us to be early in an emerging area. A prime example of this is our support in the area of charter schools where the Foundation was among the first institutional funders in New York.

In addition to our grantmaking in education we also have supported innovative private efforts in employment, health, and the arts. The list of grants on this website will give you a fuller picture of our interests.

We would like to thank John Krieger, our executive director, for his hard work in identifying the organizations we have supported. We would also like to thank our fellow Trustees who contribute considerable time and wisdom to the works of the Foundation.

February 2024