Dyson Foundation

The Dyson Foundation is the private foundation of the Dyson family which funds nonprofits, schools, and religious organizations operating within the New York area. The Foundation generally supports conventional charitable causes in the New York area, but has also made large contributions to left-leaning advocacy groups.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Website: dysonfoundation.org
Formation:

1957

Founders:

Charles and Margaret Dyson

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY View on map
Tax ID: 13-6084888
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $246,905,563 Revenue: $2,691,782 Expenses: $18,247,279

Contents

    Background

    Charles and Margaret Dyson created the Dyson Foundation in 1957 to help facilitate scholarships and charitable giving to organizations in the Hudson Valley Area. 1 Charles was the founder of the Dyson Kissner-Moran Corporation, an investment firm. Dyson was prominent in left-of-center politics; in 1971 he was listed on President Richard Nixon’s infamous enemies list, a list of Nixon’s biggest political opposition. 2

    Leadership

    Chairman Robert Dyson was one of the biggest initial supporters of controversial operative David Brock’s left-wing political action committee American Bridge 21st Century, personally contributing $350,000 since 2011. 3 In 2016 Dyson contributed $583,650 to dozens of Democratic candidates and PACs, most notably the Hillary Victory Fund, a PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). 4 In 2019, Robert Dyson contributed $2,800 to left-wing Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY) presidential campaign. 5

    Treasurer and vice-chairman Christopher C. Dyson is also a racing driver for the Dyson Racing sports car team.

    Raymond A. Lamontage, director at the Dyson Foundation, was instrumental in the launch of the Peace Corps. In the 1960s, he stayed with Eleanor Roosevelt for a weekend at her cottage in Hyde Park. 6 Lamontage also helped John D. Rockefeller III to develop operating and accountability standards for the Rockefeller Family Fund. Lamontage also works on the board of governors of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, a left-wing think tank that asserts that capitalism is an inherently unjust system. 6

    Donations to Left-of-Center Groups

    Since 2015 the Dyson Foundation has given $1,250,000 to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), a left-wing national abortion advocacy group. 7 The Dyson foundation has also given large sums to Media Matters for America, ProPublica, the Third Way Institute, the Hopewell Fund, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. 7

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $246,905,563 $2,691,782 $18,247,279 View
    2023 $238,809,538 $7,714,278 $23,301,538 View
    2022 $235,834,776 $16,681,931 $19,719,692 View
    2021 $273,706,732 $34,331,943 $20,267,417 View
    2020 $237,319,969 $5,886,836 $11,897,480 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Andrea L ReynoldsPRESIDENT/CEO$252,000
    Cecilia R StancellDIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS$136,500
    Theresa GillDIRECTOR OF ADMIN$116,500
    Vivian WalshDIRECTOR OF FINANCE$116,500
    Jennifer DrakeSR. PROGRAM OFFICER$116,500
    Jennifer KillianPROGRAM OFFICER$98,000

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $343,271,074
    • Number of Grants: 5,331
    • Number of Recipients: 950

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $5,000,0002022 Vassar CollegeMulti-year support for a unified Sport and Recreation Center.
    $3,000,0002022 Washington and Lee UniversityTowards the DeLaney Center Director Endowment, to support the leader of the center to manage curricular and co-curricular programs and initiatives, and to recruit and mentor center faculty.
    $1,500,0002022 Family Services IncTowards a Capital Campaign to improve the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie.
    $1,000,0002025 Indianapolis Motor Speedway MuseumTowards the capital campaign
    $1,000,0002024 Friends of Laguna SecaTowards capital improvements at the Laguna Seca Raceway and Recreation Area
    $1,000,0002024 Indianapolis Motor Speedway MuseumTowards the capital campaign
    $750,0002025 Vassar Brothers Medical Center FoundationNew and expanded patient pavilion
    $750,0002024 Family Services IncCapital Campaign for the Family Partnership Center in honor of Emilie Dyson's 70th Birthday
    $750,0002024 Vassar Brothers Medical Center FoundationNew and expanded patient pavilion
    $750,0002023 Family Services IncCapital Campaign for the Family Partnership Center in honor of Emilie Dyson's 70th Birthday
    $750,0002023 Indianapolis Motor Speedway MuseumTowards the capital campaign
    $750,0002023 Vassar Brothers Medical Center FoundationNew and expanded patient pavilion
    $750,0002021 Family Services IncTOWARDS A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE THE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP CENTER IN POUGHKEEPSIE.
    $600,0002025 Washington Lee UniversityDeLaney Center Director Endowment
    $600,0002024 Washington Lee UniversityDeLaney Center Director Endowment
    $500,0002024 Hudson River HousingRevolving Affordable Housing Pre-Development Fund
    $500,0002024 Rupco IncRevolving Affordable Housing Pre-Development Fund
    $500,0002023 Family Services IncCapital Campaign for the Family Partnership Center
    $500,0002021 Marietta CollegeTOWARDS A NEW STUDENT CENTER.
    $400,0002022 Family Services IncA multi-year grant for general operating support.
    $400,0002020 Family Services IncA multi-year grant for general operating support.
    $300,0002025 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.General Operating Support 2023-2025
    $300,0002024 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.General Operating Support 2023-2025
    $300,0002023 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.General Operating Support 2023-2025
    $300,0002021 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.TOWARDS GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT AS PART OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA'S SECOND CENTURY CAMPAIGN.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Stancell, Cecilia. “Dyson Foundation.” Dyson Foundation – Foundation FAQ. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://dysonfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/faqs.
    2. “EnemiesList.info.” Nixon’s First Enemies List. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://www.enemieslist.info/list1.php.
    3. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2012&contributor_name=Robert+R+Dyson&min_date=01%2F01%2F2011&max_date=12%2F31%2F2012&contributor_state=NY.
    4. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_name=Robert R Dyson&min_date=01/01/2015&max_date=12/31/2016&contributor_state=NY.
    5. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?two_year_transaction_period=2020&contributor_name=Robert+R+Dyson&min_date=01%2F01%2F2019&max_date=12%2F31%2F2020&contributor_state=NY.
    6. “Prominent Philanthropist Lamontagne Is First.” Marist College. Accessed June 26, 2019. https://www.marist.edu/-/news-prominent-philanthropist-lamontagne-is-first.
    7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Dyson Foundation. 2015-2017. Additional Data Table.