Non-profit

Pinkerton Foundation

Website:

www.thepinkertonfoundation.org

Location:

NEW YORK, NY

Tax ID:

13-6206624

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Assets: $696,463,915

Type:

Philanthropy

Formation:

1966

President & CEO:

Richard M. Smith

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $66,922,248
Expenses: $43,747,279
Assets: $842,095,038 1

References

  1. The Pinkerton Foundation. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990-PF). 2021.

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The Pinkerton Foundation is a grantmaker focused on helping youth in New York City to develop skills and self-reliance. 1 It supports nonprofit organizations directly engaged with youth education and aid for young people accused or convicted of crimes. 2

History and Program Areas

The Pinkerton Foundation was founded in 1966 by Robert Allan Pinkerton, chairman and CEO of the security company Pinkerton’s, Inc. 3 The mission of the foundation was to prevent juvenile delinquency. 4

The foundation primarily funds direct service programs for the youth of New York City, 5 with a focus on providing the consistent presence of adults and supportive relationships in the lives of young people. 6

The Pinkerton Foundation has four main program areas. 7 The first is after-school and summer learning, where it supports community programs focused on recreational activities, mentoring, and skills building for children. 8

The second program area is career readiness, where the Pinkerton Foundation supports internship opportunities, industry certification programs, job-training programs, as well as programs to help children attain “soft” career skills. 9

The third program area is education, where the Pinkerton Foundation supports general education, life-skills programs, and college access and retention efforts, with a special focus on single mothers and youth in the foster care system. 10

The fourth program area is youth and family justice, where the Pinkerton Foundation supports prisoner reentry programs, employment training, and alternatives to incarceration. 11

Additionally, the foundation created the Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network, accessible only to ethnic minorities, to cultivate future non-white community leaders. 12

Grantmaking

The Pinkerton Foundation only awards grants to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Applicants are required to submit a brief letter of inquiry describing their organization, the project needing funding, the program budget, and a list of board members. Those organizations that pass an initial review process will then receive a site visit from the Pinkerton Foundation and a request for further materials. 13

In 2021, major grants from the Pinkerton Foundation included $850,000 for Good Shepherd Services;  $600,000 for the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School; $550,000 for the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Prisoner Reentry Institute; $425,000 for the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club; $300,000 for Community Connections for Youth Inc.; $300,000 for Friends of the Children of New York;  $300,000 for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City; $275,000 for Legal Outreach Inc.; $260,000 for Cypress Hills Local Development; $260,000 for Futures and Options Inc; $250,000 for the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park; $246,000 for career readiness programs at the American Museum of Natural History in New York; and many more. 14

People

The president and CEO of the Pinkerton Foundation is Richard M. Smith. Smith is the former editor-in-chief, chairman, and CEO of Newsweek. Smith has been a member of the board of the Pinkerton Foundation since 1995 and became the president in 2010. Smith is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an invitation-only think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. 15

References

  1. “The Pinkerton Foundation.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/.
  2. “The Pinkerton Foundation.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/.
  3. “Mission and History.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/who-we-are/mission-and-history.
  4. “Pinkerton at Fifty.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/chapter/pinkerton-at-fifty
  5.  “Mission and History.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/who-we-are/mission-and-history.
  6. “What We Believe – About Youth Programs.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/what-we-believe/what-we-believe-about-youth-programs.
  7. “The Pinkerton Foundation.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/.
  8. “After-school and Summer Learning.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/programs/the-national-dance-institute.
  9. “Carrer Readiness. The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/programs/the-new-york-hall-of-science.
  10. “Education.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/programs/lifelink.
  11. “Youth and Family Justice.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/programs/pinkerton-fellows-serving-and-learning.
  12. “Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network (PALN). The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/pinkerton-advanced-leadership-network-paln.
  13. “Grant Guidelines.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023. https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/grant-guidelines.
  14. The Pinkerton Foundation. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990-PF). 2021.
  15. “Current Staff.” The Pinkerton Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2023.  https://www.thepinkertonfoundation.org/staff-status/current-staff.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: August 1, 1966

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $696,463,915 $23,231,617 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $611,839,251 $28,556,600 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $694,380,532 $37,723,102 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $668,363,451 $21,979,630 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $542,259,669 $15,328,937 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $481,910,278 $8,527,299 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Pinkerton Foundation

    610 5TH AVE RM 316
    NEW YORK, NY 10020-2403