John and Margo Catsimatidis Foundation

OVERVIEW:  The John and Margo Catsimatidis Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to education and youth, the Greek community.

IP TAKE: The foundation keeps a low public profile, which limits information available on its grantmaking priorities and activities. Grantseekers can try reaching out to the contact information below, but networking may be their best bet.

PROFILE:   The John and Margo Catsimatidis Foundation was established in 1999. Its founders are billionaire supermarket mogul John Castimatidis and his wife Margo. Catsimatidis is best known as the owner of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes. His Red Apple Group owns and operates assets in the energy, real estate, finance, insurance, and supermarket industries. The foundation does not maintain a website, which makes it difficult to locate further information on its priority areas and grantmaking strategies. A brief webpage related to the foundation suggests that the foundation focuses on grantmaking related to education and youth, the Greek community, and health.

Grants for Immigrants and Refugees, Education, Health, and Community Development

A Greek immigrant, John Catsimatidis looms large in the Greek-American community. The family has been heavily involved with Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund, which has distributed over $2 million in scholarships to over 800 students of Greek American heritage. The family's giving also reflects Margo's heritage. Margo has served as chairman of the annual Russian Heritage Foundation dinner in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a board member of the Tolstoy Foundation.

Grantees have included Brooklyn Tech (Castimatidis graduated from the school and is a product of public and parochial schooling); Columbia University Medical Center; Alzheimer's Association; and New York State Trooper Foundation. Other grantees include NYC Police Athletic League, St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters, and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $543 to $500,000. In a recent fiscal year, the foundation gave away around $715,000. The foundation keeps a low-profile and a recent tax return indicated that the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. 

PEOPLE:

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CONTACT:

John and Margo Catsimatidis Foundation
800 Third Ave., Fl. 5
New York City, NY 10022