Opportunity Overview
Open now on a rolling Letter of Inquiry basis. The Altman Foundation has narrowed its current new-applicant intake: only LOIs for the Health portfolio are being accepted at this time. The Foundation says opportunities for new grants are limited because of its current pipeline and renewal commitments, so Atlas treats this as a high-value but selective pathway rather than an unrestricted open competition.
Who Can Apply
The Foundation funds organizations recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) public charities and does not make grants to individuals. Requests from organizations or programs outside New York State are not eligible, and Altman states that its grantmaking focuses almost without exception on organizations and programs in the five boroughs of New York City.
Current Health Priorities
Current new-grant interests include expanding and strengthening quality out-of-hospital health, behavioral-health and social care for underserved and vulnerable populations; expanding access to health and behavioral-health services for underserved, uninsured or vulnerable communities; strengthening the resilience and capacity of NYC safety-net health, behavioral-health and social-service providers; advancing sustainable whole-person and integrated care within New York Medicaid and safety-net systems; reducing barriers related to affordability, immigration status and accessibility; and addressing social needs such as food and housing when closely linked to health outcomes and care.
The Foundation’s current health results also emphasize community-based primary care, coordinated care and care management, multidisciplinary services in home or community settings, reduced avoidable hospital use, stronger transitions from hospitals to community care, and workforce development supporting primary, community-based and at-home care.
Funding and Timing
No universal current award range or maximum is published for new Health LOIs. Altman’s public 2026 health-grant list shows current awards at varying levels, including multiple awards in the $100,000-$200,000 range and some multi-year commitments; these are examples, not a guaranteed request range or ceiling.
For organizations that are not current grantees, the Foundation states that there is no fixed application deadline. Staff review LOIs on a rolling basis. If the inquiry appears to be a potential match, a program officer may request additional information and invite a full proposal. New applicants should not submit a full proposal unless invited.
Important Restrictions
As a general rule, Altman does not fund bricks-and-mortar or other capital projects, capital equipment purchases, galas or fundraising events, budget deficits, most disease-specific projects unless aligned with revised guidelines, public universities, or ongoing operating expenses/services of public or voluntary hospitals. Applicants should review the current limitations before designing the request.
Required Next Action
Confirm 501(c)(3) public-charity status and New York/NYC geographic fit; document measurable results already achieved; align the request tightly to Altman’s current Health portfolio interests; avoid excluded capital/equipment and hospital-operating-cost uses; complete the eligibility questionnaire; and submit a concise LOI through the Foundation’s grant portal. Because new-grant capacity is limited, the LOI should make the organization’s demonstrated track record and measurable fit unmistakable.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 92/100. This is a strong New York health-access pathway for established nonprofit safety-net, behavioral-health, community-health and social-care organizations with documented outcomes, especially those serving underserved NYC populations. The main constraint is the Foundation’s explicit warning that new-grant capacity is limited.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. Altman expressly excludes capital equipment purchases, so Atlas does not treat this as a connected-clinical-device procurement pathway.
QC Healthcare Fit: 68/100, conditional. There is meaningful clinical-service and care-integration relevance for eligible nonprofit-led projects, particularly community-based primary care, behavioral health, care management and hospital-to-community transitions, but the eligible grantee must remain the nonprofit applicant and the proposed service model must fit current Foundation guidance.
Official sources: Altman Foundation — Application Process, Basic Eligibility, Application Basics, and Funding Limitations.