Getting to Know the Joe and Trina Cayre Foundation’s New York Giving

Photo: agsaz/shutterstock

Photo: agsaz/shutterstock

Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 9/7/2021.

Many philanthropists in New York City have connections to the real estate industry, such as Bruce and Kathryn Beal, Jeff and Lisa Jacobs Blau and Debrah Lee Chartan.  Our Real Estate Givers guide profiles many of these donors in detail, and another local power couple to keep on your radar is Joe and Trina Cayre.

The Cayres’ wealth comes from success with Midtown Equities, Caytronics, GoodTimes Entertainment and GT Interactive Software Corporation. And the Cayres make New York City an epicenter of their grantmaking, through the Fifth Avenue-based Joseph and Trina Cayre Foundation.

First and Foremost, a Jewish Funder

Since Joe and Trina Cayre first established their foundation in the late 1980s, they have focused the bulk of their attention on Jewish causes. Jewish agencies, temples and schools receive the most Cayre support each year. To further local Jewish education, they fund numerous New York City yeshivas including Yeshivat Shaare Torah and Yeshiva of Belle Harbor. Beyond education, the Cayres’ Jewish community grants tend to be a bit broader in scope and include grantees like the World Synagogue Moussayouf and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Education and youth efforts in Israel are also of interest. On rarer occasions, health and public policy organizations have received the Cayres’ support as well.

A Focus on Brooklyn

Brooklyn, in particular, is a major hub for Cayre giving. Congregation Shaare Zion and Yeshivah of Flatbush are several Brooklyn-based grantees that have received the couple’s support recently. Most of this funder’s local grants come out to several thousand dollars each in recent years, which adds up to over $2 million in total annual giving.

Open to New Ideas

The Joe and Trina Cayre Foundation is a low-key funder with no website and a minimal online presence. However, tax records suggest that it is still open to learning about new ideas and receiving funding requests from organizations in New York. The foundation does not have a formal application form or publicize details about its grantmaking guidelines. Rather, grantseekers should simply compile basic information about their organizations and the need for funds, and then send a letter with supporting documentation to the foundation by mail.

Learn more about how to submit a grant application to the Joe and Trina Cayre Foundation in IP’s full New York City and Tri-State Funders profile.