New York State Health Foundation

New York State Health Foundation

The New York State Health Foundation was created in 2006 as a private, statewide entity dedicated to improving the health of New Yorkers, with an explicit focus on marginalized populations. Its formation established a permanent philanthropic vehicle meant to address systemic health gaps through grants, policy research, and the scaling of effective community programs. The Foundation structures its capital deployment primarily as grantmaking, targeting three core pillars: Healthy Food, Healthy Lives; Primary Care; and Veterans' Health. It focuses its geographic footprint entirely within New York State. The Foundation partners with other health-focused grantmakers to amplify its impact, with frequent co-investors including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the United Hospital Fund on health policy and systems research initiatives. David Sandman serves as President and CEO, a role he assumed in 2016 after previously working with Manatt Health Solutions. Nick Smirensky, former Chief Investment Officer, now serves on the board of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System. The Foundation maintains its headquarters at 1385 Broadway in Manhattan and participates actively in field-building networks such as Philanthropy New York and Grantmakers In Health. The Foundation operates with a structural posture distinct from university endowments or traditional asset managers, functioning as a direct grantmaking institution rather than a returns-optimizing portfolio.