The van Ameringen Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation, located in New York City and active principally in metropolitan New York and Philadelphia. The Foundation was established by Arnold Louis van Ameringen in 1950 and received its assets from him during his lifetime and from his estate following his death in 1966, and from his widow Hedwig van Ameringen during her lifetime and upon her death in 1996. From its beginning the Foundation has sought to stimulate prevention, education, and direct care in the mental-health field with an emphasis on those individuals and populations having an impoverished background and few opportunities, for whom appropriate intervention would produce positive change.