A-Mark Foundation
A-Mark Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Monica, California. The organization is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 1997; its current mission is to make focused grants to organizations that offer awards promoting journalism and investigative reporting.
A-Mark Foundation at a glance
In short: A-Mark Foundation gave $361K across 74 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state California. 74% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $360,926
- -33.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 74
- +12.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,877
- -40.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $24,516,993
- +9.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 74% first-time grantees (51 of 69, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to A-Mark Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 530 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 201, Santa Monica, CA 90401-1422
Phone: (310) 587-1447
Website: https://www.amarkfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who A-Mark Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fix the Court ($32K). Together the top 10 received $146K.
Grant Size Distribution
286 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 281 grants of 286 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (40%) and New York (19%), followed by Idaho (7%), Maryland (6%), and Georgia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 74 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is A-Mark Foundation open to new grantees?
74%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 51 of 69 grantees (74%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 69% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $292K (2021) to $622K (2020). In 2024 it made 74 grants totaling $361K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fix the Court Brooklyn, NY | Bringing Openness & Accountability to the Federal Courts | $31,500 |
| The Hoffman Institute San Rafael, CA | Empowerment Thru Training and Eduction | $25,000 |
| DOV Waxman Los Angeles, CA | Study of Antisemitism | $15,000 |
| Conserving Our Heritage Rolling Hills, CA | Conservation of Historical Landmarks | $10,000 |
| American Savoy Orders New York, NY | Help Individuals in Need of Health Care Proceedures | $10,000 |
| Center for Jewish History New York, NY | Preserving the History of the Jewish People. | $10,000 |
| Uuctno More Deaths Tucson, AZ | Support Humanitarian Aid, Search & Rescue, Legal Aid | $10,000 |
| Culver City Education Foundation Culver City, CA | Support of Children K-12 Programs | $10,000 |
| Sierra Madre Playhouse Sierra Madre, CA | Connect people in our diverse communities through bold, resonant live theater in an intimate setting that inspires, entertains, and celebrates our shared humanity. | $7,500 |
| Xerces Society Washington, DC | Support biodiversity and protect and restore enviroments for invertebrates. | $7,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $24,516,993 | $627,519 | $919,444 | $360,926 | 74 | $806,924 | $431,897 | $1,164,872 |
| 2023 | $22,304,330 | $864,867 | $1,280,449 | $543,705 | 66 | $1,062,852 | $522,583 | $1,064,543 |
| 2022 | $21,722,139 | $449,005 | $1,135,352 | $424,379 | 57 | $931,217 | $193,971 | $1,063,136 |
| 2021 | $26,739,557 | $3,313,454 | $2,075,191 | $292,173 | 46 | $458,784 | — | $1,303,109 |
| 2020 | $23,980,666 | $6,006,861 | $1,060,273 | $621,544 | 43 | — | $3,687,634 | $1,050,915 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, A-Mark Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is “Making focused grants to organizations that offer awards to promote and encourage journalism and investigative reporting.” Its initiatives include prizes administered by press groups, scholarships administered by universities, and awards for student journalists at community colleges.
Its 2024 grants also went to organizations working in other areas. For example, Fix the Court describes its work as educating the public and advocating for non-ideological reforms to make federal courts more open and accountable. The Culver City Education Foundation says it raises funds to support and enhance education for students in its school district; Sierra Madre Playhouse says it produces live performances and preserves its historic theater; and the Xerces Society says it protects wildlife through invertebrate and habitat conservation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation’s itemized grants totaled $360,926 across 74 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $31,500, with a median of $5,000. The filing’s description of direct charitable activity separately reports a total of 76 contributions during 2024.
Among the largest itemized 2024 grants were $31,500 to Fix the Court for work described as bringing openness and accountability to the federal courts; $25,000 to the Hoffman Institute for empowerment through training and education; and $15,000 to Dov Waxman for a study of antisemitism. Other grants included $10,000 to Conserving Our Heritage for conservation of historical landmarks, $10,000 to the Center for Jewish History for preserving Jewish history, and $10,000 to the Culver City Education Foundation to support K–12 programs. Additional recipients included Sierra Madre Playhouse ($7,500), the Xerces Society ($7,500), Black Women Build–Baltimore ($7,500), and Pepperdine University ($5,459).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s website identifies Justin Jampol as board chair, Steven C. Markoff as founder, interim CEO, and chair emeritus, and Tracey DeFrancesco as chief operating officer. The 2024 filing lists Justin Jampol as chair; Robert Frcek as CFO and secretary; and Mike Gatto, Jeannie Gorman, and Steven Markoff as directors.
A-Mark Foundation is led by Justin Jampol, Chair on every filing since 2023; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Justin Jampol
Chair
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Markoff
Director
Co-Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeannie Gorman
Director
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Gatto
Director
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Frcek
CFO & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jadwiga Markoff (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: John Kurtz (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kris Fredrickson (2020–2022) — Co-Chair
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about A-Mark Foundation
How much does A-Mark Foundation give each year?
A-Mark Foundation gave $361K across 74 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $544K across 66 grants.
What is A-Mark Foundation's typical grant size?
A-Mark Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,877, across 74 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from A-Mark Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does A-Mark Foundation give grants?
A-Mark Foundation's top state is California, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (19%) and Idaho (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Culver City, CA (9 grants), Los Angeles, CA (7 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Boise, ID (6 grants).
Does A-Mark Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of A-Mark Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 74) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Patient Assistance with Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs" (3 grants) and "Support of Children K-12 Programs" (3 grants).
Who are A-Mark Foundation's largest grantees?
A-Mark Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fix the Court ($31,500), The Hoffman Institute ($25,000) and Conserving Our Heritage ($15,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is A-Mark Foundation?
A-Mark Foundation reported $24.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $807K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does A-Mark Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “Making focused grants to organizations that offer awards to promote and encourage journalism and investigative reporting.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from A-Mark Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is A-Mark Foundation's EIN?
A-Mark Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4621496. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does A-Mark Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). A-Mark Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/a-mark-foundation-morg_573478fc4f6f49668a1ca6e9080f2d2c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954621496_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{A-Mark Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/a-mark-foundation-morg_573478fc4f6f49668a1ca6e9080f2d2c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from A-Mark Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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