A-Mark Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1997, the organization operates as a nonprofit grantmaker focused on supporting journalism and investigative reporting through strategic philanthropic initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.5M
+9.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$361K
-33.6% YoY
Grant Count
74
+12.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
-40.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Making focused grants to organizations that offer awards to promote and encourage journalism and investigative reporting.
The foundation's primary activities include:
A-Mark Prizes: A series of awards recognizing excellence in journalism and investigative reporting. The foundation works with press clubs, writers' groups, and other organizations nationwide to fund annual cash prizes for investigative reporting and journalistic excellence.
A-Mark Foundation Journalism Scholarships: Providing $10,000 scholarships to students in journalism master's programs. Funding is provided directly to programs, which select scholarship recipients annually.
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants to tax-exempt organizations and provides grants to individuals to support book publishing.
Grant Range
$1,000–$32,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds organizations and programs primarily in the United States, with particular activity in California, New York, and Idaho.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending December 2024:
- Total Assets: $24,516,993
- Total Revenue: $627,519
- Total Expenses: $919,444
- Net Income: -$291,925
- Total Liabilities: $32,600
Historical Context:
- Annual revenue range: $1,000,000–$5,000,000
- The foundation ranks in the top 10% of foundations by assets (Rank #7,066 of 159,550)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,516,993 | $22,304,330 | $21,722,139 |
| Revenue | $627,519 | $864,867 | $449,005 |
| Expenses | $919,444 | $1,280,449 | $1,135,352 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $806,924 | $1,062,852 | $931,217 |
| Net Investment Income | $431,897 | $522,583 | $193,971 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,164,872 | $1,064,543 | $1,063,136 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
239 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Rob Eshman: Chief Executive Officer (40 hours/week, $162,000 annual compensation)
- Tracey DeFrancesco: Vice President/Chief Operating Officer (40 hours/week, $114,000 annual compensation)
- Justin Jampol: Chair (2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Robert Frcek: Chief Financial Officer & Secretary (2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Steven Markoff: Director (2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Mike Gatto: Director (0.2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Jeannie Gorman: Director (0.2 hours/week, no compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUSTIN JAMPOL | CHAIR | 2 | — |
| ROBERT FRCEK | CFO & SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| MIKE GATTO | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | — |
| JEANNIE GORMAN | DIRECTOR | 0.2 | — |
| STEVEN MARKOFF | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The A-Mark Foundation received a $10 million gift to expand support for investigative journalism, signaling significant growth in the foundation's capacity to advance its mission.
A-Mark Foundation Receives $10 Million Gift to Expand Support for ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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