Ahimsa Foundation

NIWOT, CO EIN: 85-2700743

Ahimsa Foundation is a private foundation focused on Environment & Animals, based in NIWOT, CO. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $1.0B in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 5 grants totaling $73.1M. Net investment income was $154.0M.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.0B

+7.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$73.1M

+1.9% YoY

Grant Count

+25.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$14.6M

-18.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ahimsa Foundation reported a distributable amount of $38.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

About Ahimsa Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Focus Areas

Environment & Animals

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

Rhode Island $114.7M (61%)

Colorado $47.0M (25%)

Pennsylvania $15.9M (8%)

Georgia $10.0M (5%)

States

Colorado Georgia Pennsylvania Rhode Island

Cities

AtlantaJenkintownLancasterNiwotPort WentworthWarwick

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,011,593,188	$938,177,008	$962,293,194
Revenue	$160,180,393	$55,079,974	$581,102,746
Expenses	$79,991,246	$80,570,806	$50,069,582
Qualifying Distributions	$194,121,931	$170,003,180	$110,185,826
Net Investment Income	$154,018,254	$45,378,856	$573,864,496
Distributable Amount	$38,731,611	$43,595,042	$32,988,323

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 5 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

13 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($45,710,000), Karuna Foundation ($12,530,000), National Philanthropic Trust ($9,735,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Charityvest Inc Atlanta, GA	Advocate for the wellbeing of all animals	$5,092,614
Karuna Foundation Niwot, CO	Advocate for the wellbeing of all animals	$12,530,000
National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA	Advocate for the wellbeing of all animals	$9,735,000
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program Warwick, RI	Advocate for the wellbeing of all animals	$45,710,000
Go Dharmic Inc Port Wentworth, GA	Advocate for the wellbeing of all animals	$137

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Shaleen Shah	President	40	$277,000
Satish Karandikar	Secretary	40	$800,000
Jay Karandikar	Treasurer	40	$155,000

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Environment & Animals

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ahimsa Foundation?

Ahimsa Foundation is a private foundation focused on Environment & Animals, based in NIWOT, CO. It holds $1.0B in total assets as of 2024.

How large is Ahimsa Foundation?

As of 2024, Ahimsa Foundation holds $1.0B in total assets with $160.2M in annual revenue. It awarded 5 grants totaling $73.1M in 2024.

Where does Ahimsa Foundation operate?

Ahimsa Foundation has awarded grants in Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.

What size grants does Ahimsa Foundation award?

In 2024, Ahimsa Foundation awarded 5 grants totaling $73.1M — an average of about $14.6M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Ahimsa Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Ahimsa Foundation reported a distributable amount of $38.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.