Bug and Bean Fund
Bug and Bean Fund is a private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including educational institutions, land trusts, civic organizations, and cultural and human-rights organizations.
Bug and Bean Fund at a glance
In short: Bug and Bean Fund gave $3.9M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $216K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,896,800
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $216,489
- +15.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $6,812,102
- -33.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Bug and Bean Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3550 Lenox Road Ne 2700, Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 264-1400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bug and Bean Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbia University - Noriel Gift Fund ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $3.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 56 (43%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to recipients in New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, North Carolina, and Colorado. By share of grant dollars, New York received 57%, Georgia 28%, Pennsylvania 10%, DC 3%, and North Carolina 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Bug and Bean Fund gives
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 15487% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 918% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2022) to $3.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $3.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia University - Noriel Gift Fund New York, NY | Noriel Gfit Fund | $2,000,000 |
| Community Guilds Inc dba STEAM Truck Atlanta, GA | Unrestricted | $500,000 |
| The Paideia School Atlanta, GA | Annual Fund | $255,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburg, PA | Unrestricted | $250,000 |
| Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| RedefinED Atlanta Atlanta, GA | Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburg, PA | Richard M. Lackner Football Excellence Fund | $150,000 |
| Center for Civic Innovation Atlanta, GA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| The Global Fund for Children Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust Highlands, NC | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bug and Bean Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,812,102 | $276,715 | $3,933,079 | $3,896,800 | 18 | $3,897,385 | $250,492 | $424,637 |
| 2024 | $10,276,764 | $10,439,386 | $3,595,419 | $3,566,000 | 19 | $3,566,560 | $414,795 | $569,138 |
| 2023 | $3,380,688 | $175,046 | $1,121,761 | $1,098,000 | 8 | $1,098,000 | $151,285 | $176,948 |
| 2022 | $4,327,403 | $4,012,061 | $45,994 | $25,000 | 3 | $25,000 | $24,572 | $203,026 |
| 2021 | $361,336 | $16,544 | $693,151 | $680,000 | 8 | $680,000 | $3,463 | $42,035 |
| 2020 | $1,037,943 | $13,932 | $686,389 | $670,000 | 4 | — | $5,004 | $60,555 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bug and Bean Fund reported a distributable amount of $425K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, land conservation, civic engagement, civil and human rights, and other areas. For example, the Open Space Institute Land Trust says its mission is to protect land for clean drinking water, recreation, healthy communities, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience. The Center for Civic Innovation says it uses local data and research to strengthen civic engagement and community-driven solutions in Atlanta. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights says it provides educational experiences about the civil rights movement and contemporary human-rights issues.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Bug and Bean Fund reported 18 grants totaling $3,896,800. Grant amounts ranged from $1,800 to $2,000,000, with a median of $75,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $2,000,000 to Columbia University’s Noriel Gift Fund; $500,000 to Community Guilds Inc. dba STEAM Truck; $255,000 to The Paideia School; $250,000 to Carnegie Mellon University; $200,000 each to Open Space Institute Land Trust and RedefinED Atlanta; and $100,000 each to the Center for Civic Innovation and The Global Fund for Children. The Carnegie Mellon grant was designated unrestricted, while a separate $150,000 grant to the university was for its Richard M. Lackner Football Excellence Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Frank T Waterson was listed as President on the 2025 filing.
Bug and Bean Fund is led by Frank T Waterson, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frank T Waterson
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Bug and Bean Fund
How much does Bug and Bean Fund give each year?
Bug and Bean Fund gave $3.9M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.6M across 19 grants.
What is Bug and Bean Fund's typical grant size?
Bug and Bean Fund's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $216,489, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Bug and Bean Fund give grants?
Bug and Bean Fund gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (28%) and Pennsylvania (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (9 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Pittsburg, PA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Bug and Bean Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Bug and Bean Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bug and Bean Fund's largest grantees?
Bug and Bean Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Columbia University - Noriel Gift Fund ($2,000,000), Community Guilds Inc dba STEAM Truck ($500,000) and Carnegie Mellon University ($400,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bug and Bean Fund?
Bug and Bean Fund reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $425K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bug and Bean Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, land conservation, civic engagement, civil and human rights, and other areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bug and Bean Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bug and Bean Fund's EIN?
Bug and Bean Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3119862. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Bug and Bean Fund 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 24, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bug and Bean Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bug and Bean Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bug-and-bean-fund-morg_0aaefddcd77f44f0aeaa4d39d23b66a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843119862_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bug and Bean Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bug-and-bean-fund-morg_0aaefddcd77f44f0aeaa4d39d23b66a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Bug and Bean Fund'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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