Caplin Foundation
Caplin Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware, and files as a Form 990-PF (a private foundation). Its 2025 grants included support for arts education, downtown vitality, nonprofit capacity, services for children, and environmental protection.
Caplin Foundation at a glance
In short: Caplin Foundation gave $403K across 212 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Virginia. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $403,350
- +0.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 212
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,903
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $4,367,897
- +104.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (43 of 195, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (48% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Caplin Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Caplin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Interlochen Center for the Arts ($35K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $135K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,192 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,189 grants of 1,192 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (48%), California (21%), Michigan (9%), Florida (4%), and New York (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 212 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Caplin Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 43 of 195 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $973; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 61% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 124% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $403K (2024) to $2.8M (2023). In 2025 it made 212 grants totaling $403K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen, MI | Scholarship fund for students in the Dance, New Media Arts, Music, Writing and Theatre Departments | $25,000 |
| Friends of Downtown Charlottesville, VA | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Albemarle County Historical Society Inc Charlottesville, VA | Charitable Event | $10,000 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen, MI | scholarship fund for students of Music, Dance Theatre, Multi-Disciplinary Arts, and Writing in the summer camp program | $10,000 |
| Strong Quality Basketball Association Radiant, VA | academic scholarship fund in addition to athletic training | $8,000 |
| Center for Nonprofit Excellence Charlottesvle, VA | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | to support the 2025 summer season of the Virginia Theater Festival | $7,500 |
| The New York Center for Children New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Rocky Foundation Keswick, VA | General & Unrestricted | $6,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Caplin Foundation?
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 | $4,367,897 | $2,707,989 | $485,015 | $403,350 | 212 | $443,151 | $2,661,977 | $357,528 |
| 2024 | $2,136,423 | $429,516 | $466,164 | $403,050 | 199 | $441,756 | $323,800 | $416,454 |
| 2023 | $2,172,071 | $107,079 | $2,845,865 | $2,758,410 | 266 | $2,796,310 | $74,551 | $396,188 |
| 2022 | $4,906,557 | $1,994,697 | $786,315 | $717,850 | 274 | $755,535 | $1,942,460 | $514,665 |
| 2021 | $3,697,925 | $408,292 | $584,646 | $513,450 | 241 | $550,464 | $360,027 | $596,123 |
| 2020 | $3,873,879 | $39,921 | $481,700 | $405,700 | 264 | — | $98,816 | $473,438 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Caplin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $358K 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 areas including the arts, community development, nonprofit services, child welfare, and environmental protection. For example, Interlochen Center for the Arts describes its work as engaging and inspiring people worldwide through educational, artistic, and cultural programs. Friends of Downtown says it creates strategies and programs to stimulate downtown Charlottesville’s social and economic vitality. The New York Center for Children says it provides free trauma-focused therapy to victims of child abuse, while the Southern Environmental Law Center describes its mission as protecting clean air, clean water, a livable climate, and the region’s natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 212 grants totaling $403,350. Grants ranged from $200 to $25,000, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest awards were $25,000 to Interlochen Center for the Arts for a scholarship fund; $15,000 to Friends of Downtown for general and unrestricted purposes; and $10,000 to Albemarle County Historical Society for a charitable event. Other notable grants included $8,000 to Strong Quality Basketball Association for an academic scholarship fund in addition to athletic training, and $7,500 each to the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and the Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia for general and unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Catherine Caplin as director; Jeremy Caplin as director and president; and Michael Caplin as director, secretary, and treasurer.
Caplin Foundation is led by Jeremy Caplin, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeremy Caplin
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Caplin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Caplin
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lee Caplin (2020–2022) — Director & Vice President
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 Caplin Foundation
How much does Caplin Foundation give each year?
Caplin Foundation gave $403K across 212 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $403K across 199 grants.
What is Caplin Foundation's typical grant size?
Caplin Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,903, across 212 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Caplin Foundation that year got $973 on average.
Where does Caplin Foundation give grants?
Caplin Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (21%) and Michigan (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlottesville, VA (37 grants), Charlottesvle, VA (27 grants), Los Angeles, CA (15 grants) and Washington, DC (14 grants).
Does Caplin Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 73% of Caplin Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (155 of 212) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Event" (3 grants).
Who are Caplin Foundation's largest grantees?
Caplin Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Interlochen Center for the Arts ($35,000 across 2 grants), Friends of Downtown ($21,500 across 3 grants) and Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia ($20,500 across 5 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Caplin Foundation?
Caplin Foundation reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $358K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Caplin Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including the arts, community development, nonprofit services, child welfare, and environmental protection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Caplin Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Caplin Foundation's EIN?
Caplin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6078981. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Caplin 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Caplin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/caplin-foundation-morg_258d670dc3d9431e81469a987d44227e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_526078981_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Caplin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/caplin-foundation-morg_258d670dc3d9431e81469a987d44227e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Caplin 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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