Circle Venture Inc
Circle Venture Inc is a public charity based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its filing describes a thrift-store program that provides donated clothing and household goods below market value to families in the Fishtown/East Kensington community, offers retail job training to underemployed adults, and provides grants to local organizations.
Circle Venture Inc at a glance
In short: Circle Venture Inc gave $259K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $259,483
- -34.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +250.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,535
- -81.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,239,941
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Circle Venture Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 2233 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: (215) 423-1222
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Circle Venture Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Simplehomes Fuller Center ($100K). Together the top 10 received $224K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 38 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s mission refers to the Philadelphia metro area, and its filing describes services to families in Fishtown/East Kensington in Philadelphia. In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 4% to Minnesota, 4% to Illinois, and 2% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How Circle Venture Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $14K (2021) to $397K (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $259K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simplehomes Fuller Center Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $100,000 |
| The Peoples Kitchen Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $25,000 |
| Norris Square Neighborhood Project Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $20,000 |
| Lutheran Settlement House Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $18,000 |
| The Simpleway Philadelphia, PA | local donation | $10,635 |
| Beyond the Bars Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $10,204 |
| Timoteo Philadelphia, PA | local donation | $10,000 |
| All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission Minneapolis, MN | donations | $10,000 |
| Community Peacemaker Teams Chicago, IL | Donations | $10,000 |
| Lilypad Philadelphia, PA | Donations | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,239,941 | $1,486,926 | $1,370,559 | $259,483 | 14 | $3,177 |
| 2024 | $1,123,533 | $1,356,577 | $1,318,017 | $396,895 | 4 | $880 |
| 2023 | $2,580,183 | $1,195,468 | $1,023,661 | $63,243 | 8 | $463 |
| 2022 | $2,262,032 | $1,104,998 | $1,030,453 | $192,000 | 11 | $416 |
| 2021 | $2,344,437 | $1,182,562 | $1,054,633 | $14,000 | 1 | $616 |
| 2020 | $692,359 | $735,142 | $709,275 | $111,552 | Total only | $1,104 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Circle Venture’s stated mission is “to strive for wholeness by resisting systems and creating opportunities for the poor and oppressed in the Philadelphia metro such as jobs, job training and economic empowerment,” and “to provide local and global agents of compassion with capacity for service.”
Its filing describes operating Circle Thrift, which sells donated used clothing and household goods, provides those goods to local families below market value, and offers retail job training. It also says the organization provides grants to local organizations. Among its 2025 grantees, Norris Square Neighborhood Project says its mission is to unite and inspire youth and families through shared cultural wisdom, creative energies, and environmental spaces and experiences. Beyond the Bars describes itself as a student-driven, community-based music and career-planning program supporting youth impacted by violence. Painted Bride Art Center says it brings boundary-pushing artists together with audiences and communities to foster insight, exchange, open minds, and dialogue.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Circle Venture reported 14 grants totaling $259,483. Grant amounts ranged from $5,644 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest reported grants included $100,000 to Simplehomes Fuller Center, $25,000 to The Peoples Kitchen, $20,000 to Norris Square Neighborhood Project, and $18,000 to Lutheran Settlement House, all in Philadelphia. Other notable grants included $10,204 to Beyond the Bars, $10,635 to The Simpleway, and $10,000 each to Timoteo, Lilypad, Painted Bride Art Center, and Yes AndCollaborative Arts in Philadelphia; $10,000 to All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission in Minneapolis; and $10,000 to Community Peacemaker Teams in Chicago. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as donations or local donations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Caz Tod Pearson as Chair, Grace Handy as Vice-Chair, Amber Miller as Secretary, and Lorna Smelser as Treasurer. Deb Ortiz Vasquez and Sharon Thompsonowak are listed as members. Martha Grace is listed as the highest compensated employee.
Circle Venture Inc is led by Caz Tod Pearson, Chair on the 2025 filing; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Caz Tod Pearson
Chair
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Grace
Highest Compensated Employee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$53K (2021) → $55K (2025)
Amber Miller
Secretary
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Grace Handy
Vice Chair
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deb Ortiz Vasquez
Member
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lorna Smelser
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Thompsonowak
Member
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Caz Tod (2024) — Chair
- Former: Lorna Keuhl (2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Lauren Smith (2020–2023) — Undersecretary
- Former: Alison Wear (2021–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Liz Martin (2021–2023) — Chair
- Former: Megan Rosenbach (2021–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Andrew Yang (2020) — Undersecretary
- Former: Kathy White (2020) — Co-Chair
- Former: Paul Kohl (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Rachel Sensenig (2020) — Chair
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $55K, to Martha Grace (Highest Compensated Employee).
Frequently asked questions about Circle Venture Inc
How much does Circle Venture Inc give each year?
Circle Venture Inc gave $259K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $397K across 4 grants.
What is Circle Venture Inc's typical grant size?
Circle Venture Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,535, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Circle Venture Inc give grants?
Circle Venture Inc gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (11 grants).
Does Circle Venture Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Circle Venture Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donations" (11 grants).
Who are Circle Venture Inc's largest grantees?
Circle Venture Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Simplehomes Fuller Center ($100,000), The Peoples Kitchen ($25,000) and Norris Square Neighborhood Project ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Circle Venture Inc?
Circle Venture Inc reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.5M.
What does Circle Venture Inc fund?
Circle Venture’s stated mission is “to strive for wholeness by resisting systems and creating opportunities for the poor and oppressed in the Philadelphia metro such as jobs, job training and economic empowerment,” and “to provide local and global agents of compassion with capacity for service.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Circle Venture Inc?
Circle Venture Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Circle Venture Inc's EIN?
Circle Venture Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2989934. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 9, 2026)
Live grants for the work Circle Venture Inc funds
Employment Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Circle Venture Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Circle Venture Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/circle-venture-inc-morg_e2620cae784e4197a50841226b14b1a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232989934_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Circle Venture Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/circle-venture-inc-morg_e2620cae784e4197a50841226b14b1a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Circle Venture Inc'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.
Circle Venture Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?