Cordes Foundation
The Cordes Foundation is a public charity based in Bethesda, Maryland. It connects social entrepreneurs with resources, convenes events to strengthen impact-investing and social-entrepreneurship ecosystems, and says it catalyzes its balance sheet for impact. Its stated work includes advancing economic opportunities for women.
Cordes Foundation at a glance
In short: Cordes Foundation gave $336K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), top state New York. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $335,933
- -10.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +5.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,681
- -14.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $10,455,929
- +14.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cordes Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 4340 East West Highway 210, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (855) 482-2946
Website: https://cordesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Cordes Foundation
Who Cordes Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Remake ($39K). Together the top 10 received $249K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 64 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as global. Its 2024 grants went to recipients in multiple states; by share of grant dollars, the largest recipient-state shares were New York (33%), California (17%), Florida (15%), Washington, DC (12%), and Washington state (8%). These reported grant distributions do not establish a formal geographic restriction.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cordes Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $123K (2022) to $373K (2023). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $336K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Remake San Francisco, CA | General Support | $39,000 |
| Nest Inc New York, NY | General Support | $35,000 |
| Lynn University Inc Boca Raton, FL | General Support | $26,500 |
| EAA Foundation Seattle, WA | General Support | $25,650 |
| Sponsors for Educational Opportunity New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Guitars Over Guns Organization Inc Miami, FL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Women Forward International Washington, DC | General Support | $21,000 |
| Creating Hope International Dearborn, MI | General Support | $20,000 |
| Fuller Project for International Reporting Washington, DC | General Support | $20,000 |
| The Giving Back Fund Inc FBO Nexus Boston, MA | General Support | $12,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cordes Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,455,929 | $1,200 | $519,542 | $335,933 | 19 | $1,200 |
| 2023 | $9,150,480 | $93,296 | $546,106 | $373,493 | 18 | $93,296 |
| 2022 | $8,922,384 | $135,533 | $278,536 | $123,333 | 7 | $135,533 |
| 2021 | $10,788,149 | $582,628 | $437,844 | $310,000 | 10 | $582,628 |
| 2020 | $10,558,656 | $-104,959 | $345,522 | $215,000 | 10 | $-104,959 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to connect social entrepreneurs with needed resources, convene events that strengthen the impact-investing and social-entrepreneurship ecosystems, and catalyze its balance sheet for impact. Its 2024 filing adds that its work aims to elevate the role of women globally.
The foundation’s website describes strategic philanthropy supporting social entrepreneurs and economic opportunities for women, including through financial inclusion, sustainable livelihoods, and more equitable markets. Its impact-investing priorities include gender equity, affordable housing, financial inclusion, sustainable growth in global and frontier markets, ethical fashion and supply chains, and renewable energy.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. Remake describes its mission as building a conscious consumer movement focused on the people who make clothing. Indego Africa Project says it supports women-owned businesses in Rwanda and Ghana through market access, education, and business resources. Model Alliance describes work to promote fair treatment, equal opportunity, and sustainable practices in the fashion industry. Other grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve education and career opportunities, youth mentoring and music instruction, and educational, health, and training opportunities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation gave 19 grants totaling $335,933. Grants ranged from $8,333 to $39,000, with a median of $12,000. The reported grant purposes for the listed largest awards were general support.
Notable 2024 grants included $39,000 to Remake, $35,000 to NEST Inc, $26,500 to Lynn University Inc, $25,650 to EAA Foundation, $25,000 each to Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and Guitars Over Guns Organization, and $21,000 to Women Forward International. Additional awards included $20,000 each to Creating Hope International and Fuller Project for International Reporting, and $10,000 each to Central Park Conservancy and Indego Africa Project.
The Cordes Fellowship provided annual scholarships from 2010 to 2019 for emerging social entrepreneurs to attend the Opportunity Collaboration. The most recent application announcement provided here was for the 2018 cycle, with a January 31, 2018 deadline; that cycle has passed. The fellowship offered participation as a full delegate at the gathering, rather than a grant for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing were Tim Freundlich, director; Rebecca Gelb, secretary and treasurer; Ronald Cordes, president; Marty Cordes, vice-president; Eric Stephenson and Steph Stephenson, co-chairs; and Archel Bernard, Beth Stelluto Dunier, and Rehana Nathoo, directors.
Cordes Foundation is led by Ronald Cordes, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ronald Cordes
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Archel Bernard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Stelluto Dunier
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Freundlich
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rehana Nathoo
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Stephenson
Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marty Cordes
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steph Stephenson
Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Gelb
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Gabe Diclerico (2020–2022) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Jerry Hildebrand (2020–2021) — Director to
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Cordes Foundation
How much does Cordes Foundation give each year?
Cordes Foundation gave $336K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $373K across 18 grants.
What is Cordes Foundation's typical grant size?
Cordes Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $17,681, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cordes Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Cordes Foundation give grants?
Cordes Foundation's top state is New York, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (17%) and Florida (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Cordes Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cordes Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Cordes Foundation's largest grantees?
Cordes Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Remake ($39,000), Nest Inc ($35,000) and Lynn University Inc ($26,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cordes Foundation?
Cordes Foundation reported $10.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1K.
What does Cordes Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to connect social entrepreneurs with needed resources, convene events that strengthen the impact-investing and social-entrepreneurship ecosystems, and catalyze its balance sheet for impact. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cordes Foundation?
Cordes Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cordesfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Cordes Foundation's EIN?
Cordes Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1926063. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cordes Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cordes Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cordes-foundation-morg_6a278cc770184b759fee7f210f3e1d1f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_251926063_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cordes Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cordes-foundation-morg_6a278cc770184b759fee7f210f3e1d1f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Cordes 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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