Cottonwood Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker New Haven, CT EIN: 06-6067121

Cottonwood Foundation Inc is a private foundation, based in New Haven, CT. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $604K in total assets. Net investment income was $27K.

Cottonwood Foundation Inc at a glance

Total assets
$604,196
-7.1% vs 2023
Revenue (2024)
$33,102
+137.3% vs 2023
Net investment income (2024)
$27,093
+88.5% vs 2023
Expenses (2024)
$56,469
-39.7% vs 2023
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.

Who Cottonwood Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

25 grants across all recorded years

25<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 25 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

10states
+2 more states

Cities

New YorkSyracuseAmherstAugustaBeaconBrooklynChelseaGainesvilleHartfordMadisonManchesterPetalumaStamfordSwarthmoreWalnutWappingers FallsWashington

How Cottonwood Foundation Inc gives

  • Giving held roughly steady from 2020 to 2023 (−11%). Method
  • In 2023 it paid out 234% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K9 grants2020 8 grants2021 4 grants2022 4 grants2023 0 grants2024

From 2020 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $34K (2021) to $43K (2020). In 2023 it made 4 grants totaling $38K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Covenant House New York New York, NYFurtherance of Tax Exempt Activities$10,100
Sixth Street Community Center New York, NYFurtherance of Tax Exempt Activities$10,100
The Lower Eaastside Girls Club New York, NYFurtherance of Tax Exempt Activities$10,100
Wide Rainbow New York, NYFurtherance of Exempt Activities$8,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$604,196$33,102$56,469———$27,093$36,281
2023$650,378$13,950$93,670$38,3004$88,964$14,372$38,054
2022$761,485$-8,610$53,115$38,3004$47,619$24,750$40,700
2021$823,210$154,029$42,396$34,0008$36,232$147,865$44,256
2020$711,577$57,352$52,352$43,1359—$52,077$39,859

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cottonwood Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $36K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Cottonwood Foundation Inc is led by Ellen K. Jacobs, Co President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Ellen K. Jacobs

    Co President

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Mimi Satter

    Co President

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Alisa Algava

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Eli Berk

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Kari Njiiri

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Louis Berk

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Ruth S. Njiiri

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Kathleen Lauria

    Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    $500 (2020) → $0 (2024)

  • Pieter H. Smit

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2020 IRS filing

Kathleen Lauria — Secretary: $500Kathleen LauriaSecretary$500

The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $500, to Kathleen Lauria (Secretary).

Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood Foundation Inc

How large is Cottonwood Foundation Inc?

Cottonwood Foundation Inc reported $604K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $33K.

Where does Cottonwood Foundation Inc operate?

Cottonwood Foundation Inc has awarded grants in California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania.

How much is Cottonwood Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Cottonwood Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $36K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Cottonwood Foundation Inc's EIN?

Cottonwood Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6067121. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Cottonwood Foundation 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.

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