Dhanam Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2005 and based in Palo Alto, California. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization focused on philanthropic grantmaking, primarily in the education sector. The foundation does not maintain a public website and operates with limited public visibility regarding its grantmaking processes.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$254.2M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$20.2M
-9.6% YoY
Grant Count
38
+31.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$532K
-31.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dhanam Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is education, with particular emphasis on supporting academically motivated students in their access to education and career development. Secondary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Civic engagement and participation
- Human services
- International education programs in India and Africa focused on marginalized youth
The foundation prioritizes education institutions with personal connections to the founding family and organizations focused on South Asia and Indian culture.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. Prospective grantees must have existing connections to the foundation or its trustees to be considered.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $57,000,000
Average Grant
amount: $419,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on:
- United States (particularly the Bay Area)
- California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas
- India
- Africa
Approximately 89% of grants support organizations in California, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $254,200,286 (2024)
- Total revenues: $36,287,243 (2024)
- Total expenses: $25,398,520 (2024)
- Total giving: $20,234,833 (2024)
Revenue Breakdown (2024):
- Grants and contributions: $15,002,648
- Investment income and dividends: $4,411,784
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $16,053,376
Growth Trajectory: Total assets have grown from $156.6 million in 2011 to $254.2 million in 2024. Annual giving has increased substantially from approximately $6 million in earlier years to over $20 million in recent years.
Funding Source: The foundation is funded by RV Investment Partners LLC.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $254,200,286 | $243,311,563 | $244,349,364 |
| Revenue | $36,287,243 | $27,010,695 | $12,271,453 |
| Expenses | $25,398,520 | $28,048,496 | $27,004,269 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $20,650,871 | $22,721,800 | $21,450,692 |
| Net Investment Income | $31,910,563 | $12,679,469 | $9,495,053 |
| Distributable Amount | $24,017,331 | $21,236,630 | $22,028,290 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
187 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include National Philanthropic Trust ($12,000,000), Exploratorium ($1,000,000), The Barack Obama Foundation ($1,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IIT MADRAS FOUNDATION CUPERTINO, CA | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $500,000 |
| THE MARSHALL PROJECT NEW YORK, NY | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, CA | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $285,000 |
| PROPUBLICA NEW YORK, NY | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $25,000 |
| SACRED HEART COMMUNITY SERVICE SAN JOSE, CA | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $15,000 |
| SAN FRANCISCO-MARIN FOOD BANK SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FUND | $25,000 |
| NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST JENKINTOWN, PA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $12,000,000 |
| ASIAN ART MUSEUM FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | FUND-A-NEED PLATFORM | $50,000 |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY STANFORD, CA | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $25,000 |
| 18 REASONS SAN FRANCISCO, CA | IN SUPPORT OF GENERAL OPERATIONS | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Trustees:
- Kavitark "Ram" Shriram (President) — An early investor in Google, former vice president at Netscape, and former president of Junglee (acquired by Amazon). He served as VP of Business Development at Amazon and founded venture capital firm Sherpalo. Ram Shriram grew up in India and studied at the University of Madras.
- Vijay Shriram (Treasurer/Secretary) — Serves on the Stanford Graduate School of Education advisory council.
The foundation is governed by 2 officers and trustees and operates with limited paid staffing.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAVITARK R SHRIRAM | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| VIDJEALATCHOUMY SHRIRAM | TREASURER/SECRETARY | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Dhanam Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary focus is education, with particular emphasis on supporting academically motivated students in their access to education and career development. Secondary funding areas include: • Arts and culture • Civic engagement and participation • Human services • International education programs in India and Africa focused on marginalized youth The foundation prioritizes education institutions with personal connections to the founding family and organizations focused on South Asia …
How do I apply for a grant from Dhanam Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $5,000 to $57,000,000 • Median grant amount: $50,000 • Average grant amount: $419,000 • Recent annual giving: $20,234,833 (2024), $22,373,600 (2023) **Application Process:** The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. Prospective grantees must have existing connections to the foundation or its trustees to be considered. **Recent Grant Activity:** In 2024, the foundation awarded 28 grants. N…
Where does Dhanam Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on: • United States (particularly the Bay Area) • California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas • India • Africa Approximately 89% of grants support organizations in California, Pennsylvania, and New York.
What size grants does Dhanam Foundation award?
In 2024, Dhanam Foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $20.2M — an average of about $532K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Dhanam Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Dhanam Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Dhanam Foundation's EIN?
Dhanam Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1914298. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Dhanam Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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