Dhanam Foundation
Dhanam Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. Its 2024 filing reports 38 grants totaling $20,234,833, supporting organizations working in areas that include philanthropy, education, the environment, international affairs, and youth development.
Dhanam Foundation at a glance
In short: Dhanam Foundation gave $20.2M across 38 grants in 2024 (avg $532K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $20,234,833
- -9.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 38
- +31.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $532,496
- -31.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $254,200,286
- +4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (8 of 37, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (59% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Dhanam 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: 3000 El Camino Real Ste 2-1000, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Phone: (650) 313-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dhanam Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was National Philanthropic Trust ($12.0M). Together the top 10 received $18.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
187 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 187 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Pennsylvania received 59% of grant dollars, California 18%, Washington, DC 12%, Illinois 5%, and Texas 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Dhanam Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 37 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $228K; repeat grants $635K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+18%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $12.1M (2020) to $22.4M (2023). In 2024 it made 38 grants totaling $20.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | General Charitable Purpose | $12,000,000 |
| Exploratorium San Francisco, CA | To Support the Stability and Revitalization Fund | $1,000,000 |
| The Barack Obama Foundation Chicago, IL | US Leaders Program | $1,000,000 |
| African Parks Foundation of America Washington, DC | In Support of General Operations | $1,000,000 |
| Global Impact (Co-Develop Fund) Washington, DC | In Support of General Operations | $1,000,000 |
| Agastya USA San Jose, CA | In Support of General Operations | $555,000 |
| IIT Madras Foundation Cupertino, CA | In Support of General Operations | $500,000 |
| The Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, CA | To support the sea otter rescue and rehabilitation program | $500,000 |
| Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Washington, DC | In Support of General Operations | $350,000 |
| Atree USA Belmont, MA | In Support of General Operations | $333,333 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $254,200,286 | $36,287,243 | $25,398,520 | $20,234,833 | 38 | $20,650,871 | $31,910,563 | $24,017,331 |
| 2023 | $243,311,563 | $27,010,695 | $28,048,496 | $22,373,600 | 29 | $22,721,800 | $12,679,469 | $21,236,630 |
| 2022 | $244,349,364 | $12,271,453 | $27,004,269 | $21,102,380 | 38 | $21,450,692 | $9,495,053 | $22,028,290 |
| 2021 | $259,082,180 | $48,734,246 | $21,283,731 | $17,094,706 | 35 | $17,319,056 | $32,758,052 | $21,821,522 |
| 2020 | $230,675,563 | $4,955,250 | $15,565,666 | $12,111,345 | 47 | — | $3,492,430 | $17,360,493 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2024 grants include support for educational and scientific research organizations, arts and cultural institutions, conservation, international affairs, and programs for young people.
Grantee missions illustrate this range. National Philanthropic Trust describes its work as increasing philanthropy by providing expertise to donors, foundations, and financial institutions. Agastya USA says it supports charities that provide educational programs to communities in India, while IIT Madras Foundation says it promotes education and scientific and technological research at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. African Parks Foundation of America describes its work as engaging the United States and its citizens in African Parks’ activities. Magic Bus USA says it works with marginalized children and youth in India, using sport and activity-based approaches to promote education, health, gender equality, and sustainable livelihoods.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $20,234,833. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $12,000,000, with a median of $50,000.
The largest grant was $12,000,000 to National Philanthropic Trust for general charitable purposes. Other notable awards included $1,000,000 each to the Exploratorium for its Stability and Revitalization Fund, the Barack Obama Foundation for the US Leaders Program, African Parks Foundation of America for general operations, and Global Impact (Co-Develop Fund) for general operations. Additional grants included $555,000 to Agastya USA and $500,000 each to IIT Madras Foundation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kavitark R Shriram as president and Vidjealatchoumy Shriram as treasurer and secretary.
Dhanam Foundation is led by Kavitark R. Shriram, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kavitark R. Shriram
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Vidjealatchoumy Shriram
Treasurer & Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about Dhanam Foundation
How much does Dhanam Foundation give each year?
Dhanam Foundation gave $20.2M across 38 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $22.4M across 29 grants.
What is Dhanam Foundation's typical grant size?
Dhanam Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $532,496, across 38 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dhanam Foundation that year got $228K on average.
Where does Dhanam Foundation give grants?
Dhanam Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (18%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (9 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), San Jose, CA (3 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Does Dhanam Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 79% of Dhanam Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Dhanam Foundation's largest grantees?
Dhanam Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include National Philanthropic Trust ($12,000,000), Exploratorium ($1,005,000 across 2 grants) and The Barack Obama Foundation ($1,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Dhanam Foundation?
Dhanam Foundation reported $254.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $20.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Dhanam Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2024 grants include support for educational and scientific research organizations, arts and cultural institutions, conservation, international affairs, and programs for young people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dhanam 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 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.
Does Dhanam 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Dhanam Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dhanam-foundation-morg_051870b4352a49f1aff6aa36c9aacb42
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201914298_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dhanam Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dhanam-foundation-morg_051870b4352a49f1aff6aa36c9aacb42},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Dhanam 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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