Earthsense Foundation
Earthsense Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2024 filing describes support for documentary work about environmental impacts and the climate crisis, as well as grants to organizations working in areas including climate action, ocean protection, film, music, and community support.
Earthsense Foundation at a glance
In short: Earthsense Foundation gave $388K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), top state California. 53% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $387,949
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,821
- +17.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $2,677,895
- +8.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (9 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (47% 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 Earthsense Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 778, New York, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 485-5400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Earthsense Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Yellow Dot Studios Inc ($75K). Together the top 10 received $345K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 80 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (47%), Colorado (19%), Florida (13%), New York (11%), and Pennsylvania (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Earthsense Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 17 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 24% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 60% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 424% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $310K (2023) to $982K (2021). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $388K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Dot Studios Inc Los Angeles, CA | We create entertaining, memorable, and scientifically accurate digital media and videos to challenge the decades of disinformation pushed by oil companies and amplified by large swaths of elected leaders and the media. We aim to motivate more people to participate in this conversation, and push for the urgently needed action we could be taking. | $75,000 |
| Denver Film Society Denver, CO | Denver film creates entertaining and transformative experiences for the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film. | $75,000 |
| Mission Blue Orange City, FL | We inspire action to explore and protect the ocean. | $50,000 |
| Only One New York, NY | We're on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation with you. | $42,000 |
| Cambodian Childrens Fund Santa Monica, CA | Ccf is breaking the cycles of poverty and abuse and creating change in cambodia by building the capacity of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities: those with the most poverty, the greatest health and social problems, and the least access to basic resources. | $25,000 |
| Climate Emergency Fund Beverly Hills, CA | Provides financial support to individual activists and organizations working to educate the public about the climate emergency and push for urgent climate action from policy makers and leaders. | $25,000 |
| Music Heals International Mill Valley, CA | To bring music and musicians to the children of haiti and other parts of the world. Designed to teach and inspire children, using music as a powerful force for education, creativity, and healing. | $16,000 |
| Re-Earth Initative Philadelphia, PA | Support our grassroots efforts to make the climate movement more accessible and inclusive. It helps us advocate for positive change, educate communities on sustainability, and drive action against climate change. | $15,000 |
| Wild Africa | By amplifying the voices of african opinion leaders from every field through a powerful network of media partners and diverse programming | $12,000 |
| Moonjelly Foundation Philadelphia, PA | To Provide Marine Protection Work | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Earthsense Foundation?
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 | $2,677,895 | $691,306 | $479,855 | $387,949 | 17 | $846,696 | $651,635 | $199,593 |
| 2023 | $2,459,250 | $670,658 | $378,500 | $310,367 | 16 | $625,023 | $621,229 | $236,556 |
| 2022 | $2,165,277 | $586,822 | $656,502 | $513,000 | 13 | $951,511 | $538,367 | $240,396 |
| 2021 | $2,212,474 | $1,141,342 | $1,079,119 | $982,000 | 18 | $994,313 | $1,082,098 | $287,682 |
| 2020 | $2,150,251 | $726,713 | $976,818 | $861,309 | 16 | — | $664,843 | $316,482 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Earthsense Foundation reported a distributable amount of $200K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes direct charitable activities supporting a documentary about human impacts on the environment, a documentary film intended to increase public awareness and education about the climate crisis, and a documentary series about trauma and mental health. These are described as direct activities, not grants to outside applicants.
Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Yellow Dot Studios says it produces content to build public awareness of urgent climate action, while Mission Blue says it inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. The Denver Film Society describes its work as helping diverse audiences discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences. Music Heals International says it brings music and musicians to children, using music for education, creativity, and healing.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $387,949. Grant amounts ranged from $861 to $75,000, with a median of $12,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $75,000 each to Yellow Dot Studios and the Denver Film Society; $50,000 to Mission Blue; $42,000 to Only One; and $25,000 each to Cambodian Childrens Fund and Climate Emergency Fund. Other reported grants included $16,000 to Music Heals International, $15,000 to Re-Earth Initiative, and $10,000 each to Moonjelly Foundation, The Redford Center, and Sweetwater Music Hall.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Shannon O’Leary-Joy is listed as president on the 2024 filing.
Earthsense Foundation is led by Shannon O'Leary-Joy, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shannon O'Leary-Joy
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
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 Earthsense Foundation
How much does Earthsense Foundation give each year?
Earthsense Foundation gave $388K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $310K across 16 grants.
What is Earthsense Foundation's typical grant size?
Earthsense Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $22,821, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Earthsense Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Earthsense Foundation give grants?
Earthsense Foundation's top state is California, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (19%) and Florida (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants), Mill Valley, CA (2 grants), Philadelphia, PA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Earthsense Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Earthsense Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Earthsense Foundation's largest grantees?
Earthsense Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Yellow Dot Studios Inc ($75,000), Denver Film Society ($75,000) and Mission Blue ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Earthsense Foundation?
Earthsense Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $847K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $200K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Earthsense Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes direct charitable activities supporting a documentary about human impacts on the environment, a documentary film intended to increase public awareness and education about the climate crisis, and a documentary series about trauma and mental health. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Earthsense Foundation?
The foundation 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 Earthsense Foundation's EIN?
Earthsense Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1361004. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Earthsense 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Earthsense Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Earthsense Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/earthsense-foundation-morg_e4cfb3bb6e42413fa64892bb22bcb8f5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841361004_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Earthsense Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/earthsense-foundation-morg_e4cfb3bb6e42413fa64892bb22bcb8f5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Earthsense 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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