Earthwatch Institute Inc
Earthwatch Institute Inc is a public charity based in Newton, Massachusetts. It connects people with scientists to conduct environmental field research and supports research and educational programs that engage participants in hands-on science and conservation.
Earthwatch Institute Inc at a glance
In short: Earthwatch Institute Inc gave $369K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $37K), mostly in California. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $368,685
- -19.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $36,869
- -35.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,750
- Total assets
- $3,722,902
- -28.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Earthwatch Institute Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
Earthwatch accepts unsolicited requests for preliminary applications from the science community, according to its filing. The described process begins with review of a pre-proposal and initial business-case assessment by field management, research, development/corporate programs, volunteer programs, and finance. The executive team decides whether to invite a full proposal. Invited scientists submit a detailed proposal, which is externally peer reviewed; budgets and fielding details are then confirmed for internal review.
- Contact
Mailing address: 300 Washington St 713, Newton, MA 02458
Phone: (800) 776-0188
Website: https://earthwatch.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
10 open opportunities from Earthwatch Institute Inc
Earthwatch Biodiversity Conservation Grant
Earthwatch Institute Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Earthwatch Institute: Teach Earth- United States Fellowship Grant
Earthwatch Institute Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Earthwatch Marine Conservation Grant
Earthwatch Institute Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Earthwatch Institute Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hawkwatch International Inc ($86K). Together the top 10 received $369K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 47 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Earthwatch describes its work as global. Its website says it brings together participants in nearly 30 countries, and its 2025 filing reports that teams traveled to 19 countries. In the 2025 grants, recipient-state shares were California 57%, Maine 17%, New York 11%, Washington, D.C. 7%, and Texas 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Earthwatch Institute Inc open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $24K first-time, $28K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $249K (2020) to $1.1M (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $369K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hawkwatch International Inc Nevada City, CA | Principal Investigators | $85,635 |
| Mote Marine Laboratory Los Angeles, CA | Principal Investigators | $69,967 |
| Schoodic Inst at Acadia National Park Winter Harbor, ME | Principal Investigators | $51,110 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | Principal Investigators | $41,692 |
| South Yuba River Citizens League Nevada City, CA | Principal Investigators | $27,756 |
| The Living Desert Palm Desert, CA | Principal Investigators | $27,744 |
| OSA Conservation Washington, DC | Principal Investigators | $24,420 |
| Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX | Principal Investigators | $17,277 |
| Purdue University Olympia, WA | Principal Investigators | $12,124 |
| Eastern Kentucky University Winter Harbor, ME | Principal Investigators | $10,960 |
Ready to take the next step with Earthwatch Institute Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,722,902 | $3,396,186 | $4,215,075 | $368,685 | 10 | $87,849 |
| 2024 | $5,190,192 | $3,851,236 | $5,132,694 | $458,020 | 8 | $-3,410 |
| 2023 | $5,459,513 | $3,748,873 | $5,281,493 | $685,473 | 12 | $23,775 |
| 2022 | $6,080,252 | $5,184,296 | $5,244,281 | $507,430 | 11 | $1,034,264 |
| 2021 | $7,504,527 | $5,695,996 | $3,518,898 | $325,278 | 6 | $80,083 |
| 2020 | $4,552,694 | $4,743,628 | $4,255,707 | $248,630 | 11 | $82,859 |
| 2019 | $4,567,378 | $6,506,846 | $7,652,869 | $1,096,303 | 22 | $22,414 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Earthwatch states that its mission is to connect people with scientists worldwide to conduct environmental research and empower them with knowledge to conserve the planet. Its research funding supports rigorous, relevant projects addressing global change and requires meaningful participant involvement in field research. The organization also describes education programs, including Teach Earth and Girls in Science, that expand access to hands-on environmental learning.
The 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions address conservation, research, education, and community engagement. For example, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park describes its mission as inspiring science, learning, and community for a changing world. Wildlife Conservation Society says it works to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, and education. South Yuba River Citizens League says it unites the community to protect and restore the Yuba River watershed. The Living Desert describes its mission as enhancing desert conservation through preservation, education, and appreciation. Friends of the Osa says it promotes land stewardship, scientific understanding of tropical ecosystems, education and training, and quality of life for local communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Earthwatch reported 10 grants totaling $368,685. Grants ranged from $10,960 to $85,635, with a median of $27,750. The listed grant purposes were “principal investigators.” The largest grants included $85,635 to HawkWatch International, $69,967 to Mote Marine Laboratory, $51,110 to Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, and $41,692 to Wildlife Conservation Society. Other listed recipients included South Yuba River Citizens League ($27,756), The Living Desert ($27,744), Osa Conservation ($24,420), Sam Houston State University ($17,277), Purdue University ($12,124), and Eastern Kentucky University ($10,960).
Earthwatch’s research-funding information describes supplemental support for field expenses, with annual project budgets for long-duration teams of $20,000–$80,000. Eligible expenses include field equipment and supplies, travel to the field, participant transportation, field technicians and support staff, and food and housing for project personnel and participants. It says it cannot fund scientist salaries, student tuition, institutional overhead, capital equipment, or post-fielding data analysis. Research projects are described as tenable for three years, subject to annual performance review, and potentially renewable. Earthwatch’s website says it is shifting to a rolling RFP process effective April 2026 for projects beginning in 2028, and that pre-proposals would not be accepted before April 2026. Its older 2025 RFP-cycle information predates that stated transition.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Leisha John as chair, Vittorio Severino as vice chair, George Keith Funston Jr. as treasurer, and Amy Borun as a member. It also lists Stanley Rullman as director of research, Heather Wilcox as director of annual giving and planned giving, Cynthia Hallenbeck as interim CFO, and Ellen Meyer Shorb as interim CEO. Gitte Venicx is listed as president/CEO until January 2025, and Larry Staub as controller until June 2025.
Earthwatch Institute Inc is led by Gitte Venicx, President & CEO on every filing since 2022; 4 of 19 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gitte Venicx
President & CEO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$131K (2023) → $163K (2025)
Ellen Meyer Shorb
Interim CEO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leisha John
Chair
Member → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving & Planned Giving
Director of Annual & Planned Giving → Director of Annual Giving & Planned Giving, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024) → $110K (2025)
Stanley Rullman
Director of Research
Diretor of Research → Director of Research, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$101K (2024) → $110K (2025)
Larry Staub
Controller
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$72K (2022) → $84K (2025)
David Lang
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erin Billman
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith Santano
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vittorio Severino
Vice Chair
Member → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Bryan
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Borun
Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Keith Funston Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caren Cooper PhD
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gillian Bowser PhD
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Steinmetz
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Dymond
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Hallenbeck
Interim CFO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Marks McIntye
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Donald Kendall Jr. (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: William Moomaw PhD (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Christine Repasy (2021–2024) — Member
- Former: Harold Rickenbacker PhD (2022–2024) — Member
- Former: Kyle Newell (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Scott Kania (2019–2022) — President & CEO
- Former: Daniel Rubenstein (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Kevin Anton (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Mark Carthy (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Ruth Scheer (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Mary Eileen Arbues (2021) — Member
- Former: Eileen Arbues (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Keith Funston (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Cristina Eisenberg (2019) — Chief Scientist
- Former: Mark Chandler (2019) — Director of Strategic Resarch Initiatives
- Former: Whitney Johnson (2019) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $163K, to Gitte Venicx (President/CEO (Until 1/2025)). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Earthwatch Institute Inc
How much does Earthwatch Institute Inc give each year?
Earthwatch Institute Inc gave $369K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $458K across 8 grants.
What is Earthwatch Institute Inc's typical grant size?
Earthwatch Institute Inc's median grant in 2025 was $27,750, and its average grant was $36,869, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Earthwatch Institute Inc that year got $24K on average.
Where does Earthwatch Institute Inc give grants?
Earthwatch Institute Inc gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maine (17%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nevada City, CA (2 grants) and Winter Harbor, ME (2 grants).
Does Earthwatch Institute Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Earthwatch Institute Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Principal Investigators" (10 grants).
Who are Earthwatch Institute Inc's largest grantees?
Earthwatch Institute Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Hawkwatch International Inc ($85,635), Mote Marine Laboratory ($69,967) and Schoodic Inst at Acadia National Park ($51,110), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Earthwatch Institute Inc?
Earthwatch Institute Inc reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.
What does Earthwatch Institute Inc fund?
Earthwatch states that its mission is to connect people with scientists worldwide to conduct environmental research and empower them with knowledge to conserve the planet. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Earthwatch Institute Inc?
Earthwatch accepts unsolicited requests for preliminary applications from the science community, according to its filing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Earthwatch Institute Inc's EIN?
Earthwatch Institute Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7168440. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Earthwatch Institute Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 1, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Earthwatch Institute Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/earthwatch-institute-inc-morg_b27915c027b44413aeba507b59835803
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237168440_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Earthwatch Institute Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/earthwatch-institute-inc-morg_b27915c027b44413aeba507b59835803},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Earthwatch Institute 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.
Earthwatch Institute Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?