Foundation for Systemic Change
Foundation for Systemic Change is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing lists grants for projects involving media and storytelling, education, human rights, and democracy-related work.
Foundation for Systemic Change at a glance
In short: Foundation for Systemic Change gave $750K across 46 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $750,250
- +176.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 46
- +155.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,310
- +8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $1,153,460
- +31.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (31% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Foundation for Systemic Change
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Foundation for Systemic Change funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Creative Visions Foundation ($108K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $459K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 83 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (31%), California (26%), and New York (23%). Massachusetts received 6% and Maryland 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Foundation for Systemic Change gives
- 29% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 2075% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2021) to $750K (2024). In 2024 it made 46 grants totaling $750K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Visions Foundation Malibu, CA | The Fred Ross Project | $100,000 |
| Educators Institute for Human Rights Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $60,000 |
| AZ St University Foundation for a New American UNI Tempe, AZ | For Newswell | $30,000 |
| Disability Rights International Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| African American Policy Forum New York, NY | For CRT summer school | $25,000 |
| Entertainment 2 Affect Change New York, NY | Documentary on threat to democracy - the dismantling of public education | $25,000 |
| Human Rights Watch Inc New York, NY | US Democracy efforts specifically aimed at combating efforts focused on dismantling public education in the US | $25,000 |
| Voto Latino Foundation Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Educators Institute for Human Rights Washington, DC | Hope of Family & General and Unrestricted | $20,500 |
| Docs in Progress Inc Silver Spring, MD | The Invoice Series | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation stated that it has no plans for dissolution. It also reported that 2024 distributions from assets other than current income totaled $750,250 and resulted in a substantial contraction of assets.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,153,460 | $1,050,357 | $774,441 | $750,250 | 46 | $763,541 | $1,030,582 | $50,336 |
| 2023 | $877,544 | $21,451 | $294,373 | $271,500 | 18 | $289,364 | $23,872 | $45,390 |
| 2022 | $1,150,466 | $369,651 | $195,113 | $175,000 | 16 | $195,013 | $359,651 | $38,581 |
| 2021 | $975,928 | $1,034,448 | $58,520 | $34,500 | 3 | $44,678 | $998,511 | $18,307 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Foundation for Systemic Change reported a distributable amount of $50K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grant purposes include general and unrestricted support, a project about the Fred Ross Project, CRT summer school, an albinism storytelling project, and work addressing efforts to dismantle public education in the United States.
The grantees describe a range of work: Creative Visions Foundation says it raises awareness of critical issues and promotes positive action through media and the arts; Disability Rights International says it promotes the human rights and full participation in society of people with disabilities worldwide; and Voto Latino Foundation says it educates and empowers Latino voters and works toward a more inclusive democracy. Docs in Progress describes its work as equipping people to tell stories through documentary film to educate, inspire, and transform how people view the world.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 46 grants totaling $750,250. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000.
Notable grants included $100,000 to Creative Visions Foundation for the Fred Ross Project; $60,000 to Educators Institute for Human Rights for general and unrestricted support; $30,000 to Arizona State University Foundation for a New American University for Newswell; and $30,000 to Disability Rights International for general and unrestricted support. Other grants included $25,000 each to African American Policy Forum for CRT summer school, Entertainment 2 Affect Change for a documentary on threats to democracy and the dismantling of public education, Human Rights Watch for U.S. democracy efforts focused on opposition to dismantling public education, and Voto Latino Foundation for general and unrestricted support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Isabella Florence Heffernan, John W Heffernan, Olivia Margaret Heffernan, Sofia Grace Heffernan, and Margaret L Palm as directors. John W Heffernan is also listed as secretary, treasurer, and co-president; Margaret L Palm is listed as co-president.
Foundation for Systemic Change is led by John W Heffernan, Director, Secretary, Treasurer & Co- President since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John W Heffernan
Director, Secretary, Treasurer & Co- President
Director, Secretary, Treasurer, President & Co- President → Director, Secretary, Treasurer & Co- President, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret L Palm
Co- President & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Isabella Florence Heffernan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Olivia Margaret Heffernan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sofia Grace Heffernan
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Foundation for Systemic Change
How much does Foundation for Systemic Change give each year?
Foundation for Systemic Change gave $750K across 46 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $272K across 18 grants.
What is Foundation for Systemic Change's typical grant size?
Foundation for Systemic Change's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,310, across 46 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Foundation for Systemic Change give grants?
Foundation for Systemic Change's top state is District of Columbia, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (26%) and New York (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (13 grants), New York, NY (6 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and Malibu, CA (2 grants).
Does Foundation for Systemic Change give general operating support?
Yes: 35% of Foundation for Systemic Change's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Foundation for Systemic Change's largest grantees?
Foundation for Systemic Change's largest 2024 grantees include Creative Visions Foundation ($107,500 across 2 grants), Educators Institute for Human Rights ($106,500 across 4 grants) and Georgetown University ($40,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Foundation for Systemic Change?
Foundation for Systemic Change reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $764K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Foundation for Systemic Change fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grant purposes include general and unrestricted support, a project about the Fred Ross Project, CRT summer school, an albinism storytelling project, and work addressing efforts to dismantle public education in the United States. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundation for Systemic Change?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Foundation for Systemic Change's EIN?
Foundation for Systemic Change's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2725801. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Foundation for Systemic Change 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 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foundation for Systemic Change funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-systemic-change-morg_686c934f854d4f978f648b331b86fe4d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_862725801_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foundation for Systemic Change funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foundation-for-systemic-change-morg_686c934f854d4f978f648b331b86fe4d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Foundation for Systemic Change'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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