Frost Family Foundation
The Frost Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Founded in 2010 by Karin Frost after the sale of her company, Ergobaby, it supports organizations working in food and agriculture, environmental protection and conservation, women’s leadership, and pre- and post-natal bonding and attachment.
Frost Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Frost Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $120K), mostly in Hawaii. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,040,000
- +491.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +70.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $120,000
- +247.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $7,249,030
- -10.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (5 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Frost Family Foundation
- Invitation Only
-
Grants are currently by invitation only. The foundation says interested organizations may inquire about applying; potential grantees it selects are interviewed and provided an application.
- Review Cycle
- Invited organizations’ applications are due in May, according to the foundation’s stated annual timeline.
- Deadline
- Invited organizations’ applications are due in May, according to the foundation’s stated annual timeline.
- Contact
Application contact: Ashley Lukens
Mailing address: 5274 Halapepe Street, Honolulu, HI 96821
Phone: (808) 687-0087
Email: ashley@frostfamilyfoundation.org
Website: https://frostfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frost Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lahaina Community Land Trust ($1.1M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 87 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its work as supporting community organizations across Hawaii. In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaii. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, D.C. (5%), New York (5%), Washington state (5%), and California (4%); percentages are rounded.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Frost Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 17 grantees (29%) 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 $54K; repeat grants $148K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 89% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 401% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $345K (2024) to $2.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lahaina Community Land Trust Lahaina, HI | Unrestricted Grant | $1,075,000 |
| Center for Food Safety Washington, DC | Unrestricted Grant | $100,000 |
| Maui Hub Kahului, HI | Unrestricted Grant | $100,000 |
| Native Hawaiian Legal Corp Honolulu, HI | Unrestricted Grant | $100,000 |
| Parley for the Oceans New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $100,000 |
| Realize Impact Bainbridge Island, WA | Unrestricted Grant | $100,000 |
| Honolulu Civil Beat Inc Honolulu, HI | Unrestricted Grant | $75,000 |
| Hoola NA Pua Honolulu, HI | Unrestrited Grant | $75,000 |
| Resources Legacy Fund Sacramento, CA | Unrestricted Grant | $75,000 |
| Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii Honolulu, HI | Unrestricted Grant | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Frost Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,249,030 | $1,484,031 | $2,297,229 | $2,040,000 | 17 | $2,142,218 | $1,029,020 | $534,334 |
| 2024 | $8,062,228 | $845,200 | $578,835 | $345,000 | 10 | $421,922 | $688,287 | $541,094 |
| 2023 | $7,795,863 | $914,354 | $750,747 | $501,500 | 12 | $568,443 | $732,051 | $520,503 |
| 2022 | $7,632,256 | $1,458,840 | $1,317,056 | $1,080,500 | 28 | $1,148,336 | $1,308,083 | $609,989 |
| 2021 | $7,490,472 | $1,399,616 | $1,621,351 | $1,407,000 | 20 | — | $1,240,208 | $659,048 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frost Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $534K for 2025 — 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 current funding areas are food and agriculture, environmental protection and conservation, women’s leadership, and nurturing pre- and post-natal bonding and attachment. It says that, in environmental and conservation work, it prefers organizations that engage communities and can articulate their connection to Native Hawaiian culture. In food and agriculture, it aims to support organizations growing food while building community.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation describes its mission as protecting and advancing Native Hawaiian identity and culture through legal and advocacy services. Maui Hub says it supports local food supply lines and community resilience by connecting local farmers and food producers with the public. Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i describes its work as reducing coastal pollution through cleanups and education. Other grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve preventing sex trafficking, investigative journalism, and environmental health and sustainability.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $2,040,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,075,000, with a median of $75,000. Earlier reported totals were $345,000 across 10 grants in 2024 and $501,500 across 12 grants in 2023.
The largest reported 2025 grant was $1,075,000 to Lahaina Community Land Trust. Other notable grants were $100,000 each to Center for Food Safety, Maui Hub, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation, Parley for the Oceans, and Realize Impact; and $75,000 each to Honolulu Civil Beat Inc., Ho‘ola Nā Pua, Resources Legacy Fund, and Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i. The filing lists these grants as unrestricted.
The foundation says it curates a small group of new grantees annually and that grants are currently by invitation only. It also invites interested organizations to email about applying. The filing describes the process as potential grantees being invited to apply, with selected organizations interviewed and provided an application. The foundation says it strives to provide general operating support and multi-year funding after the first year, with minimal reporting when impact is evident. Current grantees may apply for additional support through its Opportunity Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Karin Frost founded the foundation and guides its giving. The 2025 filing lists Karin A. Frost as trustee. Ashley Lukens has served as the foundation’s executive director since 2016.
Frost Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karin A. Frost
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Lukens
Foundation M
Foundation Manager → Foundation M, 2023
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$93K (2021) → $133K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $133K, to Ashley Lukens (Foundation M).
Frequently asked questions about Frost Family Foundation
How much does Frost Family Foundation give each year?
Frost Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $345K across 10 grants.
What is Frost Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Frost Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $120,000, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frost Family Foundation that year got $54K on average.
Where does Frost Family Foundation give grants?
Frost Family Foundation gives mostly in Hawaii: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Honolulu, HI (5 grants) and Kahului, HI (2 grants).
Does Frost Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Frost Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Frost Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Frost Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lahaina Community Land Trust ($1,075,000), Center for Food Safety ($100,000) and Maui Hub ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frost Family Foundation?
Frost Family Foundation reported $7.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $534K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Frost Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s current funding areas are food and agriculture, environmental protection and conservation, women’s leadership, and nurturing pre- and post-natal bonding and attachment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frost Family Foundation?
Grants are currently by invitation only. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Frost Family Foundation's EIN?
Frost Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-3374284. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Frost Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frost Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frost-family-foundation-morg_01e2392929eb48c098d6fc39b3924591
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_273374284_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frost Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frost-family-foundation-morg_01e2392929eb48c098d6fc39b3924591},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Frost Family 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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