Fruitful Commons
Fruitful Commons is a public charity based in Austin, Texas, formed in 2020. It supports community food-growing projects and provides research, implementation, maintenance, and programmatic support to the City of Austin’s Urban Forestry and Parks Department.
Fruitful Commons at a glance
In short: Fruitful Commons gave $47K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Texas. 90% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $46,500
- -24.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,650
- -24.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $199,335
- +65.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 90% first-time grantees (9 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Fruitful Commons
- Contact
Mailing address: 1217 Alegria Road, Austin, TX 78757
Phone: (512) 422-0655
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fruitful Commons funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Red Salmon Arts ($5K). Together the top 10 received $47K.
Grant Size Distribution
29 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 29 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All listed 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Texas; the named recipients were in Austin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Fruitful Commons open to new grantees?
90%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 10 grantees (90%) 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 $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 10% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $45K (2022) to $62K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $47K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Red Salmon Arts Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Alamo Community Garden Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Festival Beach Community Gardens Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| El Buen Samaritano El Buen Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Rebuilding Broken Communities Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Green Gate Neighborhood Development Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Festival Beach Food Forest Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Kalpulli Texas Quetzalcoatl Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $5,000 |
| Ecology Action of Texas Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $3,500 |
| The Salvation Army Austin Area Comm Austin, TX | Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fruitful Commons?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $199,335 | $329,111 | $268,024 | $46,500 | 10 | $2 |
| 2023 | $120,685 | $248,791 | $295,271 | $61,600 | 10 | $2 |
| 2022 | $164,370 | $302,328 | $168,995 | $45,000 | 9 | $2 |
| 2021 | $38,082 | $100,194 | $75,829 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Fruitful Commons’ filing describes support for projects serving marginalized communities through mini grants, educational events, data collection, and networking opportunities. It also assists community food-growing projects with land agreement negotiations, insurance coverage, donation processing, vendor payments, budgeting, financial reporting, and nonprofit status. The organization says it is raising funds and working toward green jobs while advocating for a sustainable agricultural green workforce.
In 2024, its grants supported organizations including Red Salmon Arts, whose stated mission is the production of literary and cultural events, and Ecology Action of Texas, whose mission is to protect, reclaim, and connect communities to neglected or damaged remnants of urban wilderness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Fruitful Commons gave 10 grants totaling $46,500. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $5,000, with a median of $5,000. All listed grants supported tree planting and tree care.
Recipients included Red Salmon Arts, Alamo Community Garden, Festival Beach Community Gardens, El Buen Samaritano El Buen, Rebuilding Broken Communities, Green Gate Neighborhood Development, Festival Beach Food Forest, and Kalpulli Texas Quetzalcoatl, each receiving $5,000. Ecology Action of Texas received $3,500, and The Salvation Army Austin Area Comm received $3,000.
The filing says applications, eligibility documentation, reviewer scores, and comments are managed through a grants platform. Reviewer training materials, scoring rubrics, eligibility criteria, and final scoring spreadsheets are archived by the organization.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jodi Lane as Executive Director; Jonathan Barona as Treasurer; Diane Miller as Secretary; and Sari Albornoz, Andrea Routh, Angela Bigham, Azucena Garza, Tatianna Cannon, and Francoise Van Keuren as members.
Fruitful Commons is led by Jodi Lane, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jodi Lane
Executive Director
Executive Director → President, 2022
President → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
$47K (2022) → $33K (2024)
Diane Miller
Secretary
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Barona
Treasurer
Treasurer → Vice President Treasurer, 2022
Vice President Treasurer → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sari Albornoz
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Routh
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angela Bigham
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Azucena Garza
Member
Director → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tatianna Cannon
Member
Director Development Chair → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Francoise Van Keuren
Member
New on the 2024 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Sabrina Santos-Joplin (2022) — Former Director
- Former: Angie Holliday (2021) — Foundation Manager
- Former: Sabrina Santos Joplin (2021) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $33K, to Jodi Lane (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Fruitful Commons
How much does Fruitful Commons give each year?
Fruitful Commons gave $47K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $62K across 10 grants.
What is Fruitful Commons's typical grant size?
Fruitful Commons's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,650, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fruitful Commons that year got $5K on average.
Where does Fruitful Commons give grants?
Fruitful Commons gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (10 grants).
Does Fruitful Commons give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Fruitful Commons's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Tree Planting & Tree Care sponsored by C" (10 grants).
Who are Fruitful Commons's largest grantees?
Fruitful Commons's largest 2024 grantees include Red Salmon Arts ($5,000), Alamo Community Garden ($5,000) and Festival Beach Community Gardens ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Fruitful Commons?
Fruitful Commons reported $199K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $329K.
What does Fruitful Commons fund?
Fruitful Commons’ filing describes support for projects serving marginalized communities through mini grants, educational events, data collection, and networking opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fruitful Commons?
Fruitful Commons has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Fruitful Commons's EIN?
Fruitful Commons's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1526897. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Fruitful Commons'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.
Fruitful Commons down — hundreds of funders to go?