Garden Homes Fund
Garden Homes Fund is a private foundation based in Stamford, Connecticut. It makes grants to charitable organizations and reports direct charitable activities involving pre-construction work and land investment for affordable housing projects in Connecticut.
Garden Homes Fund at a glance
In short: Garden Homes Fund gave $1.5M across 115 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Connecticut. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,473,250
- +34.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 115
- +23.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,811
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $28,604,990
- +7.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (25 of 115, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Garden Homes Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 29 Knapp Street, Stamford, CT 06907
Phone: (203) 348-2200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Garden Homes Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Planned Parenthood of Southern New England ($171K). Together the top 10 received $691K.
Grant Size Distribution
500 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 475 grants of 500 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut (62%), Massachusetts (15%), Tennessee (14%), New York (4%), and Florida (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 115 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Garden Homes Fund open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 25 of 115 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 152% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $903K (2023) to $1.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 115 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England New Haven, CT | Donation | $170,500 |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | Donation | $100,000 |
| Open Communities Alliance Hartford, CT | Donation | $100,000 |
| Future Five Stamford, CT | Donation | $55,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | Donation | $50,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Co Shade Tree Clinic Nashville, TN | Donation | $50,000 |
| Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen New Haven, CT | Donation | $45,000 |
| American Red Cross Nashville, TN | Donation | $40,000 |
| Safe Haven Family Shelter Nashville, TN | Donation | $40,000 |
| Stamford All School Musical Stamford, CT | Donation | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Garden Homes Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The funder’s filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,604,990 | $6,332,855 | $4,402,856 | $1,473,250 | 115 | $4,342,553 | $3,481,132 | $2,860,498 |
| 2024 | $26,658,738 | $5,002,885 | $3,711,425 | $1,095,500 | 93 | $5,320,551 | $3,264,957 | $9,730,963 |
| 2023 | $26,360,166 | $5,166,692 | $3,015,765 | $903,150 | 88 | $4,999,691 | $3,148,726 | $2,272,184 |
| 2022 | $23,215,994 | $5,582,132 | $2,934,485 | $973,300 | 110 | $5,150,237 | $2,670,873 | $2,293,367 |
| 2021 | $20,595,820 | $4,598,282 | $2,684,317 | $948,750 | 94 | $3,084,597 | $2,911,751 | $2,256,711 |
| 2020 | $18,634,691 | $4,424,712 | $2,526,712 | $1,166,552 | 72 | — | $3,298,369 | $2,275,921 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Garden Homes Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.9M 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 funder’s filing describes its housing activities as intended to provide affordable housing to low- and very-low-income residents and to relieve the poor and distressed. It also reports investing in land to permit Open Communities Alliance to file land-use applications for housing for low-income families.
Among its grantees, Open Communities Alliance describes itself as a Connecticut civil rights organization promoting access to opportunity through education, organizing, advocacy, research, and partnerships. Columbus House says it serves people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk through outreach, shelter, housing, and other services. Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen describes its work as providing food assistance and services to people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the funder made 115 grants totaling $1,473,250. Grants ranged from $250 to $170,500, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported 2025 grants included $170,500 to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, $100,000 each to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Open Communities Alliance, and $55,000 to Future Five. Other notable grants were $50,000 each to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Shade Tree Clinic, and $45,000 to Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jane Freedman, Richard Freedman, and Deborah Freedman as trustees.
Garden Homes Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah Freedman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Freedman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Freedman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Garden Homes Fund
How much does Garden Homes Fund give each year?
Garden Homes Fund gave $1.5M across 115 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 93 grants.
What is Garden Homes Fund's typical grant size?
Garden Homes Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,811, across 115 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Garden Homes Fund that year got $8K on average.
Where does Garden Homes Fund give grants?
Garden Homes Fund gives mostly in Connecticut: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (15%) and Tennessee (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Stamford, CT (34 grants), New Haven, CT (12 grants), Boston, MA (7 grants) and New York, NY (7 grants).
Does Garden Homes Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 115 grants with a stated purpose on Garden Homes Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (115 grants).
Who are Garden Homes Fund's largest grantees?
Garden Homes Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Planned Parenthood of Southern New England ($170,500), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ($100,000) and Open Communities Alliance ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Garden Homes Fund?
Garden Homes Fund reported $28.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Garden Homes Fund fund?
The funder’s filing describes its housing activities as intended to provide affordable housing to low- and very-low-income residents and to relieve the poor and distressed. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Garden Homes Fund?
The foundation states that it 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 Garden Homes Fund's EIN?
Garden Homes Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1043730. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Garden Homes Fund 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Garden Homes Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Garden Homes Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/garden-homes-fund-morg_bee6002b8f504729b6b418f7fc7c7bd2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_061043730_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Garden Homes Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/garden-homes-fund-morg_bee6002b8f504729b6b418f7fc7c7bd2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Garden Homes Fund'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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