Grassroots International Inc
Grassroots International Inc is a public charity based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a global grantmaking and movement support organization that accompanies, funds, and works in solidarity with social movements, predominantly in the Global South and the United States.
Grassroots International Inc at a glance
In short: Grassroots International Inc gave $5.9M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $310K), mostly in Maryland. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,892,500
- +301.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $310,132
- +364.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $22,883,812
- -5.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (5 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Grassroots International Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 867 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116-2774
Phone: (617) 524-1400
Website: https://grassrootsonline.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Grassroots International Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Impactassets ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 115 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grassroots International says it works predominantly with movements in the Global South and the United States. In its 2024 grant data, California recipients received 15% of grant dollars, recipients in Washington, DC received 11%, New York recipients received 9%, and Georgia recipients received 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Grassroots International Inc open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 19 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1M; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $130K first-time, $25K 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 $814K (2019) to $5.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $5.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Impactassets Bethesda, MD | Grantmaking Aligned with Grassroots International | $3,000,000 |
| Peace Development Fund Amherst, MA | Grantmaking Aligned with Grassroots International | $2,005,000 |
| Grassroots Global Justice Alliance Washington, DC | General Support | $200,000 |
| Instituto Para La Investigacin Y Accin En Agroecologa | Land and resource rights of rural people; leadership development | $153,000 |
| Centro Para La Reconstruccin Del Hbitat | Womens Rights | $130,000 |
| Education for Just Peace in Middle East Washington, DC | Leadership Development | $80,000 |
| Tides Center San Francisco, CA | Legal Support and Public Education | $70,000 |
| Agitarte Cambridge, MA | Cultural Programs | $40,000 |
| Earth Island Institute Berkeley, CA | Rise St. James Project | $30,000 |
| Federation of Southern Cooperativesland Assistance Fund East Point, GA | General Support | $30,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The grant totals shown are the reported sums of grants; they are distinct from total expenses.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,883,812 | $41,686,332 | $48,650,334 | $5,892,500 | 19 | $676,047 |
| 2024 | $24,241,776 | $13,173,897 | $14,291,896 | $1,467,900 | 22 | $1,607,625 |
| 2023 | $26,596,052 | $13,199,695 | $12,259,338 | $1,536,000 | 24 | $926,905 |
| 2022 | $24,174,336 | $23,819,415 | $12,167,551 | $2,792,800 | 26 | $170,734 |
| 2021 | $13,759,969 | $12,517,391 | $8,769,753 | $1,643,429 | 24 | $260,877 |
| 2020 | $9,920,217 | $11,007,290 | $8,285,299 | $3,110,172 | 74 | $179,266 |
| 2019 | $6,400,362 | $6,605,413 | $5,279,773 | $813,616 | 22 | $45,634 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Grassroots International’s stated mission is to connect people in the United States with global movements defending land, territory, water, food, seeds, and the Earth; address root causes of injustice and oppression; and build alternatives that nurture human rights, ecological justice, and liberation. It says it pursues this work through grantmaking, social action, and philanthropic leadership.
The organization identifies human rights defense, ecological justice, food sovereignty, healing and wellbeing, and grassroots feminisms among its issue areas. Its 2023 filing also describes support for democratic social change; human rights to land, water, and food; environmental justice; and education related to its overseas grants program.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Tides Center describes itself as a philanthropic intermediary working to shift resources and power to historically marginalized communities. Global Justice Ecology Project says it builds alliances addressing social injustice, ecological destruction, and economic domination. Earth Island Institute says it supports urgent environmental initiatives, while WhyHunger describes work supporting grassroots movements and community solutions to hunger and food justice. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Grassroots International reported 22 grants totaling $1,467,900. Individual grants ranged from $10,000 to $412,900, with a median of $30,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 19 grants totaling $5.9 million.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $412,900 to Instituto para la Investigación y Acción en Agroecología for land and resource rights of rural people; $175,000 to Tides Center for legal support and education; $140,000 to HASER for cultural and civic engagement; and $95,000 each to Global Justice Ecology Project for education for climate solutions and US Campaign for Palestinian Rights for general support. Other grants included $90,000 to Institute for Socio-Ecological Research for land and resource rights of rural people, and $60,000 to Comedores Sociales de Puerto Rico for agriculture and addressing hunger.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Maria Aguiar as president and chair, Kalila Barnett as treasurer, and Hendrix Berry, Bridget Brehen, Grace Goldtooth, Sam Jacobs, Jerrod MacFarlane, Maywa Montenegro de Wit, Mateo Nube, and Kathy Mulvey as directors.
Grassroots International Inc is led by Chung-Wha Hong, Co-Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 7 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chung-Wha Hong
Co-Executive Director
Executive Director → Co-Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$94K (2019) → $132K (2025)
Sara Mersha
Co-Executive Director
Director of Grantmaking & Advocacy → Co-Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$101K (2023) → $130K (2025)
Maria Aguiar
President & Chair
Director → President & Chair, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Schachet
Director of Ppl & Planning
Director of Plng & Sp in → Director of Ppl & Planning, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$107K (2022) → $119K (2025)
Orson Moon
Director of Finance & Info Systems
Director of Administrator & Finance → Director of Finance & Info Systems, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$102K (2022) → $115K (2025)
Jovanna Garcia Soto
Program Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$100K (2024) → $118K (2025)
Saulo Araujo
Director of Global Philanthropy
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$105K (2024) → $109K (2025)
Diala Shamas
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denise Perry
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hendrix Berry
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerrod Macfarlane
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bridget Brehen
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janvieve Williams Comrie
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mamyrah Prosper
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mateo Nube
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maywa Montenegro De Wit
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Gilje
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Christina Schiavoni
Senior Communications Coordinator
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$103K (2025)
Kalila Barnett
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jesenia A. Santana
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Kathy Mulvey (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Sam Jacobs (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Grace Goldtooth (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Ninaj Raoul (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Sam Vinal (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Shaun Grogan-Brown (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Janet Axelrod (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: M. Brinton Lykes (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Nidal Al-Azraq (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mijo Lee (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Amelita Pascual Spear (2019) — Director
- Former: Leticia Alcantar (2019) — President & Chair
- Former: Meredith Smith (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Wenda Tai (2019) — Director
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 $132K, to Chung-Wha Hong (Co-Executive Director). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Grassroots International Inc
How much does Grassroots International Inc give each year?
Grassroots International Inc gave $5.9M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 22 grants.
What is Grassroots International Inc's typical grant size?
Grassroots International Inc's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $310,132, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Grassroots International Inc that year got $1M on average.
Where does Grassroots International Inc give grants?
Grassroots International Inc gives mostly in Maryland: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (35%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Grassroots International Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 16% of Grassroots International Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Grassroots International Inc's largest grantees?
Grassroots International Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Impactassets ($3,000,000), Peace Development Fund ($2,005,000) and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Grassroots International Inc?
Grassroots International Inc reported $22.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $41.7M.
What does Grassroots International Inc fund?
Grassroots International’s stated mission is to connect people in the United States with global movements defending land, territory, water, food, seeds, and the Earth; address root causes of injustice and oppression; and build alternatives that nurture human rights, ecological justice, and liberation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Grassroots International Inc?
Grassroots International Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check grassrootsonline.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Grassroots International Inc's EIN?
Grassroots International Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2791159. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 25, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Grassroots International Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/grassroots-international-inc-morg_a814516d47ba4d429d14123d9b3eeee7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042791159_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Grassroots International Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/grassroots-international-inc-morg_a814516d47ba4d429d14123d9b3eeee7},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-05. 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 Grassroots International 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.
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