Grassroots International Inc
Grassroots International is a global grantmaking and movement support organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1983, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to accompanying, funding, and working in solidarity with social movements, predominantly in the Global South and the United States. The organization focuses on movements working on the frontlines of change around issues of land, territory, water, food, seeds, and environmental justice.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.2M
-8.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
-4.4% YoY
Grant Count
22
-8.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$67K
+4.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: To connect with global movements that defend land, territory, water, food, seeds, and the Earth, to address the root causes of injustice and oppression, and build alternative systems that nurture human rights, ecological justice, and collective liberation.
Vision: A world built on sustainability, equity, and dignity, in which a universal commitment to the health and wellbeing of the Earth and all its peoples, driven by strong global movements for social, economic, and ecological justice, has transformed production practices, consumption patterns, and economic and social relations.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Land, water, and food as human rights
- Environmental justice and ecological sustainability
- Human rights advocacy
- Democratic social change
- Support for indigenous peoples and small farmers
- Women's resource rights
- Education and awareness programs related to international development
Grantmaking
Grassroots International distributed over $9 million in grantmaking in the most recent fiscal year, with approximately 200 grants awarded to groups in 20 countries at regional and global levels.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grassroots International funds movements globally, with particular concentration in:
- The Global South
- The United States
- Middle East
- Asia
- Africa
- The Americas
The organization concentrates efforts in areas where U.S. foreign policy has been an obstacle to positive change and where creative grassroots movements build local solutions to global problems.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $24,241,776
- Total Giving: $10,020,650
- Total Revenues: $13,173,897
- Total Expenses: $14,291,896
- Number of Employees: 27
Previous Year (2023):
- Total Income: $13.3 million
- Total Expenses: $12.2 million
- Total Assets: $26.6 million
Funding Support: The organization receives support from institutional funders including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund ($221,500 in 2021-2026), Tides Foundation ($210,000 in 2023), Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Libra Foundation, and Vanguard Charitable.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,241,776 | $26,596,052 | $24,174,336 |
| Revenue | $13,173,897 | $13,199,695 | $23,819,415 |
| Expenses | $14,291,896 | $12,259,338 | $12,167,551 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,607,625 | $926,905 | $170,734 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
146 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Director: Ms. Chung-Wha Hong
Director of Global Philanthropy: Saulo Araujo
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARIA AGUIAR | PRESIDENT AND CHAIR | 1 | — |
| KALILA BARNETT | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| HENDRIX BERRY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRIDGET BREHEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GRACE GOLDTOOTH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SAM JACOBS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JERROD MACFARLANE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MAYWA MONTENEGRO DE WIT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATEO NUBE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KATHY MULVEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DENISE PERRY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MAMYRAH PROSPER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JESENIA A SANTANA | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| DIALA SHAMAS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JANVIEVE WILLIAMS COMRIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHUNG-WHA HONG | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $129,500 |
| SARA MERSHA | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $107,619 |
| ORSON MOON | DIR OF FIN & INFO SYSTEMS | 40 | $117,154 |
| CAROL SCHACHET | DIR OF PPL & PLANNING | 40 | $115,576 |
| JOVANNA GARCIA SOTO | PROGRAM DIRECTOR | 40 | $100,459 |
| SAULO ARAUJO | DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL PHILANTHROPY | 40 | $104,525 |
Contact Information
Main Office: 179 Boylston Street, 4th Floor Boston, MA 02130
Phone: 617-524-1400
Website: www.grassrootsonline.org
Tax Status: 501(c)(3) public charity EIN: 04-2791159 IRS Ruling Year: 1983
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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