Gro Foundation
Gro Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. In its 2024 filing, it reported 11 grants totaling $133,000, each listed for education.
Gro Foundation at a glance
In short: Gro Foundation gave $133K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $133,000
- -15.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,091
- -23.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $3,292,504
- -0.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (66% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Gro Foundation
- 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: 250 West 81St Street Apt 20, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 864-8959
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gro Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Teach for India ($40K). Together the top 10 received $131K.
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 36 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to recipients in New York, Illinois, Connecticut, Colorado, California, and Oregon. The reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New York 66%, Illinois 11%, Connecticut 9%, Colorado 8%, and California 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How Gro Foundation gives
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 75% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $123K (2021) to $198K (2020). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $133K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Teach for India New York, NY | Education | $40,000 |
| The Akanksha Fund Inc New York, NY | Education | $33,000 |
| Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO | Education | $10,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Education | $10,000 |
| Save the Children Fairfield, CT | Education | $10,000 |
| Riverside Park Conservancy New York, NY | Education | $7,500 |
| Central Park Conservancy New York, NY | Education | $7,500 |
| Avanti Fellows Fremont, CA | Education | $5,000 |
| Greener by Default Chicago, IL | Education | $5,000 |
| Fairfield Prep Fairfield, CT | Education | $2,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,292,504 | $126,704 | $154,314 | $133,000 | 11 | $133,000 | $105,390 | $177,061 |
| 2023 | $3,320,114 | $165,950 | $191,714 | $157,000 | 10 | $157,000 | $137,236 | $157,919 |
| 2022 | $3,345,878 | $-122,569 | $181,774 | $143,000 | 2 | $143,000 | $21,084 | $156,325 |
| 2021 | $3,650,221 | $230,303 | $143,922 | $123,000 | 7 | $123,000 | $209,381 | $221,190 |
| 2020 | $3,563,840 | $487,132 | $216,260 | $198,000 | 6 | — | $468,872 | $189,738 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gro Foundation reported a distributable amount of $177K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for Gro Foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants were listed for education and went to organizations including schools, universities, and other charitable organizations.
The grantees’ own mission statements describe their work in different terms. The University of Chicago says its mission is to communicate and create knowledge and foster a community of scholars and students. Greener By Default says it consults with institutions on applying behavioral science to food policy to encourage sustainable plant-based food while preserving choice. Willamette University says it connects liberal education with professional practice to prepare graduates to turn knowledge into action and contribute to their communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Gro Foundation gave 11 grants totaling $133,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $40,000, with a median grant of $7,500. Its largest grants were $40,000 to Teach For India and $33,000 to The Akanksha Fund, both listed for education. Other grants included $10,000 each to Colorado College, the University of Chicago, and Save the Children.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Shikha Bhakoo as president and Eileen Mueller as treasurer.
Gro Foundation is led by Shikha Bhakoo, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shikha Bhakoo
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Eileen Mueller
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
$2K (2022) → $0 (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Girish Bhakoo (2020) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $6K, to Eileen Mueller (Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Gro Foundation
How much does Gro Foundation give each year?
Gro Foundation gave $133K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $157K across 10 grants.
What is Gro Foundation's typical grant size?
Gro Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $12,091, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Gro Foundation give grants?
Gro Foundation gives mostly in New York: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (11%) and Connecticut (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Fairfield, CT (2 grants).
Does Gro Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Gro Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (11 grants).
Who are Gro Foundation's largest grantees?
Gro Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Teach for India ($40,000), The Akanksha Fund Inc ($33,000) and Colorado College ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Gro Foundation?
Gro Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $133K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $177K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Gro Foundation fund?
No mission statement for Gro Foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants were listed for education and went to organizations including schools, universities, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gro Foundation?
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 Gro Foundation's EIN?
Gro Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3985154. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gro Foundation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gro Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gro-foundation-morg_809c6658c0f543fabe4744487584752d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203985154_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gro Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gro-foundation-morg_809c6658c0f543fabe4744487584752d},
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 Gro 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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