Impetus Fund
To operate exclusively for the purpose of promoting social welfare, including, but not limited to, providing public education, conducting advocacy, and encouraging civic engagement.
Key facts about Impetus Fund
In short: Impetus Fund gave $9.9M across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $1.6M), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 85-1701143
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $9,891,600
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- Average grant
- $1,648,600
- Median grant
- $515,000
- Total assets
- $5,650,452
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$5.7M
-65.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$9.9M
+41.0% YoY
Grant Count
6
-33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.6M
+111.4% YoY
How Impetus Fund gives
- Giving grew 546% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
About Impetus Fund
Based on IRS filings
Impetus Fund is a public charity, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $5.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 6 grants totaling $9.9M. Net investment income was $198K.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2022) to $64.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $9.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sixteen Thirty Fund ($7.7M). Together the top 6 received $9.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
23 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 9 grants of 23 (39%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sixteen Thirty Fund Washington, DC | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $7,700,000 |
| Defending Democracy Together Washington, DC | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $1,000,000 |
| Work for America Inc Brooklyn, NY | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $530,000 |
| Forward Action Fund Concord, NH | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $500,000 |
| Voto Latino Washington, DC | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $111,600 |
| Fund for States Washington, DC | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,650,452 | $16,425,841 | $2,666,747 |
| Revenue | $748,916 | $20,178,878 | $3,825,682 |
| Expenses | $10,293,790 | $7,571,770 | $2,563,865 |
| Net Investment Income | $198,410 | $211,370 | $13,261 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Impetus Fund is led by Ezra Reese, President & Chair on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ezra Reese
President & Chair
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Schulz
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Falona Joy
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Saurabh Gupta (2021–2024) — General Counsel
- Former: Shelley Waters Boots (2021) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Impetus Fund
How much does Impetus Fund give each year?
Impetus Fund gave $9.9M across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $7.0M across 9 grants.
What is Impetus Fund's typical grant size?
Impetus Fund's median grant in 2025 was $515,000, and its average grant was $1,648,600, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Impetus Fund give grants?
Impetus Fund gives mostly in District of Columbia: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (5%) and New Hampshire (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does Impetus Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on Impetus Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy" (6 grants).
Who are Impetus Fund's largest grantees?
Impetus Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Sixteen Thirty Fund ($7,700,000), Defending Democracy Together ($1,000,000) and Work for America Inc ($530,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Impetus Fund?
Impetus Fund reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $749K.
What is Impetus Fund's EIN?
Impetus Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1701143. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Here's the math on researching Impetus Fund by hand.
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