Inherent Foundation
Inherent Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It partners with nonprofits and social enterprises to increase economic opportunity and support thriving communities, with stated focus areas of education, workforce development, mental health, and climate action.
Inherent Foundation at a glance
In short: Inherent Foundation gave $1.6M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $72K), top state California. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,590,163
- -32.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -43.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $72,280
- +20.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $21,160
- Total assets
- $48,214,874
- -3.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (6 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (31% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Inherent 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: 450 Lexington Avenue 4503, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (646) 494-0202
Website: https://inherentgroup.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Inherent Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Imagine Worldwide ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 116 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it deploys grants, PRIs, and MRIs across the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Portugal. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to California (31%), Texas (20%), Massachusetts (19%), Connecticut (16%), and New York (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Inherent Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 22 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $92K. How we count
Medians: $21K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 86% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 80% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $854K (2021) to $2.3M (2023). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Imagine Worldwide Mill Valley, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| All Our Kin New Haven, CT | General Support | $250,000 |
| Educate Girls Austin, TX | General Support | $250,000 |
| Ceres Boston, MA | General Support | $176,750 |
| Join Freeworld Inc Austin, TX | General Support | $75,000 |
| Labhya USA Inc Topsfield, MA | General Support | $75,000 |
| Fathers' Uplift Inc Dorchester, MA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Pursuit Transformation Company Inc Long Island City, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Siddartha School Partnership Portland, ME | General Support | $50,000 |
| Building Tomorrow Inc Indianapolis, IN | General Support | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Inherent Foundation?
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 | $48,214,874 | $408,429 | $2,629,503 | $1,590,163 | 22 | $2,170,301 | $540,218 | $2,720,021 |
| 2023 | $50,073,496 | $814,458 | $3,196,973 | $2,342,122 | 39 | $4,421,515 | $522,803 | $3,090,500 |
| 2022 | $44,926,183 | $2,647,449 | $3,727,694 | $1,337,320 | 32 | $2,432,125 | $3,273,842 | $2,524,950 |
| 2021 | $45,271,487 | $11,795,937 | $1,112,921 | $854,263 | 16 | $3,097,401 | $4,395,495 | $2,602,038 |
| 2020 | $36,321,577 | $10,161,002 | $1,140,360 | $1,015,380 | 7 | — | $4,830,567 | $1,618,766 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Inherent Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M 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
The foundation’s stated aim is to advance economic mobility for all. Its focus areas are education, workforce development, mental health, and climate action. It seeks organizations with proximate, credible leadership; proven value propositions; scalable solutions; earned-revenue strategies or the potential to develop them; and policy or decision-making impact.
The foundation supports nonprofits and social enterprises through multiyear grants, program-related investments (PRIs), and mission-related investments (MRIs), as well as strategic capacity-building, networking, and knowledge-sharing. Its website describes three grant and PRI structures: “Farm” support for organizations new to its portfolio or refining a program model, generally for up to two years; “Catalytic” support for organizations ready to scale, generally for up to three years; and “Sustaining” support for mature organizations, which is rare and reevaluated annually.
Examples of grantees’ work include Imagine Worldwide, which says it empowers children to build literacy and numeracy skills, and All Our Kin, which trains and supports community child-care providers. Ceres describes its work as accelerating a cleaner, more just, and resilient world through research and advocacy on sustainability challenges. Pursuit says its training program prepares participants for software-engineering jobs, while Join Freeworld states that its mission is to end generational poverty and recidivism.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $1,590,163. Grant amounts ranged from $1,250 to $500,000, with a median of $21,160. Listed grants were designated for general support. The largest were $500,000 to Imagine Worldwide; $250,000 each to All Our Kin and Educate Girls; and $176,750 to Ceres. Other notable grants included $75,000 each to Join Freeworld and Labhya USA, and $50,000 each to Fathers’ Uplift, Pursuit Transformation Company, and Siddartha School Partnership.
The foundation also reported direct charitable activity involving Coursemojo Inc., described as an investment in an education-focused technology company providing personalized, AI-based support for struggling learners.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Anthony L Davis as president and chairman; Suzy F Davis as vice president; Michael Ellis as treasurer, secretary, and director; and Mike Pollack and Arlene Shaw as directors.
Inherent Foundation is led by Anthony L. Davis, President & Chairman on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Anthony L. Davis
President & Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Ellis
Treasurer, Secretary & Director
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, Secretary & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$100K (2024)
Arlene Shaw
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Pollack
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzy F. Davis
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Patrick Healy (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Mali Locke (2021–2023) — Managing Director
- Former: Barend M Pennings (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 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $100K, to Michael Ellis (Treasurer, Secretary, & Director).
Frequently asked questions about Inherent Foundation
How much does Inherent Foundation give each year?
Inherent Foundation gave $1.6M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.3M across 39 grants.
What is Inherent Foundation's typical grant size?
Inherent Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $21,160, and its average grant was $72,280, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Inherent Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Inherent Foundation give grants?
Inherent Foundation's top state is California, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Texas (20%) and Massachusetts (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Austin, TX (2 grants) and Greenwich, CT (2 grants).
Does Inherent Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Inherent Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Inherent Foundation's largest grantees?
Inherent Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Imagine Worldwide ($500,000), All Our Kin ($250,000) and Educate Girls ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Inherent Foundation?
Inherent Foundation reported $48.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.7M (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 Inherent Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated aim is to advance economic mobility for all. Its focus areas are education, workforce development, mental health, and climate action. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Inherent 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 Inherent Foundation's EIN?
Inherent Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0214492. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Inherent 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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Browse active grant opportunities in Inherent Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Inherent Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/inherent-foundation-morg_5b60a5742aa54df4a72db9c25188f883
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_270214492_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Inherent Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/inherent-foundation-morg_5b60a5742aa54df4a72db9c25188f883},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Inherent 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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