Karuna Foundation
Karuna Foundation is a Portland, Oregon–based private foundation founded in 2010 by Eric Lemelson. It supports organizations working on climate change mitigation and adaptation, with a grantmaking focus the foundation says has been on projects and initiatives in Bhutan.
Karuna Foundation at a glance
In short: Karuna Foundation gave $711K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $65K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $710,815
- -14.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +57.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $64,620
- -45.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $42,337
- Total assets
- $18,624,945
- +2.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (38% 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 Karuna Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3514 N Vancouver Avenue 320, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: (503) 841-5206
Website: https://www.karunafound.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karuna Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was JSW Bhutan Legal Education Foundation ($270K across 2 grants). Together the top 6 received $701K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($9,578), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 40 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says its grantmaking has focused on Bhutan and the Himalayan region. Its 2024 grants were reported to recipients with listed locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Vermont, and Oregon, as well as recipients whose locations were not specified.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How Karuna Foundation gives
- Giving grew 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $336K (2020) to $830K (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $711K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| JSW Bhutan Legal Education Foundation New York, NY | Support for climate change institute at jsw school of law | $265,089 |
| International Cryosphere Climate Initiative Pawlet, VT | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Bhutan Foundation Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $75,000 |
| Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law | Law Library Maintenance Program | $75,000 |
| Bhutan Foundation Washington, DC | General Operating Funds Bhutan Ecological Society | $54,000 |
| Lewis & Clark Law School Portland, OR | Educational Scholarships | $42,337 |
| Tarayana Foundation | Support for Housing Program | $38,811 |
| Bhutan Foundation Washington, DC | Small Grants Program | $25,000 |
| Bhutan Foundation Washington, DC | Bhutan Ecological Society Groundwater Meetings | $21,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $9,578 |
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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 | $18,624,945 | $1,075,242 | $1,155,405 | $710,815 | 11 | $967,956 | $898,216 | $905,508 |
| 2023 | $18,119,973 | $112,712 | $1,413,352 | $829,512 | 7 | $1,236,886 | $123,594 | $857,940 |
| 2022 | $17,001,832 | $-36,218 | $1,200,611 | $569,175 | 9 | $951,216 | $114,655 | $906,193 |
| 2021 | $21,938,862 | $2,136,105 | $1,116,116 | $488,700 | 8 | $911,606 | $1,956,972 | $1,015,822 |
| 2020 | $20,350,408 | $689,326 | $1,149,961 | $335,814 | 5 | — | $524,268 | $885,916 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karuna Foundation reported a distributable amount of $906K 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 describes its mission as supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly in vulnerable regions and communities. Its website says its grantmaking has focused on Bhutan and the Himalayan region.
Its listed giving includes support for a law school library and climate and environmental law work, ecological programs, climate-resilient housing, scholarships, and cryosphere-related work. The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, which received $100,000 in 2024, describes its mission as connecting scientists, policymakers, and people affected by climate change in the cryosphere—including the Himalayas—and in downstream and low-lying nations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $710,815. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $265,089, with a median of $42,337.
Among the 2024 grants were $265,089 to JSW Bhutan Legal Education Foundation for support for a climate change institute at JSW School of Law; $100,000 to the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative for general operating support; and $75,000 to Bhutan Foundation for general operating support. Other grants included $75,000 to an individual recipient Wangchuck School of Law for its law library maintenance program, $54,000 to Bhutan Foundation for general operating funds for Bhutan Ecological Society, and $42,337 to Lewis & Clark Law School for educational scholarships.
The foundation’s grant history also lists 2025 support for initiatives including climate-resilient housing, a law library, environmental law, and ecological programs; it does not give amounts for those entries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Lindsay Skog as executive director and Eric Lemelson as president. It lists Tom Novick as secretary and Jennifer Bruml, Lisa Danzig, Brad Harrison, Jeremiah Lemelson, Patrick Maloney, Julia Novy, and Holly Pruett as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Eric Lemelson as its founder and says he established the foundation in 2010.
Karuna Foundation is led by Lindsay Skog, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lindsay Skog
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$140K (2023) → $140K (2024)
Eric Lemelson
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Wong
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Holly Pruett
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Bruml
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Danzig
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Maloney
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia Novy
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brad Harrison
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeremiah Lemelson
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jo Anne Welsch
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Novick
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Lafcadio Cortesi (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Kaufman (2020) — Director
- Former: Julia Novy-Hildesley (2020) — Director
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 $140K, to Lindsay Skog (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Karuna Foundation
How much does Karuna Foundation give each year?
Karuna Foundation gave $711K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $830K across 7 grants.
What is Karuna Foundation's typical grant size?
Karuna Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $42,337, and its average grant was $64,620, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Karuna Foundation give grants?
Karuna Foundation's top state is New York, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (25%) and Vermont (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Karuna Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 27% of Karuna Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Karuna Foundation's largest grantees?
Karuna Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include JSW Bhutan Legal Education Foundation ($270,089 across 2 grants), Bhutan Foundation ($175,000 across 4 grants) and International Cryosphere Climate Initiative ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($9,578), which are not listed by name. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Karuna Foundation?
Karuna Foundation reported $18.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $968K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $906K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Karuna Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its mission as supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, particularly in vulnerable regions and communities. Its website says its grantmaking has focused on Bhutan and the Himalayan region. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karuna Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Karuna Foundation's EIN?
Karuna Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2831197. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Karuna 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
Live grants for the work Karuna Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karuna Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karuna-foundation-morg_0da12652844240df923f9cb0627933db
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272831197_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karuna Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karuna-foundation-morg_0da12652844240df923f9cb0627933db},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Karuna 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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