Lady Freethinker
Lady Freethinker is a public charity based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2015, it works to expose and stop animal cruelty through media, investigations, petitions, and support for animal rescue and care.
Lady Freethinker at a glance
In short: Lady Freethinker gave $121K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $121,076
- +186.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +120.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $11,007
- +30.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,635,229
- +32.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Lady Freethinker
- How to Apply
Organizations submit a project application through the designated portal with an overview of their organization and mission, a detailed project description and itemized budget, a website or social-media link, proof of…
Organizations submit a project application through the designated portal with an overview of their organization and mission, a detailed project description and itemized budget, a website or social-media link, proof of tax-exempt status, required financial documents, and a recent bank statement.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 application deadline was August 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time; that cycle is past. The 2027 cycle is scheduled to open in July 2027, with exact dates to be announced.
- Deadline
- The 2026 application deadline was August 9, 2026, at 5 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 12405 Venice Blvd 390, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: (310) 923-0729
Website: https://ladyfreethinker.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lady Freethinker funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lady Freethinker Miscellaneous Grants Support ($28K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
28 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 28 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Urgent Need Fund is open to organizations anywhere in the world. The 2024 grant list shows awards to recipients in California, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, New Jersey, Maine, and New York. The funder’s 2024 filing also describes international grants across several regions, including the Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Lady Freethinker gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2020) to $127K (2022). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $121K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Freethinker Miscellaneous Grants Support Los Angeles, CA | Supplies | $27,741 |
| Chainfree Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Supplies to Dogs | $10,058 |
| Alachua County Coalition for the Ho Gainesville, FL | Shelter-Animals | $10,000 |
| Law N' Paws El Paso, TX | Vet Care-Animals | $10,000 |
| Rescate Fenix Escondido, CA | Vet Care-Animals | $10,000 |
| Rezdawg Rescue Moriarty, NM | Vet Care-Animals | $10,000 |
| Ziggy's Refuge Farm Sanctuary Providence, NC | Shelter for Pigs | $10,000 |
| Paws for Compassion Red Bank, NJ | Vet Care-Animals | $9,877 |
| Beach Dog Rescue of Costa Maya Mexi Rangeley, ME | Vet Care-Animals | $8,700 |
| Happy Compromise Farm Sanctuary Waverly, NY | Shelter-Animals | $8,700 |
Ready to take the next step with Lady Freethinker?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,635,229 | $2,222,487 | $1,561,376 | $121,076 | 11 | $96,743 |
| 2023 | $1,989,521 | $1,978,510 | $1,547,648 | $42,225 | 5 | $56,022 |
| 2022 | $1,534,111 | $1,820,183 | $1,447,572 | $127,027 | 7 | $1,965 |
| 2021 | $1,152,527 | $1,453,113 | $1,035,624 | $44,464 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | $734,299 | $1,071,339 | $708,674 | $25,304 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | $347,057 | $667,691 | $450,634 | $56,723 | Total only | — |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization describes its mission as furthering compassion for all species. Its activities include publishing petitions, news articles, films, and other content; conducting investigations; advocating for policy changes; and aiding animal rescue.
The Urgent Need Fund supports projects involving animal rescue or care, including medical care, food, and housing, as well as projects that raise awareness to improve the treatment of animals. The funder reports supporting organizations providing direct care and animal-protection advocacy. In its 2024 filing, it described funding projects including animal shelters and veterinary services, care for animals rescued from the meat trade, spay/neuter services, and animal ambulance services.
One 2024 grantee, Law N Paws, describes its mission as providing shelter and medical needs to abused animals.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Lady Freethinker reported 11 grants totaling $121,076. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $27,741, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $27,741 to Lady Freethinker for supplies; $10,058 to Chainfree Knoxville for dog supplies; and $10,000 each to Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless & Hungry for animal shelter, Law N Paws for animal veterinary care, and Rescate Fenix for animal veterinary care. The 2024 filing also describes international projects funded that year, including animal shelter, food, veterinary care, spay/neuter services, and animal ambulance services.
The Urgent Need Fund invites organizations around the world to apply for grants of up to $10,000; actual awards may vary. Eligible applicants must be registered as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a non-U.S. NGO for at least two years. Applicants must provide tax documentation, financial reports or filings, a bank statement for the most recent month ended, and a project description with an itemized budget. Submitted documents must be in English. The funder’s website lists 2025 and 2024 recipients, and reports that the 2026 cycle closed; the 2027 cycle is scheduled to open in July 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nina Jackel as president, Jennifer Weiser as secretary, and Danette Nelson as treasurer. It also lists Benjamin Jackel, Tim Pisarski, and Marc Jackson as board members.
Lady Freethinker is led by Nina Jackel, President on every filing since 2019; 2 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nina Jackel
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$86K (2019) → $147K (2024)
Benjamin Jackel
Board Member
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$29K (2020) → $5K (2024)
Jennifer Weiser
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Danette Nelson
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Pisarski
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marc Jackson
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Amir Fallah (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Dana Weiser (2019–2021) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $147K, to Nina Jackel (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Lady Freethinker
How much does Lady Freethinker give each year?
Lady Freethinker gave $121K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $42K across 5 grants.
What is Lady Freethinker's typical grant size?
Lady Freethinker's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,007, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Lady Freethinker give grants?
Lady Freethinker's top state is California, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Tennessee (8%) and Florida (8%).
Does Lady Freethinker give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Lady Freethinker's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Vet Care-Animals" (5 grants).
Who are Lady Freethinker's largest grantees?
Lady Freethinker's largest 2024 grantees include Lady Freethinker Miscellaneous Grants Support ($27,741), Chainfree Knoxville ($10,058) and Alachua County Coalition for the Ho ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lady Freethinker?
Lady Freethinker reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.2M.
What does Lady Freethinker fund?
The organization describes its mission as furthering compassion for all species. Its activities include publishing petitions, news articles, films, and other content; conducting investigations; advocating for policy changes; and aiding animal rescue. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lady Freethinker?
Organizations submit a project application through the designated portal with an overview of their organization and mission, a detailed project description and itemized budget, a website or social-media link, proof of… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lady Freethinker's EIN?
Lady Freethinker's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4213802. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lady Freethinker's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lady Freethinker funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lady-freethinker-morg_90a7fedaa2954b9893a66f6320c1808b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474213802_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lady Freethinker funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lady-freethinker-morg_90a7fedaa2954b9893a66f6320c1808b},
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 Lady Freethinker'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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