Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Wilmington, DE EIN: 87-1478973

The Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. It makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Key facts about Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation

In short: Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation gave $7K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $500), top state Massachusetts. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
87-1478973
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$6,500
Grants made (2025)
13
Average grant
$500
Median grant
$500
New grantees (estimate)
0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2025)
Total assets
$1,080,040
Primary geography
Massachusetts (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.1M

+1.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$7K

-88.5% YoY

Grant Count

13

-62.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$500

-68.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $62K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation open to new grantees?

0%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count

  • 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 97% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 29% 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 (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as Native student and tribal college education, services for children and families, assistance for vulnerable populations, disability support, and justice-system reform. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ missions, not a stated foundation focus.

For example, the American Indian College Fund says it invests in Native students and tribal college education. Community Cooks says it organizes volunteers to prepare meals for vulnerable people served by human-service agencies in Greater Boston. Forward Impact describes its work as turning stories into action to change the justice system and building the capacity of system-impacted communities.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $6,500. Each was $500. Named recipients included American Indian College Fund, Bidwell Training Center, Bridges Homeward, Cambridge Homes, Community Cooks, Dolores C. Huerta Foundation, East Coast Assistance Dogs, Forward Impact, Helping Hands Monkey Helpers for the Disabled, Hopewell, Project HOPE, and Spaulding Rehab Hospital. The listed grants were designated for general and unrestricted purposes.

How to Apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, Massachusetts accounted for 46% of grant dollars, California and the District of Columbia each accounted for 15%, and Colorado and Pennsylvania each accounted for 8%. The 2025 recipient list also includes an organization in Connecticut.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

Cities

CambridgeWashingtonBostonNew YorkLos AngelesDedhamSomervilleBakersfieldDenverPittsburghAllstonMadisonSaint PaulTorringtonAlbert LeaEasthamptonHagerstownSan FranciscoArlingtonBraintree

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K0 grants2021 47 grants2022 34 grants2023 35 grants2024 13 grants2025

From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2025) to $256K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $7K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

American Indian College Fund: $500American Indian College Fund$500Bidwell Training Center Inc: $500Bidwell Training Center Inc$500Bridges Homeward Inc: $500Bridges Homeward Inc$500Cambridge Homes: $500Cambridge Homes$500Community Cooks Inc: $500Community Cooks Inc$500Dolores C Huerta Foundation: $500Dolores C Huerta Foundation$500East Coast Assistance Dogs Inc: $500East Coast Assistance Dogs Inc$500Forward Impact: $500Forward Impact$500Helping Hands Monkey Helpers for the Disabled Inc: $500Helping Hands Monkey Helpersfor the Disabled Inc$500Hopewell Inc: $500Hopewell Inc$500

The largest 2025 recipient was American Indian College Fund ($500). Together the top 10 received $5K.

Grant Size Distribution

129 grants across all recorded years

128<$50K$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 129 (99%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
American Indian College Fund Denver, COGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Bidwell Training Center Inc Pittsburgh, PAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Bridges Homeward Inc Cambridge, MAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Cambridge Homes Cambridge, MAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Community Cooks Inc Somerville, MAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Dolores C Huerta Foundation Bakersfield, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
East Coast Assistance Dogs Inc Torrington, CTGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Forward Impact Los Angeles, CAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Helping Hands Monkey Helpers for the Disabled Inc Allston, MAGeneral & Unrestricted$500
Hopewell Inc Dedham, MAGeneral & Unrestricted$500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $1,080,040 $43,435 $29,645 $6,500 (13 grants)
2024 $1,066,250 $45,305 $79,642 $56,350 (35 grants)
2023 $1,100,587 $471,515 $109,014 $87,884 (34 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,080,040$1,066,250$1,100,587
Revenue$43,435$45,305$471,515
Expenses$29,645$79,642$109,014
Qualifying Distributions$18,138$67,684$99,103
Net Investment Income$44,260$49,167$76,106
Distributable Amount$61,558$59,470$55,701

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Marci Karplus as director, secretary, treasurer, and president; Mischa Hazard Karplus as director; and Miriam Hellweg as director.

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation is led by Marci Karplus, Director, Secretary, Treasurer & President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Marci Karplus

    Director, Secretary, Treasurer & President

    Director, Secretary & Treasurer → Director, Secretary, Treasurer & President, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Miriam Hellweg

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mischa Hazard Karplus

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Martin Karplus (2021–2024) — Director & President

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.

Contact

Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754

Frequently asked questions about Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation

How much does Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation give each year?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation gave $7K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $56K across 35 grants.

What is Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $500, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation give grants?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (15%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cambridge, MA (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Indian College Fund ($500), Bidwell Training Center Inc ($500) and Bridges Homeward Inc ($500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (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 Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation fund?

The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as Native student and tribal college education, services for children and families, assistance for vulnerable populations, disability support, and justice-system reform. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation?

The foundation 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 Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's EIN?

Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-1478973. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Does Marci and Martin Karplus Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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