Mesnikoff Foundation
The Mesnikoff Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in areas including food assistance, animal welfare, refugee support, community services, and human rights.
Mesnikoff Foundation at a glance
In short: Mesnikoff Foundation gave $125K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state District of Columbia. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $125,000
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +28.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,944
- -2.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $913,446
- +9.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mesnikoff Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 813 A Street Ne, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 375-8296
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mesnikoff Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Alameda County Community Foodbank ($15K). Together the top 10 received $102K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 84 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in DC (44%), California (31%), Maryland (11%), Massachusetts (8%), and New York (6%). These shares describe the locations of recipients, not necessarily the geographic reach of their work.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mesnikoff Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 18 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 183% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2020) to $125K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $125K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Community Foodbank Oakland, CA | Educational | $15,000 |
| Capitol Area Food Bank Washington, DC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Mazon Washington, DC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Open Medicine Foundation - Harvard Research Agoura Hills, CA | Educational | $13,000 |
| Hebrew Immigration Aid Society Silver Spring, MD | Educational | $12,000 |
| Oxfam America (Yemen and Refugee Crisis) Boston, MA | Educational | $10,000 |
| East Bay SPCA Oakland, CA | Educational | $6,000 |
| Good Neighbors Capital Hill Washington, DC | Educational | $6,000 |
| Humane Rescue Alliance Washington, DC | Educational | $6,000 |
| Advocates for Community Alternatives New York, NY | Educational | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mesnikoff 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $913,446 | $212,039 | $131,057 | $125,000 | 18 | $125,000 | $206,373 | $68,364 |
| 2024 | $832,464 | $99,884 | $113,110 | $100,000 | 14 | $102,402 | $92,291 | $69,555 |
| 2023 | $845,690 | $180,356 | $119,052 | $111,500 | 18 | $113,200 | $174,504 | $63,039 |
| 2022 | $784,386 | $37,315 | $123,283 | $110,000 | 17 | $113,288 | $30,274 | $70,023 |
| 2021 | $873,593 | $160,834 | $116,676 | $108,500 | 17 | $110,351 | $154,509 | $79,269 |
| 2020 | $826,196 | $58,414 | $75,985 | $70,100 | 16 | — | $58,206 | $66,534 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mesnikoff Foundation reported a distributable amount of $68K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several fields. For example, East Bay SPCA says its mission is to transform the lives of cats and dogs by enriching the human-animal bond; Advocates for Community Alternatives says it puts legal and organizing tools in the hands of threatened West African communities; and Disability Rights International says it promotes the human rights and full participation in society of people with disabilities worldwide. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $125,000 through 18 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $15,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $15,000 each to Alameda County Community Foodbank, Capitol Area Food Bank, and MAZON; $13,000 to Open Medicine Foundation - Harvard Research; $12,000 to Hebrew Immigration Aid Society; and $10,000 to Oxfam America (Yemen and Refugee Crisis).
Other 2025 grantees included East Bay SPCA ($6,000), Good Neighbors Capitol Hill ($6,000), Humane Rescue Alliance ($6,000), Advocates for Community Alternatives ($4,000), Kids of Katmandu ($4,000), Capitol Hill Community Foundation ($3,500), Democracy Forward ($3,000), Disability Rights International ($3,000), Lake Merritt Institute ($3,000), Rural Dog Rescue ($2,000), and Friends of Oakland Animal Services ($1,500).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joel Mesnikoff, Rachel Mesnikoff Guggenheim, Steven Guggenheim, Ann Mesnikoff Crystal, and Howard Crystal as directors.
Mesnikoff Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ann Mesnikoff Crystal
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Howard Crystal
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joel Mesnikoff
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Mesnikoff Guggenheim
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Guggenheim
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Mesnikoff Foundation
How much does Mesnikoff Foundation give each year?
Mesnikoff Foundation gave $125K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $100K across 14 grants.
What is Mesnikoff Foundation's typical grant size?
Mesnikoff Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,944, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mesnikoff Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Mesnikoff Foundation give grants?
Mesnikoff Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (31%) and Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants) and Oakland, CA (4 grants).
Does Mesnikoff Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Mesnikoff Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (18 grants).
Who are Mesnikoff Foundation's largest grantees?
Mesnikoff Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Alameda County Community Foodbank ($15,000), Capitol Area Food Bank ($15,000) and Mazon ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mesnikoff Foundation?
Mesnikoff Foundation reported $913K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $125K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $68K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mesnikoff Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mesnikoff Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2025 filing 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 Mesnikoff Foundation's EIN?
Mesnikoff Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7450437. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mesnikoff 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mesnikoff Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mesnikoff-foundation-morg_4f82b75686d445fcbfe6d23479627f15
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237450437_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mesnikoff Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mesnikoff-foundation-morg_4f82b75686d445fcbfe6d23479627f15},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Mesnikoff 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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