NoVo Foundation is a private foundation established in 1999 and headquartered in Hurley, New York. The foundation is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization and has been tax-exempt since February 2021. Founded by Peter and Jennifer Buffett, NoVo Foundation operates as one of the nation's largest private foundations with a distinctive, relationship-based approach to philanthropy.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$214.1M
+26.4% YoY
Grant Count
508
+1.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$422K
+24.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
NoVo Foundation seeks to foster a paradigm shift from domination to partnership in global society. The foundation's work is dedicated to catalyzing transformation toward a culture of equality and partnership, moving away from hierarchies, violence, and the subordination of girls and women.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education and economic empowerment for young women and girls in the developing world
- Ending violence against women and girls
- Leadership development for women and men committed to shifting paradigms from domination to partnership
- Research and advocacy
- Advancement of social emotional learning (SEL)
- Regenerative bioregional-scale communities
- Indigenous communities and ways of knowing
- Food systems and agricultural development
- Child development
- Community organizing
The foundation has consolidated its work into a single body of work with interconnected focus areas rather than maintaining distinct grantmaking programs.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with no standard decision timeline. Grantseekers should note that the foundation does not have open grant opportunities listed.
Grant Range
$5,000 to $23,000,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NoVo Foundation has a national funding focus with concentrated emphasis on Kingston, New York and the Mid-Hudson Valley region. Primary funding areas include New York, California, and New Mexico. In 2020, the foundation relocated from New York City to Kingston, NY, committing $39-46 million annually to support community resilience in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total assets: $937,820,671
- Total revenue: $473,629,747
- Total expenses: $237,536,467
- Total liabilities: $140,000,000
As of December 2023:
- Total assets: $719,300,000 (alternative reporting)
- Total revenue: $373,900,000
- Total investments: $542,500,000
The foundation ranks in the top 1% of foundations by asset size, ranking #186 of 159,550 foundations nationally.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ashokan Center Inc ($1,000,000), Bard College ($1,000,000), Berry Center Inc ($600,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 'AHA PUNANA LEO HILO, HI | GENERAL SUPPORT | $250,000 |
| A BREEZE OF HOPE FOUNDATION ESSINGTON, PA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $300,000 |
| A CALL TO MEN ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,000 |
| AANIIIH NAKODA COLLEGE HARLEM, MT | WHITE CLAY LANGUAGE IMMERSION SCHOOL | $100,000 |
| ADAPTIVE DESIGN HV INC ALBANY, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,000 |
| ADVANCE DEMOCRACY INC TYSONS CORNER, VA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| AHA ATTITUDE HARMONY ACHIEVEMENT SANTA BARBARA, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $400,000 |
| ALASKA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION ANCHORAGE, AK | ALASKA RESILIENCE FARMS | $300,000 |
| ALASKA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION ANCHORAGE, AK | ALASKA NATIVE CONSERVATION NAVIGATORS | $150,000 |
| ALASKA NATIVE CULTURAL CHARTER SCHOOL ANCHORAGE, AK | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- Jennifer Buffett – Co-President (20 hours/week, $1 annual compensation)
- Peter Buffett – Co-President (40 hours/week, $1 annual compensation)
- Aaron Stern – Secretary (2 hours/week, $0 annual compensation)
- Kimberly McLain – Chief Financial Officer (40 hours/week, $348,000 annual compensation)
- Matthew Tye – Managing Director, NIK, Mill, Crop Shop (40 hours/week, $375,000 annual compensation)
- Julianne Schrader Ortega – Managing Director, HVFH (as of 4/1/24) (40 hours/week, $221,000 annual compensation)
- Brooke Pickering-Cole – Executive Director, HVFH (until 3/31/24) (40 hours/week, $277,000 annual compensation)
- Sangeeta Budhiraja – Vice President (40 hours/week, $375,000 annual compensation)
- Gary Schwartz – Vice President (40 hours/week, $375,000 annual compensation)
The foundation employs approximately 102 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JENNIFER BUFFETT | CO-PRESIDENT | 20 | $1 |
| PETER BUFFETT | CO-PRESIDENT | 40 | $1 |
| AARON STERN | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| KIMBERLY MCLAIN | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $347,551 |
| MATTHEW TYE | MANAGING DIRECTOR, NIK, MILL, CROP SHO | 40 | $375,000 |
| JULIANNE SCHRADER ORTEGA AS OF 412 | MANAGING DIRECTOR, HVFH (AS OF 4/1/24) | 40 | $220,875 |
| BROOKE PICKERING-COLE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HVFH (UNTIL 3/31/2 | 40 | $277,252 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Novo Foundation fund?
NoVo Foundation seeks to foster a paradigm shift from domination to partnership in global society. The foundation's work is dedicated to catalyzing transformation toward a culture of equality and partnership, moving away from hierarchies, violence, and the subordination of girls and women. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education and economic empowerment for young women and girls in the developing world • Ending violence against women and girls • Leadership development for women and men…
How do I apply for a grant from Novo Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total grants since 2014: $3.6 billion across 8,937 grants • Grant range: $5,000 to $23,000,000 • Median grant amount: $150,000 • 508 grants reported in recent filings **Recent Annual Giving:** • 2024: $214,143,310 • 2023: $169,364,905 **Application Process:** The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with no standard decision timeline. Grantseekers should note that the foundation does not have open grant opportunities listed. **Contact Information:** • General in…
Where does Novo Foundation make grants?
NoVo Foundation has a national funding focus with concentrated emphasis on Kingston, New York and the Mid-Hudson Valley region. Primary funding areas include New York, California, and New Mexico. In 2020, the foundation relocated from New York City to Kingston, NY, committing $39-46 million annually to support community resilience in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
What size grants does Novo Foundation award?
In 2024, Novo Foundation awarded 508 grants totaling $214.1M — an average of about $422K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Novo Foundation's EIN?
Novo Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-0824753. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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