Pivotal Foundation
Pivotal Foundation is a private foundation based in Phoenix, Arizona. It makes grants to charitable organizations; it reports that it carries on no direct charitable activities.
Pivotal Foundation at a glance
In short: Pivotal Foundation gave $2.7M across 53 grants in 2024 (avg $51K), top state Arizona. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,703,765
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 53
- +8.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $51,014
- +15.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $92,488,285
- +13.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (22 of 53, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Pivotal Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3200 E Camelback Road 295, Phoenix, AZ 85018
Phone: (602) 468-3217
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pivotal Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Quincy Institute ($310K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 149 grants of 227 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona (40%), Washington, DC (38%), California (11%), New York (4%), and Virginia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Pivotal Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 22 of 53 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $71K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 53% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 71% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 69% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2020) to $9.3M (2021). In 2024 it made 53 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Quincy Institute Washington DC, DC | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $310,000 |
| Khan Academy Inc Mountain View, CA | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $200,000 |
| Barrow Neurological Foundation Phoenix, AZ | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $135,500 |
| Ballet Arizona Phoenix, AZ | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $130,000 |
| Association for Promotion of Jewish Secularism (Jewish Currents) Brooklyn, NY | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Carnegie Endowment for Int'l Peace Washington DC, DC | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Cato Institute Washington, DC | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Center for the Future of Arizona Phoenix, AZ | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Defense Priorities Foundation Arlington, VA | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Fresh Start Women's Foundation Phoenix, AZ | For the Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
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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 | $92,488,285 | $14,123,570 | $3,325,796 | $2,703,765 | 53 | $2,745,837 | $3,676,916 | $3,950,986 |
| 2023 | $81,685,457 | $24,784,772 | $2,636,920 | $2,163,525 | 49 | $2,165,449 | $4,393,985 | $3,140,372 |
| 2022 | $59,532,605 | $32,036,612 | $1,965,937 | $1,890,196 | 46 | $1,890,852 | $631,839 | $1,550,431 |
| 2021 | $29,461,930 | $23,938,101 | $9,373,009 | $9,315,750 | 45 | $9,320,991 | $863,790 | $782,229 |
| 2020 | $14,927,338 | $2,656,600 | $1,278,291 | $1,216,032 | 34 | — | $217,321 | $579,717 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pivotal Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.0M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Khan Academy describes its mission as providing “a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere”; Ballet Arizona says it aims to ignite the human spirit through dance and make ballet accessible to everyone; and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation says it helps women achieve self-sufficiency. Other 2024 grantees include arts, health, public-policy, international-affairs, and Arizona-focused organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 53 grants totaling $2,703,765. Grant amounts ranged from $1,624 to $310,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $310,000 to The Quincy Institute; $200,000 to Khan Academy; $135,500 to Barrow Neurological Foundation; and $130,000 to Ballet Arizona. The foundation also gave $100,000 each to the Association for Promotion of Jewish Secularism (Jewish Currents), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Cato Institute, Center for the Future of Arizona, Defense Priorities Foundation, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, International Crisis Group, and J Street Education Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists F Francis Najafi as director/president, Richard Garner as treasurer, and Jackie Reed as secretary.
Pivotal Foundation is led by F. Francis Najafi, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
F. Francis Najafi
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Reed
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Garner
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Pivotal Foundation
How much does Pivotal Foundation give each year?
Pivotal Foundation gave $2.7M across 53 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 49 grants.
What is Pivotal Foundation's typical grant size?
Pivotal Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $51,014, across 53 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pivotal Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Pivotal Foundation give grants?
Pivotal Foundation's top state is Arizona, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (38%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Phoenix, AZ (24 grants), Washington, DC (8 grants), Scottsdale, AZ (7 grants) and Washington DC, DC (2 grants).
Who are Pivotal Foundation's largest grantees?
Pivotal Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Quincy Institute ($310,000), Khan Academy Inc ($200,000) and Barrow Neurological Foundation ($135,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Pivotal Foundation?
Pivotal Foundation reported $92.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.0M (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 Pivotal Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pivotal 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 Pivotal Foundation's EIN?
Pivotal Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3959093. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Pivotal 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pivotal Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pivotal Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pivotal-foundation-morg_aaef0cef2340418bba9c7b72b7eb5187
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203959093_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pivotal Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pivotal-foundation-morg_aaef0cef2340418bba9c7b72b7eb5187},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Pivotal 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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