Refed Inc
Refed catalyzes the food system toward evidence-based action to stop wasting food for the climate, environment, people, and the economy.
Refed Inc at a glance
In short: Refed Inc gave $1.0M across 6 grants in 2024 (avg $168K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,010,000
- +31.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 6
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $168,333
- +31.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $15,218,674
- +52.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (30% 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 Refed Inc
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Refed Inc
Who Refed Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Afterlife Ag ($300K). Together the top 6 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 38 grants of 53 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $265K (2022) to $3.5M (2020). In 2024 it made 6 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Afterlife Ag Brooklyn, NY | To support their capacity to process meat, seafood, and dairy waste with better equipment, improve yields with additional automation, and grow new types of mushrooms such as maitake and royal trumpets. | $300,000 |
| Center for Ecotechnology Dalton, MA | To support the development of a train-the-trainer program to enable like-minded organizations to offer technical assistance to restaurants in their communities. | $250,000 |
| Food Rescue US Stamford, CT | To support the development and implementation of a data-sharing feature within their existing food rescue web-based app to bolster restaurant food donations by creating a dedicated api endpoint that will integrate with the pos and/or inventory management systems commonly used by restaurant partners. | $200,000 |
| EARTHDAY365 DBA Green Dining Alliance St. Louis, MT | To support the development of a food waste track as part of their certification program through which restaurants will receive direct support from a food waste coach. | $100,000 |
| Connectedfresh Company Gardena, CA | To support the enhancement and expansion of its 24/7 monitoring solutions to include advanced inventory management and waste tracking. | $100,000 |
| Prism Pleasant Grove, UT | To support the testing of as well as prototype enhancements and production of their storage system designed for restaurants to extend the lifespan of fresh produce. | $60,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,218,674 | $13,222,438 | $8,630,104 | $1,010,000 | 6 | $295,732 |
| 2023 | $10,012,463 | $12,394,783 | $6,268,073 | $766,750 | 6 | $25,942 |
| 2022 | $3,888,431 | $5,483,716 | $4,840,302 | $265,000 | 4 | $334 |
| 2021 | $3,245,213 | $3,044,504 | $2,920,683 | — | — | $161 |
| 2020 | $3,525,220 | $8,527,595 | $6,828,707 | $3,511,440 | 37 | — |
About Refed Inc
Based on IRS filings
Refed Inc is a public charity focused on Food, Agriculture & Nutrition, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $15.2M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 6 grants totaling $1.0M. Net investment income was $296K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Refed Inc is led by Dana Gunders Rivero, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 9 of 22 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dana Gunders Rivero
President
Executive Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$225K (2020) → $258K (2024)
Pamela Murphy
Board Chair
Chair & Board of Directors → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Franklin
Director of Finance & Administration
Operations Director → Director of Finance & Administration, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$122K (2020) → $138K (2024)
Jeffrey Costantino
Communications Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$126K (2021) → $149K (2024)
Dina Sinclair
Director of Engineering
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$136K (2024)
Charles C. Savitt
Director
Director → Member & Board of Directors, 2021
Member & Board of Directors → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eduardo Romero
Director
Secretary & Board of Directors → Member & Board of Directors, 2022
Member & Board of Directors → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yalmaz Siddiqui
Director
Director → Member & Board of Directors, 2021
Member & Board of Directors → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Rhodes
Director
Member & Board of Directors → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shashank Mohan
Director
Member & Board of Directors → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Silverthorne
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ida Posner
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jack Pestello
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janine Guillot
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Slusser
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandria Coari
Vice President, Capital, Innovation & Global Initiatives
Vice President, Capital, Innovation & Engagement → Vice President, Capital & Innovation, 2023
Vice President, Capital & Innovation → Vice President, Capital, Innovation & Global Initiatives, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$130K (2020) → $179K (2024)
Jacqueline Suggitt
Vice President, Business Initiatives & Community Engagement
Stakeholder Engagement Director → Director, Capital & Innovation, 2023
Director, Capital & Innovation → Vice President, Business Initiatives & Community Engagement, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$121K (2020) → $132K (2024)
Shawn Shepherd
Vice President, Operations & Finance
Development Director → Vice President, Operations & Finance, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$113K (2021) → $188K (2024)
Asch Harwood
Vice President, Data & Insights
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$147K (2022) → $169K (2024)
Travis Wright
Vice President & Product
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$127K (2024)
Emily Ma
Secretary
Member & Board of Directors → Secretary & Board of Directors, 2022
Secretary & Board of Directors → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Swartz
Treasurer
Treasurer → Treasurer & Board of Directors, 2021
Treasurer & Board of Directors → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Stacey G. Koehnke (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Angelica Veza (2023) — Senior Manager, Capital, Innovation & Engagement
- Former: Jeffery Zurita (2023) — Software Engineer
- Former: Samuel Buck (2023) — Senior Manager & Development
- Former: Eric Woods (2022) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Jesse Fink (2020–2021) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Nicola Dixon (2020–2021) — Chair & Board of Directors
- Former: Christopher Cochran (2020) — Former Executive Director
- Former: Nicole Sturzenberger (2020) — Development Manager
- Former: Rob Kaplan (2020) — Treasurer & Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $258K, to Dana Gunders Rivero (President). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Refed Inc
How much does Refed Inc give each year?
Refed Inc gave $1.0M across 6 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $767K across 6 grants.
What is Refed Inc's typical grant size?
Refed Inc's median grant in 2024 was $150,000, and its average grant was $168,333, across 6 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Refed Inc give grants?
Refed Inc's top state is New York, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Massachusetts (25%) and Connecticut (20%).
Does Refed Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on Refed Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Refed Inc's largest grantees?
Refed Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Afterlife Ag ($300,000), Center for Ecotechnology ($250,000) and Food Rescue US ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Refed Inc?
Refed Inc reported $15.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.2M.
What is Refed Inc?
Refed Inc is a public charity focused on Food, Agriculture & Nutrition, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $15.2M in total assets as of 2024.
What is Refed Inc's EIN?
Refed Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-1579781. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Refed Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Refed Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?