Rippleworks Inc
Rippleworks Inc is a private foundation based in Redwood City, California, founded in 2015. The organization takes a venture-centric approach to supporting social impact organizations, providing practical operational support alongside funding to help entrepreneurs and their teams scale their impact.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$40.4M
-24.5% YoY
Grant Count
92
-13.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$439K
-13.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Rippleworks' mission is to be relentlessly focused on the needs of social ventures, providing the practical support impactful entrepreneurs and their teams need to improve more lives. The organization envisions a world where all people have equitable access to the resources and opportunities to live life to their fullest potential.
Primary focus areas include:
- Access to education and healthcare
- Environmental resilience
- Community development
- Sustainable agriculture and economic development
- Workforce development and job training
Grantmaking
Rippleworks operates four primary programs:
Grant Range
$20 to $20,000,000
Average Grant
amount varies by program type ($262,500 to $1,000,000)
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Rippleworks funds social ventures in the United States and around the world, with particular emphasis on California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $1,419,088,778
- Total revenue: $149,419,625
- Total expenses: $56,031,456
- Total liabilities: $9,480,000
Historical context: Rippleworks Foundation was established as one of the first-ever cryptocurrency-endowed foundations through backing from Chris Larsen and Ripple.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | $1,428,789,967 |
| 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
177 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Commonlit Inc ($3,000,000), The Luminos Fund ($3,000,000), Acceso Impact Inc ($3,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GGEM FARMING (TRANCHE #2) DOVER, DE | TO SUPPORT GRANTEE'S WORK WITH SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AND GROWING THEIR INCOMES SUSTAINABLY. | $1,000,000 |
| JAZA ENERGY INC | TALENT SUPPORT AND HUMAN CAPITAL PROJECT | $500,000 |
| ORGANIZATION FOR REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT SUCCESS MANCHESTER, NH | GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| FRIENDSHIP BENCH | TO FUND THE GRANTEE'S NATIONAL SCALE EFFORTS | $2,000,000 |
| IMAGINE WORLDWIDE MILL VALLEY, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| THE NUDGE FOUNDATION IRVING, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $500,000 |
| COMMONLIT INC WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $3,000,000 |
| THE LUMINOS FUND BOSTON, MA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $3,000,000 |
| OUR JUST FUTURE PORTLAND, OR | GENERAL SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| THE CITY EATS SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Doug Galen: President/CEO (40 hours/week, $845,945 compensation)
- Chris Larsen: Secretary/Treasurer (1 hour/week)
- Anushka Ratnayake: Board Member (1 hour/week)
- John Carroll: Controller (40 hours/week, $223,274 compensation)
Rippleworks was co-founded in 2015 by Chris Larsen and Doug Galen, who previously worked together building E-Loan, one of the first online lending startups, in 1997.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOUG GALEN | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $845,945 |
| CHRISTIAN LARSEN | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ANUSHKA RATNAYAKE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JOHN CARROLL | CONTROLLER | 40 | $223,274 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Since its launch in 2015, Rippleworks has:
Completed over 50 user interviews with entrepreneurs, impact funders, and on-the-ground teams to inform program design (2014)
Launched initial five projects with support from Omidyar Network (2015)
Led a global research initiative with McKinsey and Omidyar Network, publishing "How Social Enterprises Can Find The Talent to Scale" (2016)
Reached a milestone of 50 completed projects (2017)
Supported numerous leaders through Leaders Studio workshops
Distributed significant catalytic capital to social ventures globally
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rippleworks Inc fund?
Rippleworks' mission is to be relentlessly focused on the needs of social ventures, providing the practical support impactful entrepreneurs and their teams need to improve more lives. The organization envisions a world where all people have equitable access to the resources and opportunities to live life to their fullest potential. Primary focus areas include: • Access to education and healthcare • Environmental resilience • Community development • Sustainable agriculture and economic developme…
How do I apply for a grant from Rippleworks Inc?
Rippleworks operates four primary programs: **Projects**: High-impact, short-term advisory projects that pair organizations with industry experts to tackle critical operational challenges and accelerate growth. **Expert Office Hours**: One-on-one support for organizations to discuss pressing business needs with industry experts. **Leaders Studio**: Interactive, expert-led learning programs for leaders to gain critical skills needed to grow and lead their teams to success. **Capital**: Flexible,…
Where does Rippleworks Inc make grants?
Rippleworks funds social ventures in the United States and around the world, with particular emphasis on California, New York, and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does Rippleworks Inc award?
In 2024, Rippleworks Inc awarded 92 grants totaling $40.4M — an average of about $439K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Rippleworks Inc's EIN?
Rippleworks Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5604812. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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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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