Root Capital Inc
Root Capital Inc is a Cambridge, Massachusetts–based public charity, formed in 1999. It supports small and growing agricultural businesses connected to smallholder farmers through financing, training, and other capacity-building services, with the aim of strengthening rural livelihoods and resilience.
Root Capital Inc at a glance
In short: Root Capital Inc reported $361K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Grants paid (2025)
- $360,960 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
- -38.1% vs 2024
- Total assets
- $115,948,053
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $21,986,520
- -7.6% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $1,960,204
- -23.6% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $25,658,085
- -30.8% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Root Capital Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 245 Main Street 2Nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: (617) 661-5792
Website: https://rootcapital.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Root Capital Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
7 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 4 grants of 7 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Root Capital’s website lists Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia as locations where businesses may be eligible to apply for its services. Its mission and 2025 filing also refer broadly to work in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Root Capital Inc gives
- Giving grew 394% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $19K (2022) to $1.7M (2020). In 2025 it reported $361K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Relief Services Baltimore, MD | Development of Reporting and Evaluations | $583,458 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Figures below are reported in IRS filings for the specified year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $115,948,053 | $21,986,520 | $25,658,085 | $360,960 | Total only | $1,960,204 |
| 2024 | $117,862,030 | $23,802,639 | $37,085,768 | $583,458 | 1 | $2,565,642 |
| 2023 | $120,379,681 | $29,107,606 | $32,505,312 | $485,960 | 3 | $2,374,980 |
| 2022 | $129,626,012 | $52,823,176 | $22,889,458 | $19,444 | 1 | $470,959 |
| 2021 | $100,873,290 | $34,310,202 | $19,491,258 | $118,110 | 2 | $39,333 |
| 2020 | $84,001,332 | $21,396,934 | $21,403,010 | $1,671,518 | Total only | $116,301 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Root Capital’s stated mission is to grow rural prosperity and build the resilience of farming families around the world. Its 2025 filing says it seeks to increase farmer incomes and stabilize employment by supporting agricultural businesses that collect and market crops from farmers. The filing also describes work to empower women, conserve ecosystems, and create opportunities for the next generation.
The organization provides credit and capacity building to agricultural businesses, including businesses that may not be reached by commercial lenders. Its filing describes loans and lines of credit, as well as advisory training in areas such as financial management, governance, agronomic capacity, climate resilience, and gender equity. It also describes efforts to study and share learning across the sector. These are services to businesses and sector partners, not evidence of an outside grant application program.
Grantmaking
IRS filing data report one grant totaling $583,458 in 2024 and three grants totaling $485,960 in 2023. The 2025 filing reports no grants. The available information does not identify the recipients or amounts of individual grants, so typical grant size and notable grantees cannot be determined from it.
Root Capital’s website explains how eligible agricultural businesses can inquire about its financing and advisory services. That process is for accessing those services; the available information does not specify a process for applying for grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Scott Amero and Sophie Romana as co-chairs. Listed board members are Ana Zacapa, Lindsay Bolger (through September 15, 2025), Marissa Wesely, Mario Fernandez, Salah Goss, Macani Toungara, Hans Muzoora, and Fleur Boos.
Root Capital Inc is led by William Foote, Founder & CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 12 of 29 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Foote
Founder & CEO
CEO & President → CEO & Founder, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$321K (2020) → $342K (2025)
Emily Nichols
Senior Director of Ipp
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$175K (2025)
Sarah Forcino
Senior Director & Credit Administration
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$147K (2025)
Alexandra Tuinstra
Chief Programs Officer
Chief Program Officer → Chief Strategy Officer, 2023
Chief Strategy Officer → Chief Programs Officer, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$135K (2020) → $226K (2025)
Benjamin Witkop
Vice President, Head of Investment & Credit Risk
Head of Lending, West Africa & Asia → Senior Director, Global Lending & Innovation, 2021
Senior Director, Global Lending & Innovation → Vice President, Head of Investment & Credit Risk, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$126K (2020) → $184K (2025)
Bryan Woliner
CFO
CFO & Treasurer → CFO, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$191K (2020) → $167K (2025)
Jean Forrester
Controller, Vice President Investor Relation & Treasurer
Controller & Vice President Investor Relations → Controller, Vice President Investor Relation & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$174K (2020) → $223K (2025)
Marli Porth
Chief of Staff & Clerk
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$107K (2020) → $151K (2025)
Alice Burke
General Counsel
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$226K (2024) → $218K (2025)
Soledad Villarruel
Chief Human Resources Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$209K (2024) → $203K (2025)
Daniel Rivera
Head of Lending in Latin America
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$166K (2025)
Gian Fabbri
CFO
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$186K (2025)
Ana Zacapa
Board Member
Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Bolger
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Macani Toungara
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mario Fernandez
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marissa Wesely
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Salah Goss
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sophie Romana
Co-Chair
Board Member → Co-Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hans Muzoora
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Amero
Co-Chair
Board Member → Co-Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fleur Boos
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Richardson
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jehiel Oliver
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Brown
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana Francois
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eduardo Briceno
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Teresa Villanueva
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Johnson
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Darcy Salinger (2020–2024) — Chief Credit Officer
- Former: Frances Reid (2020–2024) — COO & President
- Former: Mary Barton Dock (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Scott McDonald (2020–2024) — Chief External Affairs Officer · Filing note: Thru dec 2024
- Former: Maureen McGregor (2023–2024) — Senior Director, Marketing & Communications · Filing note: Thru dec 2024
- Former: Robbie Witkop (2024) — Lending Analyst
- Former: Grant Gund (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jan-Maarten Mulder (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Ken Bartels (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Angela Prosek (2022–2023) — Senior Director, Inst. Philathropy & Partners
- Former: Cd Glin (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Eugene Weil (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Jack Taylor (2020–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Gina Trieste (2022) — Chief People Officer
- Former: Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: James Benenson III (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Nancy Everett (2020–2021) — General Counsel & Chief Talent Officer
- Former: Peggy Clark (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mary Beth Cote - Jenssen (2021) — Chief Partnership Officer
- Former: Amy Mullen (2020) — Chief Development Officer
- Former: Rick Peyser (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Steven Nocka (2020) — Chief Lending Officer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $342K, to William Foote (Founder & CEO). 12 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Root Capital Inc
How much does Root Capital Inc give each year?
Root Capital Inc reported $361K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it gave $583K across 1 grant.
How large is Root Capital Inc?
Root Capital Inc reported $115.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $22.0M.
What does Root Capital Inc fund?
Root Capital’s stated mission is to grow rural prosperity and build the resilience of farming families around the world. Its 2025 filing says it seeks to increase farmer incomes and stabilize employment by supporting agricultural businesses that collect and market crops from farmers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Root Capital Inc?
Root Capital Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check rootcapital.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does Root Capital Inc make grants?
Root Capital’s website lists Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia as locations where businesses may be eligible to apply for its services. Its mission and 2025 filing also refer broadly to work in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
What is Root Capital Inc's EIN?
Root Capital Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3478123. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Root Capital Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?