Seedlings Foundation
Seedlings Foundation is a private foundation based in Branford, Connecticut. It supports programs that nourish the physical and mental health of children and families and foster an educated and engaged citizenship.
Seedlings Foundation at a glance
In short: Seedlings Foundation gave $28.3M across 96 grants in 2025 (avg $295K), mostly in Connecticut. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $28,278,954
- +25.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 96
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $294,572
- +14.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $225,840,142
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (17 of 96, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Seedlings 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: 944 Main Street, Branford, CT 06405
Phone: (203) 481-5740
Website: https://seedlingsct.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Seedlings Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Truth in Advertising Inc ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $13.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
433 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 135 grants of 433 (31%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut, 15% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 14% to New York, 8% to Illinois, and 4% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 96 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Seedlings Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 96 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $207K; repeat grants $313K. How we count
Medians: $125K first-time, $150K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 140% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12.7M (2021) to $28.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 96 grants totaling $28.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Truth in Advertising Inc Branford, CT | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,980,000 |
| Friends Center for Children New Haven, CT | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,701,000 |
| Grameen America Inc Jackson Heights, NY | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,500,000 |
| National Archives Foundation Washington, DC | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,500,000 |
| Tides Foundation (Intersectional Fund) San Francisco, CA | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,500,000 |
| Clifford Beers Community Care Center Hamden, CT | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,357,500 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc (More Perfect) New York, NY | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,250,000 |
| Leap (Leadership Education & Athletics in Partnership) New Haven, CT | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,000,000 |
| Social Impact Partners Westport, CT | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $1,000,000 |
| Service Year Exchange Inc (Alliance) Washington, DC | Humanitarian/Educational/Community | $750,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Seedlings Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $225,840,142 | $52,633,827 | $31,500,209 | $28,278,954 | 96 | $30,205,820 | $51,942,684 | $21,524,409 |
| 2024 | $215,354,231 | $62,611,847 | $25,267,460 | $22,576,914 | 88 | $23,374,571 | $62,031,792 | $19,969,482 |
| 2023 | $193,952,084 | $86,918,654 | $23,668,921 | $20,563,020 | 79 | $21,484,425 | $86,314,710 | $17,331,667 |
| 2022 | $144,986,692 | $39,211,516 | $27,750,289 | $25,868,910 | 91 | $26,734,704 | $38,580,309 | $18,562,794 |
| 2021 | $139,526,871 | $5,281,922 | $15,003,923 | $12,715,396 | 79 | $13,516,057 | $4,746,428 | $17,611,837 |
| 2020 | $149,245,583 | $2,633,908 | $14,518,576 | $13,438,428 | 74 | — | $2,275,593 | $12,998,423 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Seedlings Foundation reported a distributable amount of $21.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to support programs that nourish the physical and mental health of children and families, and foster an educated and engaged citizenship. Its 2024 grants include support for education, children and families, health, journalism, and civic engagement, as reflected in the work of its grantees.
Examples include Friends Center for Children, whose mission is to educate children, empower families, inspire teachers, engage community, embrace diversity, and embody equity; Clifford Beers Community Care Center, which says it provides integrated services to improve the health and quality of life of children, families, and communities; and American Journalism Project, which describes itself as supporting local news organizations and helping launch new ones. States United Democracy Center describes its work as advancing free, fair, and secure elections.
The foundation’s Seedlings Educators Collaborative is a one-week summer workshop for public and private school teachers. It aims to promote teacher collaboration, explore project-based learning, and provide resources for designing and implementing curriculum. The foundation reports that 25–30 preschool-to-grade-five teachers attend each year. Its dyslexia program aims to educate people about signs of dyslexia and available help.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 88 grants totaling $22,576,914. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,720,000, with a median of $122,500. All itemized grants listed a purpose of “humanitarian/educational/community.” Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 96 grants totaling $28.3 million.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $1,720,000 to Truth in Advertising Inc.; $1,700,000 to Friends Center for Children; $1,600,000 to Symphony Space; $1,500,000 to Francis W. Parker School; and $1,357,500 to Clifford Beers Community Care Center. Other large grants included $1,100,000 to the National Archives Foundation, $1,000,000 to LEAP, $800,000 to National Diaper Bank Network, and $750,000 to Service Year Exchange Inc. The foundation also gave $500,000 each to American Journalism Project and States United Democracy Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Karen Pritzker as president; Toni Burt as treasurer and secretary; Linda Pritzker as secretary and director; and Audrey Ratner as director.
Seedlings Foundation is led by Karen Pritzker, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Pritzker
President
President & Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Maass
Director
New on the 2025 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Toni Burt
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2024
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Audrey Ratner (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Linda Pritzker (2020–2024) — Secretary & Director
- Former: Jack Ablin (2020–2021) — Treasurer & Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Seedlings Foundation
How much does Seedlings Foundation give each year?
Seedlings Foundation gave $28.3M across 96 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $22.6M across 88 grants.
What is Seedlings Foundation's typical grant size?
Seedlings Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $150,000, and its average grant was $294,572, across 96 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Seedlings Foundation that year got $207K on average.
Where does Seedlings Foundation give grants?
Seedlings Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Haven, CT (24 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Branford, CT (6 grants).
Does Seedlings Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 96 grants with a stated purpose on Seedlings Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Humanitarian/Educational/Community" (96 grants).
Who are Seedlings Foundation's largest grantees?
Seedlings Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Truth in Advertising Inc ($1,980,000), Friends Center for Children ($1,701,000) and Grameen America Inc ($1,500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Seedlings Foundation?
Seedlings Foundation reported $225.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $21.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Seedlings Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support programs that nourish the physical and mental health of children and families, and foster an educated and engaged citizenship. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Seedlings 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 Seedlings Foundation's EIN?
Seedlings Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3600502. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Seedlings Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Seedlings Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Seedlings Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Seedlings Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/seedlings-foundation-morg_802e864a28954b939592fc10b2030934
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043600502_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Seedlings Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/seedlings-foundation-morg_802e864a28954b939592fc10b2030934},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-09. 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 Seedlings 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.
Seedlings Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?