Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1998, it supports social change by funding research connected to social action, particularly research addressing systemic inequalities and building community capacity to influence policy and public life.
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc gave $278K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), top state Tennessee. 91% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $277,602
- +50.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,237
- +22.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $24,900
- Total assets
- $5,712,408
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 91% first-time grantees (10 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Applicants submit a short concept application online. The foundation reviews concept applications and invites a limited number of applicants to submit full proposals; invited applicants receive the full-proposal instructions and application materials. The foundation states that it funds projects sponsored by nonprofit organizations, not individuals applying on their own, and gives priority to organizations working with allies, community groups, and advocates. Its 2023 filing says grant recipients should wait one year before submitting another request and that applicants whose proposals are denied may reapply one year after the denial notice. The filing also says proposals are not considered if they lack an ongoing community-organization partnership, do not demonstrate bona fide research capacity, are led by government or municipal agencies, produce only standalone outputs without a larger social-change strategy, solely evaluate existing programs, or request operating or capital support.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 short concept application deadline was August 14, 2026 (past). Full proposals are by invitation in November, with grants disbursed in February.
- Deadline
- The 2026 short concept application deadline was August 14, 2026 (past).
- Contact
Application contact: Prentice Zinn
Mailing address: C/O Gma Foundations 2 Liberty, Square Suite 500, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 391-3091
Email: pzinn@gmafoundations.com
Website: https://www.sifoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc
Who Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of South Florida ($45K). Together the top 10 received $258K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2026 call identifies the United States and its territories as its geographic scope. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states; the largest stated shares were Tennessee and California (18% each), followed by Massachusetts and Florida (16% each) and Mississippi (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
91%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 11 grantees (91%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 0% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 129% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $154K (2020) to $278K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $278K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of South Florida Tampa, FL | Program Support | $44,500 |
| Northeastern University - Oakland Oakland, CA | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Tennessee Health Care Campaign Murfreesboro, TN | Program Support | $25,000 |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN | Program Support | $24,960 |
| Water Drop LA Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $24,929 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute-Puerto Rico Project Center Worcester, MA | Program Support | $24,900 |
| University of Mississippi University, MS | Program Support | $24,875 |
| University of Washington Center for Human Rights Seattle, WA | Program Support | $23,438 |
| Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative New Orleans, LA | Program Support | $20,000 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | Program Support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc?
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 | $5,712,408 | $357,674 | $400,404 | $277,602 | 11 | $339,972 | $300,718 | $263,162 |
| 2024 | $5,667,621 | $370,621 | $288,454 | $185,000 | 9 | $235,903 | $318,070 | $266,929 |
| 2023 | $5,161,054 | $181,231 | $328,197 | $183,921 | 9 | $265,542 | $126,076 | $252,970 |
| 2022 | $5,188,906 | $530,173 | $290,074 | $199,992 | 10 | $226,507 | $474,951 | $254,119 |
| 2021 | $5,886,669 | $499,385 | $306,259 | $180,000 | 9 | — | $437,976 | $270,406 |
| 2020 | $5,271,213 | $218,197 | $261,296 | $154,300 | 8 | — | $159,843 | $235,460 |
| 2018 | $4,696,894 | $239,591 | $341,021 | $222,806 | 15 | — | $182,723 | $227,880 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $263K 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 mission is to foster social change through projects that partner academia with community-based organizations to advance a more just and equitable society. It funds research on laws, policies, institutions, regulations, and practices that limit equality, with priorities including racism, xenophobia, classism, gender bias, exploitation, and violations of human rights and freedoms. It also supports research on language and its relationship to social and policy questions.
The foundation seeks projects with an explicit research design and a concrete connection to public or community impact. Its website emphasizes institutional rather than individual change and identifies policy development, advocacy capacity, public sentiment, and language and literacy as areas where research may contribute to change. It gives preference to community-academic partnerships, advocacy or community groups conducting research, and grassroots organizations that connect research to a constituency.
Examples among 2025 grantees include Tennessee Health Care Campaign, which describes its mission as working toward affordable, high-quality, equitable health care for Tennesseans, and Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative, which describes its mission as creating sustainable, democratic, and economically just neighborhoods and communities through a community land trust model.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 11 grants totaling $277,602. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $44,500, with a median of $24,900. The foundation’s guidelines say awards normally range from $15,000 to $30,000; its 2026 call specifies $20,000–$30,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $44,500 to the University of South Florida for program support; $25,000 to Northeastern University – Oakland for program support; $25,000 to Tennessee Health Care Campaign for program support; and $24,960 to the University of Tennessee for program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barbara Freed as vice president/treasurer, Ramona Hernandez as director, Susan Greenbaum as president/secretary, and Jonathan Gayles as director.
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc is led by Susan Greenbaum, President & Secretary since 2022 (on filings since 2018); all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Greenbaum
President & Secretary
Secretary → President & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2018
0.5 hrs/week
$5K (2018) → $5K (2025)
Jonathan Gayles
Director
On filings since 2018
0.5 hrs/week
$5K (2018) → $5K (2025)
Ramona Hernandez
Director
On filings since 2018
0.5 hrs/week
$5K (2018) → $5K (2025)
Barbara Freed
V.p. & Treasurer
On filings since 2018
0.5 hrs/week
$5K (2018) → $5K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Glenn Jacobs Passed Away (2022) — President
- Former: Glenn Jacobs (2018–2021) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 $5K, to Barbara Freed (V.P./Treasurer). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc
How much does Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc give each year?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc gave $278K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $185K across 9 grants.
What is Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $24,900, and its average grant was $25,237, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc that year got $25K on average.
Where does Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc give grants?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's top state is Tennessee, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (18%) and Massachusetts (16%).
Does Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (11 grants).
Who are Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include University of South Florida ($44,500), Northeastern University - Oakland ($25,000) and Tennessee Health Care Campaign ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $340K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $263K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to foster social change through projects that partner academia with community-based organizations to advance a more just and equitable society. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc?
Applicants submit a short concept application online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's EIN?
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-2000581. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS August 29, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sociological-initiatives-foundation-inc-morg_de56099128df4e828add47f0829d0cf1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_112000581_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sociological-initiatives-foundation-inc-morg_de56099128df4e828add47f0829d0cf1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc'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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