Sustainable Markets Foundation
Sustainable Markets Foundation is a public charity based in New York, NY. The organization’s stated mission is to promote environmental protection, energy efficiency, consumer protection, health and safety, and good government. Its programs include public education and research on clean energy and just transitions, pollution prevention, and environmental conservation.
Key facts about Sustainable Markets Foundation
In short: Sustainable Markets Foundation gave $11.5M across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $240K), top state Delaware. 69% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 13-4188834
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,543,302
- Grants made (2025)
- 48
- Average grant
- $240,485
- Median grant
- $58,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 69% first-time grantees (33 of 48, 2025)
- Total assets
- $59,103,600
- Primary geography
- Delaware (39% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$59.1M
+15.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.5M
-12.8% YoY
Grant Count
48
-9.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$240K
-3.7% YoY
Is Sustainable Markets Foundation open to new grantees?
69%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 33 of 48 grantees (69%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $278K; repeat grants $158K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $57K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote environmental protection, energy efficiency, consumer protection, health and safety, and good government. Its filing describes three programs: Clean Energy & Just Transition, which educates the public about a safe and healthy energy sector and equitable transitions protecting workers, communities, and economies; Pollution Prevention, which researches and educates the public about pollution prevention; and Environmental Conservation, which addresses environmental protection, natural-resource conservation, recycling, and clean air, water, and ecosystems.
The 2025 grants included support for organizations with a range of missions. For example, Goodpower Education Fund says it works to accelerate the global transition to a decarbonized economy; Consumer Watchdog describes educational, research, and litigation work on consumer and public-interest issues; and GreenFaith says it equips and mobilizes religious communities to act for the Earth. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 48 grants totaling $11,543,302. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $4,000,000, with a median grant of $58,500. Among the largest awards were $4,000,000 to Fossil Free Media for clean energy and just transition; $1,024,379 to SOC PROT UNDERGROUND NTWKS for environmental conservation; $900,000 to 350Seattle for environmental conservation; and $600,000 to Ctr for Law and Human Values for journalism and civics. Other large awards included $500,000 to Rockefeller Phil Adv for clean energy and just transition and $440,000 to Reloop Amer Research Inst for environmental conservation.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Delaware (39%), New York (18%), Illinois (9%), Washington (9%), and the District of Columbia (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5.4M (2021) to $13.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 48 grants totaling $11.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fossil Free Media ($4.0M). Together the top 10 received $9.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
303 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 303 (56%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fossil Free Media Dover, DE | Clean Energy And Just Transition | $4,000,000 |
| Soc Prot Underground NTWKS Chicago, IL | Environmental Conservation | $1,024,379 |
| 350Seattle Seattle, WA | Environmental Conservation | $900,000 |
| Ctr for Law and Human Values Ossining, NY | Journalism And Civics | $600,000 |
| Rockefeller Phil Adv New York, NY | Clean Energy And Just Transition | $500,000 |
| Reloop Amer Research Inst Wilmington, DE | Environmental Conservation | $440,000 |
| Third Act Education Fund Nassau, NY | Env. Conserv. & Pollution Prev. | $401,500 |
| Center for Biological Diversi Tucson, AZ | Clean Energy And Just Transition | $400,000 |
| IIFDS Batani Yarmouth, ME | Human Rights | $356,666 |
| Food and Water Watch Washington, DC | Pollution Prevention | $335,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,103,600 | $47,524,141 | $41,302,876 | $11,543,302 |
| 2024 | $51,207,046 | $47,993,848 | $41,478,897 | $13,230,207 |
| 2023 | $44,167,374 | $39,210,071 | $30,565,908 | $7,182,435 |
The foundation reported 53 grants in 2024 and 86 in 2023.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $59,103,600 | $51,207,046 | $44,167,374 |
| Revenue | $47,524,141 | $47,993,848 | $39,210,071 |
| Expenses | $41,302,876 | $41,478,897 | $30,565,908 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,218,216 | $2,340,075 | $1,139,145 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth Hitchcock as President; Stephen Kleinberg as Secretary and Treasurer; John Richard as Vice President; and Jay R Halfon as Director and General Counsel.
Sustainable Markets Foundation is led by Elizabeth Hitchcock, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Hitchcock
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Richard
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
STEPHEN KLEINBERG Secretary
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
JAY R HALFON Director
General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
35 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: JAY R HALFON dir gen Couns (2023–2024) — CEO
- Former: Stephen Kleinberg (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Jay R. Halfon (2020–2022) — Director & General
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 40 West 37Th St Ste 1000, New York, NY 10018
Phone: (212) 764-0521
Website: https://un.org
Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Markets Foundation
How much does Sustainable Markets Foundation give each year?
Sustainable Markets Foundation gave $11.5M across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $13.2M across 53 grants.
What is Sustainable Markets Foundation's typical grant size?
Sustainable Markets Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $58,500, and its average grant was $240,485, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sustainable Markets Foundation that year got $278K on average.
Where does Sustainable Markets Foundation give grants?
Sustainable Markets Foundation's top state is Delaware, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Illinois (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does Sustainable Markets Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 48 grants with a stated purpose on Sustainable Markets Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Clean Energy And Just Transition" (18 grants), "Environmental Conservation" (17 grants) and "Journalism And Civics" (5 grants).
Who are Sustainable Markets Foundation's largest grantees?
Sustainable Markets Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fossil Free Media ($4,000,000), Soc Prot Underground NTWKS ($1,024,379) and 350Seattle ($900,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sustainable Markets Foundation?
Sustainable Markets Foundation reported $59.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $47.5M.
What does Sustainable Markets Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to promote environmental protection, energy efficiency, consumer protection, health and safety, and good government. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sustainable Markets Foundation?
Sustainable Markets Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check un.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Sustainable Markets Foundation's EIN?
Sustainable Markets Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4188834. 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.
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