Telemachus Foundation to Empower
Telemachus Foundation to Empower is a private foundation based in Stevensville, Montana. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including peace and disarmament, human rights, child hunger, education, community enrichment, and healthcare professional development.
Telemachus Foundation to Empower at a glance
In short: Telemachus Foundation to Empower gave $245K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), top state Utah. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $244,500
- +17.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -20.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,868
- +48.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $2,354,386
- +2.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Utah (33% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Telemachus Foundation to Empower
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Deb Sawyer as the contact and states that no form or materials are required, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards. It also states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Telemachus - Deb Sawyer
Mailing address: 829 Ridge Road, Stevensville, MT 59870
Phone: (801) 746-9154
Email: dsawyer@xmission.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Telemachus Foundation to Empower funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Peace Action Education Fund ($30K). Together the top 10 received $188K.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 111 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. Utah received 33% of grant dollars, New Jersey 17%, Maryland 12%, New York 10%, and Oklahoma 8%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Telemachus Foundation to Empower open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 19 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 89% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 37% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 137% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $207K (2023) to $409K (2020). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $245K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Peace Action Education Fund Silver Spring, MD | General Support | $30,000 |
| Advocates of Silenced Turkey Wayne, NJ | General Support | $27,000 |
| Feed the Children Oklahoma City, OK | General Support | $20,000 |
| Salt Lake Community College Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | General Support | $18,000 |
| Arms Control Association Washington, DC | General Support | $16,000 |
| Emerald Hills Institute Salt Lake City, UT | General Support | $16,000 |
| Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Santa Barabara, CA | General Support | $16,000 |
| Nonviolent Peaceforce St. Paul, MN | General Support | $15,000 |
| Reprieve New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Whitetulip Health Foundation Totowa, NJ | General Support | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,354,386 | $315,158 | $267,579 | $244,500 | 19 | $246,950 | $289,443 | $180,247 |
| 2023 | $2,306,391 | $243,037 | $229,616 | $207,350 | 24 | $208,960 | $224,324 | $176,740 |
| 2022 | $2,507,286 | $273,596 | $263,322 | $245,118 | 23 | $245,128 | $256,036 | $176,762 |
| 2021 | $2,497,012 | $308,447 | $404,239 | $385,600 | 22 | $385,600 | $291,308 | $185,475 |
| 2020 | $2,592,804 | $248,328 | $439,019 | $409,155 | 23 | — | $162,881 | $186,110 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Telemachus Foundation to Empower reported a distributable amount of $180K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Peace Action Education Fund says it works to increase public understanding of disarmament, human rights abuses, and the arms trade. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation says it educates and advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons, while Nonviolent Peaceforce says it protects civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies and works with local communities to build peace.
Other grantees describe work in different areas: Feed the Children says it works to end child hunger; Salt Lake Community College Foundation says it raises funds for scholarships and college programs; and Emerald Hills Institute says it works to build cooperation and community ties. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $244,500. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable grants included:
The listed 2024 grants were designated for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Deb Sawyer as secretary. Board members listed are Wayne Martinson, Dee Rowland, Roderic Land, Virginia Lopez, Zeynep Ardic, and Ermina Mustafic.
Telemachus Foundation to Empower's 2024 filing lists 7 officers; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Deb Sawyer
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dee Rowland
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wayne Martinson
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roderic Land
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Lopez
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Zeynep Ardic
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ermina Mustafic
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Boyer Jarvis (2020–2022) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Telemachus Foundation to Empower
How much does Telemachus Foundation to Empower give each year?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower gave $245K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $207K across 24 grants.
What is Telemachus Foundation to Empower's typical grant size?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $12,868, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Telemachus Foundation to Empower that year got $16K on average.
Where does Telemachus Foundation to Empower give grants?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower's top state is Utah, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (17%) and Maryland (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (8 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Telemachus Foundation to Empower give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Telemachus Foundation to Empower's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Telemachus Foundation to Empower's largest grantees?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower's largest 2024 grantees include Peace Action Education Fund ($30,000), Advocates of Silenced Turkey ($27,000) and Feed the Children ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Telemachus Foundation to Empower?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $247K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $180K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Telemachus Foundation to Empower fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Peace Action Education Fund says it works to increase public understanding of disarmament, human rights abuses, and the arms trade. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Telemachus Foundation to Empower?
The filing lists Deb Sawyer as the contact and states that no form or materials are required, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Telemachus Foundation to Empower's EIN?
Telemachus Foundation to Empower's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-3078500. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Telemachus Foundation to Empower funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/telemachus-foundation-to-empower-morg_d940c5464f384ec69241267753e58af2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_743078500_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Telemachus Foundation to Empower funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/telemachus-foundation-to-empower-morg_d940c5464f384ec69241267753e58af2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Telemachus Foundation to Empower'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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