The 85 Fund
The 85 Fund is a public charity based in Fort Worth, Texas, formed in 2004. It makes grants and undertakes public-education activities related to constitutionalism, limited government, religious liberty, the courts, education policies, and election reforms.
The 85 Fund at a glance
In short: The 85 Fund gave $118.2M across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $3.0M), mostly in Virginia. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $118,172,181
- +16.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,030,056
- +13.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $110,000
- Total assets
- $2,754,902
- -29.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (15 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (59% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The 85 Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 201 Main Street Ste 1375, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: (817) 661-4087
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The 85 Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Donors Trust ($67.9M). Together the top 10 received $114.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
188 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 188 (22%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (59%) and Connecticut (33%), followed by the District of Columbia (4%), New York (2%), and Wisconsin (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The 85 Fund open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 39 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2.9M; repeat grants $3.1M. How we count
Medians: $300K first-time, $95K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $34.3M (2020) to $118.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $118.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donors Trust Alexandria, VA | General Support | $67,900,000 |
| Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund New Haven, CT | General Support | $39,000,000 |
| Club for Growth Foundation Washington, DC | General Support | $1,500,000 |
| Ethics and Public Policy Center Washington, DC | General Support | $1,325,000 |
| Hawthorn Foundation Inc New York City, NY | General Support | $1,100,000 |
| Paragon Health Institute Arlington, VA | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Fidelis Center for Law and Policy Madison, WI | General Support | $925,000 |
| Maine Policy Institute Portland, ME | General Support | $760,000 |
| Triton Research Institute West Bridgewater, MA | General Support | $500,000 |
| The Tikvah Fund New York, NY | General Support | $450,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The 85 Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,754,902 | $168,530,018 | $169,654,423 | $118,172,181 | 39 |
| 2023 | $3,879,307 | $143,050,000 | $145,383,583 | $101,373,531 | 38 |
| 2022 | $6,212,890 | $134,753,000 | $138,818,674 | $103,981,687 | 39 |
| 2021 | $10,278,564 | $117,315,050 | $113,588,711 | $79,916,648 | 28 |
| 2020 | $6,552,225 | $65,777,856 | $59,753,082 | $34,316,291 | 44 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s stated mission is “to educate the public and support activities that highlight the relationship between structural limits on government power and the protection of our dignity and our freedoms.” Its filing describes grants and other activities intended to educate the public about constitutionalism, limited government, religious liberty, the role of the courts, education policies, and election reforms.
Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Donors Trust describes its work as supporting charities and programs addressing social needs and encouraging private philanthropy. The Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund says it facilitates philanthropy through donor-advised funds and other charitable giving vehicles. The Club for Growth Foundation says it educates the public about free markets and pro-growth policies, while the Ethics and Public Policy Center describes applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to public policy. Paragon Health Institute describes itself as a health-policy research institute. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, The 85 Fund reported 39 grants totaling $118,172,181. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $67,900,000, with a median of $110,000. The largest awards included $67,900,000 to Donors Trust and $39,000,000 to the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, both for general support. Other large grants included $1,500,000 to the Club for Growth Foundation, $1,325,000 to the Ethics and Public Policy Center, $1,100,000 to Hawthorn Foundation, and $1,000,000 to Paragon Health Institute; each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Todd Graves as director and chairman; Carrie Severino as director and secretary; and Gary Marx as director and treasurer. It also lists Ormal Skinner, Jason Snead, Chad Ennis, Ann Corkery, and Jacqueline Doyer as counsel.
The 85 Fund is led by Todd Graves, Director & Chairman on every filing since 2020; 6 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Todd Graves
Director & Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carrie Severino
Director & Secretary
Director & Seretary → Director & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$171K (2020) → $216K (2024)
Gary Marx
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Corkery
Counsel
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$133K (2022) → $212K (2024)
Jason Snead
Counsel
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$195K (2022) → $265K (2024)
Ormal Skinner
Counsel
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$278K (2022) → $308K (2024)
Chad Ennis
Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$156K (2023) → $223K (2024)
Jacqueline Doyer
Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$115K (2023) → $173K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Trent England (2022) — Counsel
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $308K, to Ormal Skinner (Counsel). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The 85 Fund
How much does The 85 Fund give each year?
The 85 Fund gave $118.2M across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $101.4M across 38 grants.
What is The 85 Fund's typical grant size?
The 85 Fund's median grant in 2024 was $110,000, and its average grant was $3,030,056, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The 85 Fund that year got $2.9M on average.
Where does The 85 Fund give grants?
The 85 Fund gives mostly in Virginia: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Connecticut (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (14 grants), Arlington, VA (3 grants), Alexandria, VA (2 grants) and New Haven, CT (2 grants).
Does The 85 Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of The 85 Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "501c3 Activities Only" (3 grants).
Who are The 85 Fund's largest grantees?
The 85 Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Donors Trust ($67,900,000), Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund ($39,000,000) and Club for Growth Foundation ($1,500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The 85 Fund?
The 85 Fund reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $168.5M.
What does The 85 Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is “to educate the public and support activities that highlight the relationship between structural limits on government power and the protection of our dignity and our freedoms.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The 85 Fund?
The 85 Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The 85 Fund's EIN?
The 85 Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2466871. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 6, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The 85 Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The 85 Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-85-fund-morg_be73a5bdfe8d4650bd7b157542072931
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202466871_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The 85 Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-85-fund-morg_be73a5bdfe8d4650bd7b157542072931},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 The 85 Fund'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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