The Bancroft Foundation Inc

Foundation · Grantmaker Baltimore, MD EIN: 31-1644387

The Bancroft Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 1999. It provides grants to public charitable organizations for education and environmental work.

Key facts about The Bancroft Foundation Inc

In short: The Bancroft Foundation Inc gave $743K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in California. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.

EIN
31-1644387
Latest 990 filing
Form 990 filing, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$743,218
Grants made (2024)
26
Average grant
$28,585
Median grant
$25,000
New grantees (estimate)
15% first-time grantees (4 of 26, 2024)
Total assets
$702,557
Primary geography
California (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing

Total Assets

$703K

+6.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$743K

+9.5% YoY

Grant Count

26

+4.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$29K

+5.3% YoY

Is The Bancroft Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

15%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 4 of 26 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $27K. How we count

Medians: $38K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 38% from 2021 to 2024. Method

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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s stated mission is to take active participation, responsibility, and stewardship in the future of its community, state, region, nation, and beyond, and to alleviate inadequacies in education and the environment. Its program description says it provides grants to public charitable organizations that benefit education and the environment.

Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supported. North Bay Jobs with Justice describes its work as building power and winning economic and racial justice for workers on the front lines of climate change. Community Water Center says it promotes access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water, particularly for low-income communities. The Climate Center describes itself as working to reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California. Sonoma Land Trust says it works to protect Sonoma County’s natural, cultural, agricultural, and open landscapes.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $743,218. Awards ranged from $6,750 to $50,750, with a median of $25,000. The largest reported awards included $50,750 to North Bay Jobs with Justice; $50,000 each to Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, North Bay Organizing Project, Community Water Center, and CCEJN; and $45,000 to The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. The listed grants were for general support.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 7% to recipients in Maryland, and 3% to recipients in the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of all 26 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

Cities

Santa RosaWashingtonHealdsburgBaltimoreAnnapolisNapaOccidentalPetalumaSan FranciscoSebastopolTakoma ParkBolinasFresnoReisterstownVisaliaBladensburgCalabasasNational CitySilver SpringGraton

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K30 grants202027 grants202129 grants202225 grants202326 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

North Bay Jobs with Justice: $51KNorth Bay Jobs with Justice$51KHealthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County: $50KHealthcare Foundation NorthernSonoma County$50KNorth Bay Organizing Project: $50KNorth Bay Organizing Project$50KCommunity Water Center: $50KCommunity Water Center$50KCcejn: $50KCcejn$50KThe Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore: $45KThe Associated JewishCommunity Federation of…$45KThe Climate Center: $35KThe Climate Center$35KSonoma Land Trust: $30KSonoma Land Trust$30KLandpaths: $26KLandpaths$26KCalifornia Environmental Justice Alliance: $26KCalifornia EnvironmentalJustice Alliance$26K

Grant Size Distribution

137 grants across all recorded years

123<$50K14$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
NORTH BAY JOBS WITH JUSTICE Santa Rosa, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,750
HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION NORTHERN SONOMA COUNTY Healdsburg, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,000
NORTH BAY ORGANIZING PROJECT Santa Rosa, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,000
COMMUNITY WATER CENTER Visalia, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,000
CCEJN Fresno, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,000
THE ASSOCIATED JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION OF BALTIMORE Baltimore, MDGENERAL SUPPORT$45,000
THE CLIMATE CENTER Santa Rosa, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$35,000
SONOMA LAND TRUST Santa Rosa, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$30,000
LANDPATHS Santa Rosa, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$26,000
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ALLIANCE Oakland, CAGENERAL SUPPORT$26,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $702,557 $851,487 $830,819 $743,218
2023 $662,633 $830,488 $768,110 $678,625
2022 $551,500 $423,117 $771,467 $661,562
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$250K$500K$750K$1M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$702,557$662,633$551,500
Revenue$851,487$830,488$423,117
Expenses$830,819$768,110$771,467
Qualifying Distributions———
Net Investment Income$36,487$15,488$23,117
Distributable Amount———

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Karen H. Kreisberg as president and public director; Marc Kahn as vice president and donor director/member; Howard B. Miller as secretary and public director; and Betsy L. Krieger as treasurer and donor director. It also lists Dana Kahn and Jean K. Kahn as donor directors, Anne L. Jacobs and Gary Schoenemann as public directors, Marc B. Terrill as a public director until July 2024, and Andrew Cushnir as a public director as of April 2024.

The filing states that Marc Kahn, Jean K. Kahn, Betsy L. Krieger, and Dana Kahn have a family relationship. It also reports a business relationship between public directors Marc B. Terrill and Andrew Cushnir, who are employed by a related organization of which both are officers.

The Bancroft Foundation Inc is led by Karen H. Kreisberg, President & Public Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 10 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Karen H. Kreisberg

    President & Public Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anne L. Jacobs

    Public Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Betsy L. Krieger

    Treasurer & Donor Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gary Schoenemann

    Public Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Howard B. Miller

    Secretary & Public Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jean K. Kahn

    Donor Director & Member

    Donor Director → Donor Director & Member, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marc B. Terrill

    Public Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marc Kahn

    Vice President, Donor Director & Member

    Vice President & Donor Director → Vice President, Donor Director & Member, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dana Kahn

    Donor Director

    On filings since 2023

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew Cushnir

    Public Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    0.2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: David Kandel (2020–2022) — Donor Director

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.

Contact

Mailing address: 5700 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215
Phone: (410) 727-4828

Frequently asked questions about The Bancroft Foundation Inc

How much does The Bancroft Foundation Inc give each year?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc gave $743K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $679K across 25 grants.

What is The Bancroft Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $28,585, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bancroft Foundation Inc that year got $35K on average.

Where does The Bancroft Foundation Inc give grants?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Rosa, CA (8 grants), Healdsburg, CA (2 grants), Fresno, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does The Bancroft Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Bancroft Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.

Who are The Bancroft Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include North Bay Jobs with Justice ($50,750), Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County ($50,000) and North Bay Organizing Project ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Bancroft Foundation Inc?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc reported $703K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $851K.

What does The Bancroft Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation’s stated mission is to take active participation, responsibility, and stewardship in the future of its community, state, region, nation, and beyond, and to alleviate inadequacies in education and the environment. Its program description says it provides grants to public charitable organizations that benefit education and the environment. Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supported. North Bay Jobs with Justice describes its work as building power a…

How do I apply for a grant from The Bancroft Foundation Inc?

In 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $743,218. Awards ranged from $6,750 to $50,750, with a median of $25,000. The largest reported awards included $50,750 to North Bay Jobs with Justice; $50,000 each to Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, North Bay Organizing Project, Community Water Center, and CCEJN; and $45,000 to The Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. The listed grants were for general support. The filing says grants to organizations other than th…

What is The Bancroft Foundation Inc's EIN?

The Bancroft Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1644387. 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.

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