The Black Dog Foundation
THE BLACK DOG FOUNDATION is a private foundation based in The Plains, Virginia. It made 20 grants totaling $124,250 in filing year 2025; its 2024 filing states that it conducts no direct charitable activities.
Key facts about The Black Dog Foundation
In short: The Black Dog Foundation gave $124K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state District of Columbia. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 04-3721096
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $124,250
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- Average grant
- $6,213
- Median grant
- $5,250
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 20, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,720,182
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
+1.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$124K
-12.2% YoY
Grant Count
20
+5.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-16.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Black Dog Foundation reported a distributable amount of $103K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Black Dog Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 20 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as humanitarian response, environmental conservation, reproductive decision-making, legal and social services, health care, and literacy. For example, World Central Kitchen says it provides meals during humanitarian, climate, and community crises; the Nature Conservancy of Virginia received a grant for general use. These describe the grantees’ work, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $124,250. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $19,250, with a median of $5,250. All listed purposes for the largest grants were “general use.”
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states and the District of Columbia: DC accounted for 33%, Virginia 30%, Maryland 15%, Massachusetts 6%, and an unspecified state 7%. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $101K (2019) to $152K (2021). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $124K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doctors Without Borders (Medicnes Sans Frontiers) ($19K). Together the top 10 received $96K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 98 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders (Medicnes Sans Frontiers) Hagerstown, MD | General Use | $19,250 |
| World Resources Institute Washington, DC | General Use | $13,000 |
| Nature Conservancy of Virginia Arlington, VA | General Use | $12,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Washington, DC | General Use | $10,000 |
| Halo Trust | General Use | $9,000 |
| Partners in Health Boston, MA | General Use | $7,500 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Use | $7,000 |
| Wamu Washington, DC | General Use | $6,500 |
| ACLU of Virginia Richmond, VA | General Use | $6,000 |
| NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund New York, NY | General Use | $5,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,720,182 | $176,810 | $147,443 | $124,250 |
| 2024 | $1,690,815 | $93,278 | $161,360 | $141,500 |
| 2023 | $1,758,897 | $118,990 | $125,564 | $107,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,720,182 | $1,690,815 | $1,758,897 |
| Revenue | $176,810 | $93,278 | $118,990 |
| Expenses | $147,443 | $161,360 | $125,564 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $126,770 | $141,500 | $109,467 |
| Net Investment Income | $155,246 | $72,778 | $76,949 |
| Distributable Amount | $103,349 | $113,082 | $105,119 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Timothy P Dunn, Ellen R Stofan, Ryan Dunn, Emily C Dunn, and Sarah CG Dunn as trustees.
The Black Dog Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen R. Stofan
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily C. Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy P. Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Cg Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box W, The Plains, VA 20198
Phone: (202) 361-6721
Frequently asked questions about The Black Dog Foundation
How much does The Black Dog Foundation give each year?
The Black Dog Foundation gave $124K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $142K across 19 grants.
What is The Black Dog Foundation's typical grant size?
The Black Dog Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,250, and its average grant was $6,213, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Black Dog Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Black Dog Foundation give grants?
The Black Dog Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (30%) and Maryland (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants) and Warrenton, VA (3 grants).
Does The Black Dog Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Black Dog Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Black Dog Foundation's largest grantees?
The Black Dog Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Doctors Without Borders (Medicnes Sans Frontiers) ($19,250), World Resources Institute ($13,000) and Nature Conservancy of Virginia ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Black Dog Foundation?
The Black Dog Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $127K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $103K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Black Dog Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as humanitarian response, environmental conservation, reproductive decision-making, legal and social services, health care, and literacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Black Dog Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Black Dog Foundation's EIN?
The Black Dog Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3721096. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Black Dog Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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