The Cravens Foundation
The Cravens Foundation is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations working in areas including climate policy, girls’ education, democracy, civil liberties, land conservation, design, and the arts.
The Cravens Foundation at a glance
In short: The Cravens Foundation gave $595K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in New York. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $595,000
- +54.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +35.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,316
- +13.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $5,013,668
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (13 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Cravens Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 188 8Th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone: (917) 250-7334
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cravens Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Spring Street Climate Fund ($60K). Together the top 10 received $460K.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 72 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 17% to South Carolina, 8% each to California and the District of Columbia, and 4% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Cravens Foundation open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 19 grantees (68%) 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 $25K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 26% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 46% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 170% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $293K (2023) to $595K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $595K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Street Climate Fund Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $60,000 |
| Girls Education Collaborative East Aurora, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| International African Amer Museum Charleston, SC | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Brooklyn Org Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Places Journal San Franscisco, CA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Low Country Land Trust Charleston, SC | Charitable | $50,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Democracy Forward Washington, DC | Charitable | $50,000 |
| One Community Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Torn Space Theater Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Cravens Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,013,668 | $605,102 | $692,593 | $595,000 | 19 | $605,698 | $488,265 | $355,748 |
| 2024 | $5,174,729 | $886,229 | $465,686 | $385,000 | 14 | $391,430 | $751,973 | $319,924 |
| 2023 | $4,754,794 | $50,689 | $419,214 | $292,500 | 13 | $296,245 | — | $315,364 |
| 2022 | $5,086,620 | $1,240,765 | $462,404 | $407,500 | 15 | $409,785 | $835,392 | $305,212 |
| 2021 | $4,319,014 | $985,469 | $600,292 | $548,500 | 11 | — | $836,493 | $281,377 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cravens Foundation reported a distributable amount of $356K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Spring Street Climate Fund says it backs grassroots campaigns for climate solutions in New York; Girls Education Collaborative says it partners with locally led organizations to address barriers to girls’ education in under-resourced regions of the global south; and Democracy Forward says it works to build collective power to defend and advance democracy.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as advancing civil liberties (American Civil Liberties Union), designing and advocating for buildings and environments intended to improve lives in underserved regions (MASS Design Group), promoting forest stewardship in the Catskill region (Catskill Forest Association), caring for and operating Prospect Park (Prospect Park Alliance), and presenting performing arts (St. Ann’s Warehouse).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $595,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $60,000, with a median of $25,000. Notable awards included $60,000 to Spring Street Climate Fund; $50,000 each to Girls Education Collaborative, International African American Museum, Brooklyn Org, Places Journal, Low Country Land Trust, American Civil Liberties Union, and Democracy Forward; and $25,000 each to One Community, Torn Space Theater, and MASS Design Group.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Curtis L. Cravens as trustee.
The Cravens Foundation is led by Curtis L. Cravens, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Curtis L. Cravens
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 The Cravens Foundation
How much does The Cravens Foundation give each year?
The Cravens Foundation gave $595K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $385K across 14 grants.
What is The Cravens Foundation's typical grant size?
The Cravens Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $31,316, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cravens Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does The Cravens Foundation give grants?
The Cravens Foundation gives mostly in New York: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Carolina (17%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (7 grants), Charleston, SC (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Buffalo, NY (2 grants).
Does The Cravens Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Cravens Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (19 grants).
Who are The Cravens Foundation's largest grantees?
The Cravens Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Spring Street Climate Fund ($60,000), Girls Education Collaborative ($50,000) and International African Amer Museum ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Cravens Foundation?
The Cravens Foundation reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $606K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $356K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cravens Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cravens Foundation?
The foundation 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 Cravens Foundation's EIN?
The Cravens Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-7014492. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Cravens Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Cravens Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cravens Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Guffey Family Foundation
Pennington, NJ
The Guffey Family Foundation’s 2024 grants supported educational institutions, a museum, and organizations serving children and communities, with most funding going to South Carolina and Texas. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $1,321,450, with a median of $10,000. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.3M
Grants
51
Total Given
$5.0M
Elhapa Foundation Inc
Lexington, KY
ELHAPA Foundation supports a range of charitable organizations, including those focused on education, youth, and human services. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median of $25,000; the largest shares went to organizations in South Carolina and Kentucky, followed by Virginia and North Carolina. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$33.9M
Grants
122
Total Given
$5.0M
Altman Foundation
New York, NY
The Altman Foundation funds education, health, community strengthening, cultural engagement, youth development, arts, and nonprofit services in New York City’s five boroughs, with particular interest in underserved communities. Its 2024 grants ranged from $150 to $250,000, with a median of $50,000. It accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry on a rolling basis only for its Health portfolio; it is not accepting full proposals from organizations that are not current grantees.
Assets
$286.5M
Grants
216
Total Given
$12.9M
Lily Auchincloss Foundation Inc
New York, NY
The Lily Auchincloss Foundation supports arts, the built and natural environments, and human services to improve quality of life in New York City, primarily for organizations serving its five boroughs. In 2024, grants ranged from $1,000 to $1 million, with a median of $20,000. Its filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests, though its website describes application-based Foundation Grants and nomination-only Discretionary Awards.
Assets
$55.2M
Grants
168
Total Given
$4.3M
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Chicago, IL
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation funds land conservation, arts organizations, and efforts to broaden narratives, primarily in the Chicago region and South Carolina Lowcountry. Its 2024 grants ranged from $60 to $235,500, with a median of $10,000; published arts-program grants range from $2,500–$13,500 in Chicago and $5,000–$25,000 in the Lowcountry. It accepts applications through an online system, but arts applicants are asked to contact program staff before applying.
Assets
$194.0M
Grants
355
Total Given
$7.1M
The JM Kaplan Fund Inc
New York, NY
The fund supports environment, heritage conservation, social justice, and cultural work, including early-stage projects through its J.M.K. Innovation Prize. Its 2024 grants ranged from $300 to $1.5 million, with a median of $6,000; it funds organizations in the United States and beyond. Regular grants are by invitation only, but the Innovation Prize accepts applications.
Assets
$143.6M
Grants
275
Total Given
$7.4M
More similar funders
More Funders in New York
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cravens Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cravens-foundation-morg_742f4c6ed2f84b4281854e6b5c2a4dbe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_357014492_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cravens Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cravens-foundation-morg_742f4c6ed2f84b4281854e6b5c2a4dbe},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-02. 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 Cravens Foundation'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.
The Cravens Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?