The Cricket Island Foundation
The Cricket Island Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Founded in 2000 by David and Georgia Welles after the sale of their family business, Therma-Tru Corporation, it supports youth-led grassroots organizations working on intersecting issues in their communities.
The Cricket Island Foundation at a glance
In short: The Cricket Island Foundation gave $1.6M across 71 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), top state New York. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,599,777
- +2.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 71
- -2.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,532
- +5.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $44,512,201
- +2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (6 of 42, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (36% 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 The Cricket Island Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and offers long-term general-operating support to existing grantee partners.
- Contact
Mailing address: 77 Bleecker Street Unit C2-14, New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 782-3730
Website: https://cricketisland.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cricket Island Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Grow DAT Youth Farm ($98K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $692K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($58,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
427 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 383 grants of 427 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation identifies New York City, New Orleans, and Chicago as its current regional cohort locations. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were New York (36%), Louisiana (20%), and Illinois (7%), followed by California (6%) and Connecticut (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 71 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Cricket Island Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 42 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $44K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 125% 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 $1.5M (2021) to $1.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 71 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grow DAT Youth Farm New Orleans, LA | General Operating Support | $85,000 |
| Rethink New Orleans, LA | General Operating Support | $65,000 |
| Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice Bronx, NY | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| Families & Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children New Orleans, LA | General Operating Support | $55,000 |
| Bend the Arc FBO Fcyo New York, NY | Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing | $50,000 |
| Neo Philanthropy Inc FBO Youth Engagement Fund New York, NY | Youth Engagement Fund | $50,000 |
| A Better Way Foundation FBO CTBBSU New Haven, CT | Leadership Transition Grant | $45,000 |
| Asian American Resource Workshop Inc Boston, MA | Leadership Transition Grant | $45,000 |
| Asian Pacific Environmental Network FBO Aypal Oakland, CA | Leadership Transition Grant | $45,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $55,000 |
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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 | $44,512,201 | $7,317,223 | $3,101,771 | $1,599,777 | 71 | $2,586,683 | $7,892,093 | $2,062,885 |
| 2023 | $43,268,458 | $874,132 | $2,952,568 | $1,562,263 | 73 | $2,588,474 | $1,059,049 | $2,061,116 |
| 2022 | $40,863,809 | $845,357 | $3,007,810 | $1,683,318 | 79 | $2,658,807 | $656,991 | $2,110,753 |
| 2021 | $51,030,339 | $3,427,632 | $2,681,434 | $1,507,675 | 80 | $2,286,799 | $3,562,475 | $2,387,589 |
| 2020 | $47,299,128 | $2,004,584 | $2,671,557 | $1,670,550 | 124 | — | $2,095,870 | $2,062,025 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cricket Island Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M 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
The Foundation’s stated mission is “to develop the capacity and commitment of young people to improve their lives and communities, as well as the world around them.” It supports grassroots organizations led by and for communities affected by the issues they address, with young people involved in planning and decision-making. Its grantmaking includes long-term organizational support, field building, and leadership transition work.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate a range of community-led work. Grow Dat Youth Farm describes its mission as nurturing a diverse group of young leaders through growing food. Gente Organizada describes its work as bringing generations together to build collective power for educational, economic, and social justice. The Asian American Resource Workshop describes its work as community organizing, leadership development, and community building for Pan-Asian communities in Greater Boston. The Semilla Project describes its work as preparing emerging leaders and developing community solutions related to climate justice and racial justice and equity.
Grantmaking
The Foundation reported 71 grants totaling $1,599,777 in 2024. Grants ranged from $750 to $85,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest reported grants included $85,000 to Grow Dat Youth Farm, $65,000 to reTHINK, $60,000 to Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, and $55,000 to Families & Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children; each was listed for general operating support. It also reported $45,000 leadership transition grants to several organizations, including A Better Way Foundation FBO CTBBSU, Asian American Resource Workshop, and Connecticut Students for a Dream.
The Foundation’s grantmaking categories include field building, long-term support for organizations, and leadership transitions work. Long-term support can include multi-year general operating and capacity-building grants, as well as small rapid-response grants for existing grantee organizations. The Foundation says grant commitments generally span 10 years and range from 10–15 percent of an organization’s budget. Its Leadership Transition Fund provides multi-year general operating support and peer learning and coaching; the 2026 fund announcement describes grants of $45,000 per year for three years and an expected six awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Luke Jernagan as president, Cameron Jordan Miranda as vice president, and Jeffrey F. Welles as president emeritus. It lists Elizabeth Sak as executive director and Alexandra Welles, Andrew Welles, Brooke Jordan, Christopher Welles, Hopie Jernagen Welles, and Hunter Welles as directors. The Foundation’s website states that Elizabeth Sak became its executive director in 2008.
The Cricket Island Foundation is led by Elizabeth Sak, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 17 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Sak
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$236K (2020) → $237K (2024)
Luke Jernagan
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Welles
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Welles
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brooke Jordan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Welles
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hopie Jernagen Welles
Director
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hunter Welles
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Jordan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Welles
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Jordan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maggie Welles
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Welles
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cameron Jordan Miranda
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey F. Welles
President Emeritus
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maud Welles
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Taylor Jordan
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Catherine Welles (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Georgia Welles (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Adam Wells (2023) — Director
- Former: Adam Miranda (2020–2022) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $237K, to Elizabeth Sak (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Cricket Island Foundation
How much does The Cricket Island Foundation give each year?
The Cricket Island Foundation gave $1.6M across 71 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.6M across 73 grants.
What is The Cricket Island Foundation's typical grant size?
The Cricket Island Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,532, across 71 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cricket Island Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does The Cricket Island Foundation give grants?
The Cricket Island Foundation's top state is New York, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Louisiana (20%) and Illinois (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Orleans, LA (13 grants), New York, NY (13 grants), Chicago, IL (10 grants) and Bronx, NY (6 grants).
Does The Cricket Island Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 21% of The Cricket Island Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 71) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Leadership Transition Grant" (14 grants), "Leadership Coaching" (5 grants) and "Annual Membership Grant" (5 grants).
Who are The Cricket Island Foundation's largest grantees?
The Cricket Island Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Grow DAT Youth Farm ($98,000 across 3 grants), New York State Youth Leadership Council ($86,750 across 5 grants) and Mekong Center ($80,500 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($58,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Cricket Island Foundation?
The Cricket Island Foundation reported $44.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cricket Island Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is “to develop the capacity and commitment of young people to improve their lives and communities, as well as the world around them.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cricket Island Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Cricket Island Foundation's EIN?
The Cricket Island Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1925915. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Cricket Island 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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cricket Island Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cricket Island Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cricket-island-foundation-morg_ea4b6d1ce70a47fda0e27c1483dc742f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341925915_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cricket Island Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cricket-island-foundation-morg_ea4b6d1ce70a47fda0e27c1483dc742f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Cricket Island 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.
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