The Daphne Foundation
The Daphne Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington, that supports organizations working for a more equitable, fair, and peaceful New York City. Founded in 1991, it invests in organizations that empower residents directly affected by poverty, violence, and discrimination to develop solutions.
The Daphne Foundation at a glance
In short: The Daphne Foundation gave $133K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in New York. 40% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $133,000
- -70.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,091
- -72.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $9,306,340
- +0.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (100% 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 Daphne Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website also says it is not accepting grant applications at this time.
- Contact
Mailing address: 601 Union St Suite 3315, Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: (818) 973-4286
Website: https://daphnefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Daphne Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was North Star Fund Inc ($103K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $133K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 65 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated grantmaking priority is community-based organizations operating within New York City’s five boroughs. In filing year 2024, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in New York State.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Daphne Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 71% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $133K (2024) to $488K (2020). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $133K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Star Fund Inc New York, NY | Anti-White Nationalism Work Group and Pooled Fund | $100,000 |
| Justice Committee Inc Jackson Heights, NY | General Support | $6,000 |
| African Communities Together New York, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Black Women's Blueprint Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Brandworkers International Inc Long Island City, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Drum-Desis Rising up and Moving Jackson Heights, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Faith in New York Inc Corona, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Voices of Community Activists & Leaders(Vocal-NY) Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence New York, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| North Star Fund Inc New York, NY | Communities United for Police Reform | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Daphne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,306,340 | $734,003 | $675,831 | $133,000 | 11 | $557,051 | $632,222 | $602,480 |
| 2023 | $9,248,168 | $729,168 | $907,449 | $446,000 | 10 | $799,100 | $620,821 | $567,593 |
| 2022 | $9,447,261 | $485,572 | $833,712 | $400,000 | 10 | $721,487 | $379,352 | $568,601 |
| 2021 | $9,854,436 | $617,231 | $692,676 | $451,000 | 11 | $602,146 | $536,520 | $613,050 |
| 2020 | $9,920,713 | $439,987 | $776,261 | $488,000 | 23 | — | $371,223 | $521,462 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Daphne Foundation reported a distributable amount of $602K 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 vision is of “thriving communities living in peace, dignity, and justice.” Its grantmaking priorities include community-based organizations in New York City that build community leadership, address concerns defined by community members, and use organizing or advocacy to pursue systemic or institutional change. The concerns it names include economic and social justice, criminal justice reform, housing affordability, public education, and democratic participation.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations it has supported. North Star Fund says it supports community organizing in New York and awards grants to emerging grassroots groups. African Communities Together says it works to empower African immigrants to integrate socially, get ahead economically, and engage civically. Faith in New York describes its work as equipping congregations and developing grassroots leaders to advance public policy change.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $133,000. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $100,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest grant was $100,000 to North Star Fund for its Anti-White Nationalism Work Group and Pooled Fund. Other reported grants included $6,000 to Justice Committee for general support and $3,000 each to organizations including African Communities Together, Black Women’s Blueprint, Brandworkers International, DRUM—Desis Rising Up and Moving, Faith in New York, and Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence. North Star Fund also received a separate $3,000 grant for Communities United for Police Reform.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Abigail E. Disney as secretary and director; Pierre Hauser II as president and director; Ingrid Benedict as executive director; and Yvonne Moore as vice president, treasurer, and director.
The Daphne Foundation is led by Ingrid Benedict, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ingrid Benedict
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
24 hrs/week
$83K (2020) → $158K (2024)
Pierre Hauser II
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abigail E. Disney
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yvonne Moore
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Deborah Howes (2020) — Secretary & Director
- Former: Leah Doyle Coleman (2020) — Treasurer & 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 $158K, to Ingrid Benedict (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Daphne Foundation
How much does The Daphne Foundation give each year?
The Daphne Foundation gave $133K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $446K across 10 grants.
What is The Daphne Foundation's typical grant size?
The Daphne Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $12,091, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Daphne Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Daphne Foundation give grants?
The Daphne Foundation gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Jackson Heights, NY (2 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does The Daphne Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of The Daphne Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Daphne Foundation's largest grantees?
The Daphne Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include North Star Fund Inc ($103,000 across 2 grants), Justice Committee Inc ($6,000) and African Communities Together ($3,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Daphne Foundation?
The Daphne Foundation reported $9.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $557K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $602K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Daphne Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated vision is of “thriving communities living in peace, dignity, and justice.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Daphne Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Daphne Foundation's EIN?
The Daphne Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4288541. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Daphne 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Daphne Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-daphne-foundation-morg_d63408c9256d4e4a9e2fe4b9bae9b953
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954288541_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Daphne Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-daphne-foundation-morg_d63408c9256d4e4a9e2fe4b9bae9b953},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Daphne 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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