The Educational Foundation of America
The Educational Foundation of America (EFA) is a private family foundation headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Established in 1989, the organization operates with a staff of six employees and maintains a board of directors composed of family members and other trustees. The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as a grantmaking institution supporting nonprofit organizations across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$251.2M
+8.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$11.2M
+7.1% YoY
Grant Count
217
-0.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$51K
+8.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Educational Foundation of America reported a distributable amount of $11.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Educational Foundation of America envisions a society in which every person has a meaningful voice in an inclusive democracy, with unrestricted access to full reproductive freedom, and lives in creative, thriving communities on a healthy, regenerative planet.
The foundation focuses grant-making efforts on three distinct program areas:
- Arts — Supporting artistic and cultural organizations
- Environment — Funding environmental conservation and sustainability initiatives
- Reproductive Health and Justice — Supporting organizations advancing reproductive rights and justice
The foundation also maintains a focus on democracy and civic engagement through its grantmaking activities.
Grantmaking
The Educational Foundation of America is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving capacity. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
Grant Range
$35,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- New York
- District of Columbia
- California
- North Carolina
- Kentucky
These regions account for a significant portion of the foundation's grant distribution.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Revenue (2024):
- Total Assets: $251,241,022
- Total Revenues: $24,851,105
- Total Expenses: $13,993,232
- Total Giving: $11,159,000
Historical Growth:
- Total assets have grown from $142.8 million in 2011 to $251.2 million in 2024
- Annual giving has ranged from $8.1 million (2020) to $27.7 million (2022)
Cumulative Grantmaking:
- The foundation has made 881 grants totaling $43.9 million across its history
- Has supported 316 unique organizations
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $251,241,022 | $231,113,758 | $211,936,532 |
| Revenue | $24,851,105 | $8,015,317 | $8,462,431 |
| Expenses | $13,993,232 | $16,519,310 | $15,952,006 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $13,914,629 | $13,341,679 | $16,041,982 |
| Net Investment Income | $22,852,542 | $6,058,539 | $6,270,850 |
| Distributable Amount | $11,511,626 | $10,658,265 | $11,568,082 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Educational Foundation of America
Environmental Grantmaking Program at EFA
THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Make Democracy Work Grant Program
THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Reproductive Health & Justice Grant Program
THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Amount
US $5,000 - US $125,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Clean Energy Buyers Institute ($175,000), Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium ($125,000), Clean Energy Works ($125,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 482FORWARD DETROIT, MI | 2024 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | $50,000 |
| 52ND STREET PROJECT NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| ABORTION FREEDOM PARTNERSHIP SARATOGA, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ABORTION FREEDOM PARTNERSHIP SARATOGA, CA | PROJECT PIGGYBANK | $100,000 |
| ABUNDANCE THERAPIES FOUNDATION SANTA MONICA, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ACT NOW COALITION COVINA, CA | VOTERS ABROAD PROJECT | $100,000 |
| ACT NOW COALITION COVINA, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR VOTERS ABROAD PROJECT | $40,000 |
| ACTIVATE 48 EDUCATION FUND PHOENIX, AZ | 2024 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | $100,000 |
| ACTIVATE 48 EDUCATION FUND PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $110,000 |
| ALABAMA AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS HERITAGE SITES CONSORTIUM BIRMINGHAM, AL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $125,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Barbara Hapgood — Director, President
- Wendy Ettinger — Director, Vice President
- Trevor Renner — Director, Secretary
- Christian Ettinger — Director, Treasurer
- Lynn Babicka — Director
- James Bohart Jr. — Director
- Heidi Ettinger — Director
- Matthew Ettinger — Director
- Matthew Hapgood — Director
- Barbara Huseby — Director
- Sven Huseby — Director
- John Powers — Director
- Lauren Zuskin — Director
Staff:
- David W. Stocks — Executive Director
- Laura P. Nixon — Program Director (Reproductive Health + Justice)
- Amy E. Pickle, JD — Program Director (Environment)
- Lucien K. Rothenstein — Program Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARBARA HAPGOOD | DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| WENDY ETTINGER | DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| TREVOR RENNER | DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| CHRISTIAN ETTINGER | DIRECTOR, TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JERRY BABICKA | DIRECTOR (THRU JUNE 2024) | 1 | — |
| LYNN BABICKA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAMES BOHART JR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEIDI ETTINGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW ETTINGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MATTHEW HAPGOOD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BARBARA HUSEBY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SVEN HUSEBY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN POWERS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LAUREN ZUSKIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID W STOCKS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $325,672 |
Contact Information
- Phone: 646-640-6032
- Website: theefa.org
- Location: Bethesda, Maryland
- EIN: 13-3424750
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Educational Foundation of America fund?
The Educational Foundation of America envisions a society in which every person has a meaningful voice in an inclusive democracy, with unrestricted access to full reproductive freedom, and lives in creative, thriving communities on a healthy, regenerative planet. The foundation focuses grant-making efforts on three distinct program areas: • **Arts** — Supporting artistic and cultural organizations • **Environment** — Funding environmental conservation and sustainability initiatives • **Reproduc…
How do I apply for a grant from The Educational Foundation of America?
The Educational Foundation of America is an active grantmaker with significant annual giving capacity. Recent grantmaking activity includes: **Grant Volume and Size:** • Made 217 grants in the most recent fiscal year • Median grant size: $35,000 • Grant range: $5,000 to $520,000 • Average award: approximately $50,000 **Recent Grant Examples (2023-2024):** • Coalfield Development Corporation: $300,000 (Black Box Theater Build-Out) • Clean Energy Works: $300,000 (Strategic Support for the Rural P…
Where does The Educational Foundation of America make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • New York • District of Columbia • California • North Carolina • Kentucky These regions account for a significant portion of the foundation's grant distribution.
What size grants does The Educational Foundation of America award?
In 2024, The Educational Foundation of America awarded 217 grants totaling $11.2M — an average of about $51K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Educational Foundation of America required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Educational Foundation of America reported a distributable amount of $11.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Educational Foundation of America's EIN?
The Educational Foundation of America's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3424750. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Educational Foundation of America's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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