The Franklin Fund
The Franklin Fund is a private foundation filing Form 990-PF and based in New York, NY. In its 2025 filing, it reported 25 grants totaling $184,850 to charitable organizations.
The Franklin Fund at a glance
In short: The Franklin Fund gave $185K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in New York. 56% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $184,850
- +35.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- -13.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,394
- +57.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,777,987
- +23.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (14 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (53% 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 Franklin Fund
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 55 East 52Nd Street, New York, NY 10055
Phone: (212) 245-5900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Franklin Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for Victims of Torture ($30K). Together the top 10 received $145K.
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 121 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (53%), Minnesota (16%), the District of Columbia (13%), New Mexico (8%), and California (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Franklin Fund open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 25 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 109% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 143% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $89K (2022) to $185K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $185K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Victims of Torture St. Paul, MN | To Advance Charity's | $30,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Fdn New York, NY | General | $23,250 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Inc New York, NY | General | $15,000 |
| Environmental Integrity Project Washington, DC | General | $15,000 |
| Epiphany Magazine New York, NY | To Advance Charity's | $15,000 |
| Foundation Integrative Meditation Los Ranchos, NM | General | $12,000 |
| Kehillath Shalom Synagogue Cold Springs Harbor, NY | General | $10,000 |
| The North Shore Land Alliance Oyster Bay, NY | To Advance Charity's | $10,000 |
| Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc New York, NY | General | $8,500 |
| Reproductive Freedom for All Washington, DC | General | $6,250 |
Ready to take the next step with The Franklin Fund?
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 | $2,777,987 | $735,940 | $213,476 | $184,850 | 25 | $184,850 | $707,818 | $129,624 |
| 2024 | $2,256,200 | $65,737 | $156,845 | $136,120 | 29 | $136,370 | $57,340 | $129,061 |
| 2023 | $2,348,743 | $94,814 | $198,023 | $179,442 | 26 | $179,692 | $76,858 | $121,126 |
| 2022 | $2,452,882 | $133,963 | $110,860 | $88,625 | 16 | $88,875 | $113,486 | $139,450 |
| 2021 | $2,431,764 | $139,130 | $178,173 | $156,700 | 25 | — | $119,145 | $138,352 |
| 2020 | $2,471,327 | $222,516 | $151,872 | $126,931 | 30 | — | $197,250 | $126,619 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Franklin Fund reported a distributable amount of $130K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the funder is provided. The grantees’ own descriptions show a range of work: the Natural Resources Defense Council says it works on climate, wildlife, and clean air and water; the Environmental Integrity Project says it conducts research and public education on environmental protection and natural resources; and the North Shore Land Alliance says it conserves and stewards Long Island lands, waters, and environmental resources.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in medical humanitarian aid (Médecins Sans Frontières USA), reproductive rights (Reproductive Freedom for All), hunger relief in New Mexico (The Food Depot), music education for children (The Children’s Orchestra Society), and peacebuilding with young people and families (Louis D. Brown Peace Institute).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 25 grants totaling $184,850. Grants ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards included $30,000 to the Center for Victims of Torture; $23,250 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation; $15,000 each to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Integrity Project, and Epiphany Magazine; and $12,000 to the Foundation Integrative Meditation.
Other listed grants included $10,000 each to Kehillath Shalom Synagogue and the North Shore Land Alliance; $8,500 to Médecins Sans Frontières USA; and $6,250 each to Reproductive Freedom for All and Planned Parenthood in Rochester.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cynthia F. Franklin, Helena F. Rozier, and Sheila F. Lieber as trustees.
The Franklin Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cynthia F. Franklin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helena F. Rozier
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheila F. Lieber
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: George S. Franklin III (2020–2024) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Franklin Fund
How much does The Franklin Fund give each year?
The Franklin Fund gave $185K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $136K across 29 grants.
What is The Franklin Fund's typical grant size?
The Franklin Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,394, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Franklin Fund that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Franklin Fund give grants?
The Franklin Fund gives mostly in New York: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (16%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The Franklin Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 68% of The Franklin Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "To Advance Charity's" (8 grants).
Who are The Franklin Fund's largest grantees?
The Franklin Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Center for Victims of Torture ($30,000), American Civil Liberties Union Fdn ($23,250) and Natural Resources Defense Council Inc ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Franklin Fund?
The Franklin Fund reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $185K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $130K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Franklin Fund fund?
No mission statement for the funder is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Franklin Fund?
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 Franklin Fund's EIN?
The Franklin Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6160092. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Franklin Fund 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Franklin Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Franklin Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-franklin-fund-morg_1e58659ce3474469b8a54b1e8efed5b1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136160092_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Franklin Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-franklin-fund-morg_1e58659ce3474469b8a54b1e8efed5b1},
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 Franklin Fund'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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