The Freedom Forum Inc
The Freedom Forum Inc is based in Washington, DC, and is listed as a private foundation. Its stated mission is to foster First Amendment freedoms for all. It educates, engages and inspires people around the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.
The Freedom Forum Inc at a glance
In short: The Freedom Forum Inc gave $465K across 93 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Florida. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $464,500
- +0.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 93
- -15.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,995
- +19.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $650,188,749
- +7.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (33 of 88, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (21% 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 Freedom Forum Inc
- 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: 610 Water Street Sw 300, Washington, DC 20024
Phone: (202) 292-6100
Website: https://freedomforum.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Freedom Forum Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of South Dakota Foundation ($40K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $215K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($2,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
379 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 374 grants of 379 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Florida (21%), New York (10%), an individual recipient (10%), Washington, DC (9%), and Pennsylvania (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 93 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Freedom Forum Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 33 of 88 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
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 $461K (2023) to $4.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 93 grants totaling $465K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones News Fund Princeton, NJ | Trustee Initiatives | $25,000 |
| Special Operations Warrior Foundation Tampa, FL | Trustee Initiatives | $25,000 |
| UND Alumni Association and Foundation Grand Forks, ND | Trustee Initiatives | $25,000 |
| National Constitution Center Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $25,000 |
| University of South Dakota Foundation Vermillion, SD | James Abbott Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| Helen Keller International New York, NY | Trustee Initiatives | $20,000 |
| University of South Dakota Foundation Vermillion, SD | Trustee Initiatives | $15,000 |
| East Coast Zoological Association of Florida Melbourne, FL | Trustee Initiatives | $10,000 |
| Foolproof Foundation Cocoa, FL | Trustee Initiatives | $10,000 |
| Health First Foundation Inc Rockledge, FL | Trustee Initiatives | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $650,188,749 | $25,784,721 | $27,724,041 | $464,500 | 93 | $26,434,928 | $33,465,822 |
| 2023 | $606,497,548 | $46,038,530 | $24,757,541 | $461,401 | 110 | $28,597,024 | $48,504,921 |
| 2022 | $568,822,608 | $6,577,550 | $23,369,872 | $1,335,099 | 94 | $36,058,276 | $3,603,982 |
| 2021 | $730,731,415 | $45,880,504 | $25,874,296 | $796,543 | 45 | $17,433,985 | $43,600,095 |
| 2020 | $626,625,573 | $16,145,029 | $29,063,584 | $4,653,838 | 37 | — | $11,605,052 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Freedom Forum’s mission is to foster First Amendment freedoms for all. Its stated vision is an America where everyone knows, values and defends the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.
Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied stated missions. The National Constitution Center describes itself as a platform for nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. The International Women’s Media Foundation says it works to advance women journalists as champions of press freedom. The University of South Dakota Foundation says it provides private resources to improve students’ educational experience, while the UND Alumni Association and Foundation says it engages alumni, friends and partners in building the University of an individual recipient The Special Operations Warrior Foundation describes its work as providing comprehensive educational support to children of special operations personnel.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Freedom Forum reported 93 grants totaling $464,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $25,000 each to Dow Jones News Fund, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, UND Alumni Association and Foundation, National Constitution Center, and University of South Dakota Foundation. The filing lists purposes including “Trustee Initiatives,” “General Support,” and the “James Abbott Scholarship Fund.”
Other reported grants included $20,000 to Helen Keller International and $10,000 each to East Coast Zoological Association of Florida, Foolproof Foundation, Health First Foundation, Institute for Education, and Peletah Ministries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jan Neuharth as chair and trustee; Sherry Minear as chief financial officer and treasurer; Cindy Keith as chief human resource officer; and Michael Coleman as secretary and trustee. It also lists James Abbott, Lucy Dalglish, R. David Edelman, Jack Kirschenbaum, Josh Kirschenbaum and Malcolm R. Kirschenbaum as trustees.
The Freedom Forum Inc is led by Jan Neuharth, Chair & Trustee since 2024 (on filings since 2020); all 17 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jan Neuharth
Chair & Trustee
Chair & Chief Executive Officer → Chair & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$510K (2020) → $794K (2024)
Barbara Wall
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $60K (2024)
Jack Kirschenbaum
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $34K (2024)
James Abbott
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$17K (2020) → $23K (2024)
John Lee IV
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $62K (2024)
Judy C. Woodruff
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $21K (2024)
Malcolm R. Kirschenbaum
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$43K (2020) → $70K (2024)
Michael Coleman
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$28K (2020) → $54K (2024)
Orage Quarles III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$28K (2020) → $71K (2024)
Peter S. Prichard
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$43K (2020) → $67K (2024)
R. David Edelman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$15K (2021) → $42K (2024)
Danielle Neuharth-Keusch
Trustee
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$3K (2022) → $32K (2024)
Josh Kirschenbaum
Trustee
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$3K (2022) → $31K (2024)
Lucy Dalglish
Trustee
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$3K (2022) → $21K (2024)
Brent Jones
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
$21K (2024)
Cindy Keith
Chief Human Resource Officer
Chief Human Resource Officer & Vice President → Chief Human Resource Officer, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$144K (2020) → $220K (2024)
Sherry Minear
Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
Chief Administrator, Vice President & Controller → Treasurer, CFO & Chief Administrator Officer, 2021
Treasurer, CFO & Chief Administrator Officer → Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$190K (2020) → $351K (2024)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Nicole F. Mandeville (2020–2021) — Treasurer & CFO - Left
- Former: Pamela Y. Galloway-Tabb (2020) — Senior Vice President Conference
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 $794K, to Jan Neuharth (Chair and Trustee). 17 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Freedom Forum Inc
How much does The Freedom Forum Inc give each year?
The Freedom Forum Inc gave $465K across 93 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $461K across 110 grants.
What is The Freedom Forum Inc's typical grant size?
The Freedom Forum Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,995, across 93 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Freedom Forum Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Freedom Forum Inc give grants?
The Freedom Forum Inc's top state is Florida, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (10%) and South Dakota (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Melbourne, FL (5 grants) and Cocoa, FL (4 grants).
Does The Freedom Forum Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of The Freedom Forum Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 93) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Trustee Initiatives" (60 grants) and "Free Spirit Scholarship" (28 grants).
Who are The Freedom Forum Inc's largest grantees?
The Freedom Forum Inc's largest 2024 grantees include University of South Dakota Foundation ($40,000 across 2 grants), National Constitution Center ($35,000 across 2 grants) and Dow Jones News Fund ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($2,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Freedom Forum Inc?
The Freedom Forum Inc reported $650.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $25.8M.
What does The Freedom Forum Inc fund?
Freedom Forum’s mission is to foster First Amendment freedoms for all. Its stated vision is an America where everyone knows, values and defends the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Freedom Forum Inc?
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 Freedom Forum Inc's EIN?
The Freedom Forum Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1604427. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Freedom Forum Inc 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
Live grants for the work The Freedom Forum Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Freedom Forum Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Freedom Forum Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-freedom-forum-inc-morg_693640a7934a4651a602a46dbc4b6610
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541604427_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Freedom Forum Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-freedom-forum-inc-morg_693640a7934a4651a602a46dbc4b6610},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Freedom Forum Inc'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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