The Greenwall Foundation
The Greenwall Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to expand bioethics knowledge to improve clinical, biomedical, and public health decision-making, policy, and practice. It primarily funds bioethics research through its Faculty Scholars and Making a Difference programs, and also supports initiatives connecting bioethics research with policymaking.
The Greenwall Foundation at a glance
In short: The Greenwall Foundation gave $3.3M across 66 grants in 2024 (avg $50K), top state Maryland. 53% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,299,934
- +7.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 66
- +57.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $49,999
- -31.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $49,809
- Total assets
- $114,032,741
- +6.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (16 of 30, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (18% 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 Greenwall Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation announces requests for proposals and application instructions on its website. The 2026–2027 Faculty Scholars, Fall 2026 Making a Difference, and 2026 Bridging Bioethics Research & Policymaking cycles are closed. The foundation’s filing directs applicants to its website for forms, materials, deadlines, and award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: Misti Anderson
Mailing address: 650 Massachusetts Ave Nw Suite 600, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (212) 679-7266
Email: manderson@greenwall.org
Website: https://greenwall.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The Greenwall Foundation
Bernard Lo, MD Award in Bioethics Grant
The Greenwall Foundation
Amount
US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bridging Bioethics Research & Policymaking Grants
The Greenwall Foundation
Amount
Up to US $50,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program Grant
The Greenwall Foundation
Amount
More than US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Greenwall Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Johns Hopkins University ($584K across 11 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
266 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 266 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Washington, DC. Its 2024 filing records grant recipients in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars went to Maryland (18%), Massachusetts (16%), Colorado (10%), North Carolina (10%), and Pennsylvania (10%). The Faculty Scholars Program requires applicants to be affiliated with a university or nonprofit research institute with tax-exempt status in the United States. The Making a Difference program also makes awards to affiliated individuals at institutions with U.S. tax-exempt status.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 66 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Greenwall Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 30 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $105K; repeat grants $116K. How we count
Medians: $67K first-time, $80K repeat.
- 37% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% 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 $3.1M (2020) to $3.7M (2021). In 2024 it made 66 grants totaling $3.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Support for responsible design, development and deployment of technologies | $150,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Understanding and navigating claims of child suffering in pediatric ethics and practice | $81,322 |
| Univeristy of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | Bioethics in Movement Advocacy | $77,100 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | The ethics of the artificial womb: clinical innovations at the margins of viability | $74,053 |
| Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX | Philosophical Bioethics Seminar Series | $73,047 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Beyond coercion: an ethical framework for mandated substance use treatment | $69,582 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Beyond coercion: an ethical framework for mandated substance use treatment | $67,002 |
| Brigham & Women's Hospital Boston, MA | Ethics and effects of individual patient testimonies in public health decision making | $64,646 |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA | An ethics-informed policy for urine drug testing in pregnancy: impact on patients and providers | $63,794 |
| University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Moving away from race-ethnicity based clinical care of early female puberty towards race and ethnicity conscious puberty justice | $63,653 |
Ready to take the next step with The Greenwall Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2023 filing reported 42 grants, and the 2022 filing reported 42 grants.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $114,032,741 | $4,841,568 | $6,193,104 | $3,299,934 | 66 | $5,518,567 | $4,368,550 | $5,437,710 |
| 2023 | $106,982,413 | $2,192,706 | $5,412,648 | $3,079,661 | 42 | $5,139,853 | $1,853,769 | $4,946,370 |
| 2022 | $96,700,195 | $-385,373 | $5,662,508 | $3,067,550 | 42 | $5,130,785 | $1,433,943 | $5,036,114 |
| 2021 | $118,063,875 | $18,504,391 | $6,284,483 | $3,711,993 | 43 | $5,319,905 | $17,907,345 | $5,454,328 |
| 2020 | $108,522,869 | $3,867,376 | $4,831,674 | $3,065,387 | 73 | — | $3,382,281 | $4,818,695 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Greenwall Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation seeks to make bioethics integral to decisions in health care, policy, and research. Its strategic priorities are to support a broad, inclusive bioethics and to increase bioethics’ impact on policymaking.
The Making a Difference program supports empirical, conceptual, or normative research addressing important emerging or unanswered bioethics problems in clinical, biomedical, or public health decision-making, policy, or practice. The foundation says projects should offer practical recommendations; projects that only describe or analyze an issue without recommendations are not eligible under the program. It also excludes, among other things, projects with predetermined conclusions and projects focused on implementing incremental improvements to established approaches.
The foundation’s grants support work at universities, medical centers, and other organizations. For example, Baylor College of Medicine describes its mission as advancing human health through patient care, research, education, and community services. Boston Medical Center describes its mission as providing excellent, accessible health services regardless of a person’s status or ability to pay. New Venture Fund, which received the largest listed 2024 grant, describes itself as a fiscal sponsor seeking to direct philanthropic capital toward people and ideas intended to advance a just, equitable, and sustainable future.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 66 grants totaling $3,299,934. Grant amounts ranged from $6,500 to $150,000, with a median of $49,809. The largest listed grants included $150,000 to New Venture Fund for support for responsible design, development, and deployment of technologies; $81,322 to Stanford University for work on claims of child suffering in pediatric ethics and practice; and $77,100 to the University of Virginia for bioethics in movement advocacy. Other listed awards included $74,053 to Duke University for a project on the ethics of the artificial womb and $73,047 to Baylor College of Medicine for a philosophical bioethics seminar series.
The Faculty Scholars Program provides early-career faculty with 50% salary support for three years to pursue a defined bioethics research project. The foundation selects approximately three Scholars each year. The program page states that the 2026–2027 application cycle is closed and that the next cycle will be announced in summer 2027. These are career-development awards for Scholars, rather than a general grant program for outside organizations.
Making a Difference grants support research projects with practical impact on bioethics dilemmas. The program page states that the Fall 2026 application cycle is closed and that the Spring 2027 cycle will be announced in late fall. The foundation’s FAQ says requests for proposals are typically posted in December and June.
The Bridging Bioethics Research & Policymaking initiative funds projects that develop or improve mechanisms for bringing bioethics into policymaking; it does not fund bioethics research itself. Its 2026 request for proposals is closed, and the foundation says it will announce the next cycle in summer 2027.
The Bernard Lo, MD Award in Bioethics is an annual $25,000 award recognizing contributions to bioethics. The 2026 award recognizes work bridging division through bioethics. Nominations may be made by mentees and colleagues; self-nominations are not allowed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ann Alpers as director and chair; Phyllis D. Meadows as director and vice chair; Joel W. Motley as director and secretary; and Peter Goodwin as director and treasurer. Directors listed on the filing also include Jason Karlawish, Amy L. McGuire, Richard L. Salzer Jr., and James A. Tulsky. Christine K. Cassel and George L. Bunting Jr. are listed as directors through May 2024.
The Greenwall Foundation is led by Michelle Groman JD, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 12 of 15 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michelle Groman JD
President & CEO
Director, President & CEO → Chief Operating Officer, Director & President, 2023
Chief Operating Officer, Director & President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$277K (2020) → $375K (2024)
Ann Alpers JD
Director & Chair
Director & Vice Chair → Director & Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Christine K. Cassel MD
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $4K (2024)
James A. Tulsky MD
Director
Director & Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Jason Karlawish MD
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$17K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Joel W. Motley JD
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Peter Goodwin MBA
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Phyllis D. Meadows Phd Msn RN
Director & Vice Chair
Director → Director & Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Richard L. Salzer Jr. MD
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$8K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Amy L. McGuire JD PhD
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$14K (2021) → $12K (2024)
Keith Wailoo PhD
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$4K (2023) → $8K (2024)
Rose Marie Martinez Scd
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
$4K (2024)
George L. Bunting Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Schofield
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy M. Westmoreland JD
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Bernard Lo MD (2020) — Director, President & CEO
- Former: Jennifer L. Klein JD (2020) — Director
- Former: Mark Barnes JD (2020) — 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 $375K, to Michelle Groman JD (President and CEO). 12 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Greenwall Foundation
How much does The Greenwall Foundation give each year?
The Greenwall Foundation gave $3.3M across 66 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.1M across 42 grants.
What is The Greenwall Foundation's typical grant size?
The Greenwall Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $49,809, and its average grant was $49,999, across 66 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Greenwall Foundation that year got $105K on average.
Where does The Greenwall Foundation give grants?
The Greenwall Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (16%) and Colorado (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (12 grants), Aurora, CO (8 grants), Boston, MA (6 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (6 grants).
Does The Greenwall Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Greenwall Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 66) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Prenatal Diagnosis in the Post-Roe Era (PD-Pre)" (4 grants) and "Berman Institute Podcast Project" (3 grants).
Who are The Greenwall Foundation's largest grantees?
The Greenwall Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Johns Hopkins University ($583,957 across 11 grants), U Penn ($318,225 across 6 grants) and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill ($261,565 across 5 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Greenwall Foundation?
The Greenwall Foundation reported $114.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Greenwall Foundation fund?
The foundation seeks to make bioethics integral to decisions in health care, policy, and research. Its strategic priorities are to support a broad, inclusive bioethics and to increase bioethics’ impact on policymaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Greenwall Foundation?
The foundation announces requests for proposals and application instructions on its website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Greenwall Foundation's EIN?
The Greenwall Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6082277. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Greenwall Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Greenwall Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-greenwall-foundation-morg_cfedf5cf3d904829972e87d0b27de7f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136082277_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Greenwall Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-greenwall-foundation-morg_cfedf5cf3d904829972e87d0b27de7f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Greenwall 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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