The Hollyhock Foundation Inc
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It seeks to create a more just world through investments in education, journalism, and the environment.
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Hollyhock Foundation Inc gave $35.7M across 53 grants in 2024 (avg $674K), top state Pennsylvania. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $35,705,977
- +8.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 53
- +29.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $673,698
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $242,000
- Total assets
- $676,289,414
- -6.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (18 of 48, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (44% 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 Hollyhock Foundation 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: 888 Seventh Avenue 28Th Fl, New York, NY 10106
Phone: (212) 326-9568
Website: https://thehollyhockfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hollyhock Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund ($15.7M). Together the top 10 received $28.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($1,010,394), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 43 grants of 164 (26%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Pennsylvania (44%) and New York (38%), followed by Ohio (6%), California (3%), and Florida (2%). These figures describe the locations of 2024 grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Hollyhock Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 48 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $258K; repeat grants $1M. How we count
Medians: $248K first-time, $225K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% 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 $31.2M (2020) to $35.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 53 grants totaling $35.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund Jenkinstown, PA | Contribute to Donor Advised Fund. | $15,700,000 |
| Uncommon Schools New York, NY | HS 2.0 and Music | $3,802,654 |
| Propublica New York, NY | PNW Reporting Network | $1,719,706 |
| Robin Hood Foundation New York, NY | General Operating Support for Basic Needs | $1,500,000 |
| Mount St Joseph University Cincinnati, OH | Reading Science Doctoral Program | $1,254,528 |
| Mount St Joseph University Cincinnati, OH | Curriculum Project | $1,055,300 |
| 3 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $1,010,394 |
| Gridlab Berkeley, CA | General Operating Support | $750,000 |
| Reel Stories Teen Filmmaking Brooklyn, NY | Afterschool Expansion | $750,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | Electric Grid and Carbon Market | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Hollyhock Foundation Inc?
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 | $676,289,414 | $10,236,906 | $37,846,610 | $35,705,977 | 53 | $37,787,414 | $2,062,156 | $35,141,473 |
| 2023 | $723,006,059 | $2,911,823 | $35,084,597 | $32,912,763 | 41 | $34,633,781 | $29,521,682 | $37,552,162 |
| 2022 | $782,225,749 | $32,676,239 | $37,273,367 | $33,728,286 | 30 | $35,309,049 | $86,473,651 | $35,136,969 |
| 2021 | $736,991,387 | $9,044,964 | $36,832,184 | $35,678,668 | 25 | $36,707,594 | $56,866,257 | $35,877,114 |
| 2020 | $743,088,292 | $638,765 | $32,273,221 | $31,207,000 | 15 | — | $3,089,853 | $36,538,660 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hollyhock Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $35.1M 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 says it funds schools and organizations working to improve education, including by supporting skilled reading, extracurricular interests, and educators’ instructional expertise. Its education spotlights include Uncommon Schools, which describes itself as a network of public charter schools working to close the opportunity gap, and Mount St. Joseph University, whose Reading Science programs prepare faculty and instructional leaders to support children’s reading. The foundation also highlights Relay Graduate School of Education’s Hollyhock Humanities Fellowship for high school history teachers and Reel Works’ after-school filmmaking programs for teens.
The foundation says strong local and investigative journalism is fundamental to a healthy democracy. ProPublica describes itself as an independent nonprofit newsroom producing investigative journalism in the public interest. The foundation also supports environmental work aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. GridLab describes its work as providing expertise and thought leadership on technical challenges and reliability in implementing clean-energy policies.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 53 grants totaling $35,705,977. The grants ranged from $9,900 to $15,700,000, with a median of $242,000. The largest grant was $15,700,000 to JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund for a donor-advised fund contribution. Other notable 2024 grants included $3,802,654 to Uncommon Schools for “HS 2.0 and Music,” $1,719,706 to ProPublica for the “PNW Reporting Network,” and $1,500,000 to Robin Hood Foundation for general operating support for basic needs. Mount St. Joseph University received two grants, of $1,254,528 for its Reading Science doctoral program and $1,055,300 for a curriculum project.
Other 2024 grants included $770,394 to Relay Graduate School of Education for the Hollyhock Humanities Fellowship; $750,000 each to GridLab for general operating support and Reel Stories Teen Filmmaking for after-school expansion; and $500,000 each to Environmental Defense Fund, Museum of the City of New York, and Recidiviz for the purposes listed in the filing.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Karr as president, Suzanne Karr as vice president, Timothy K McManus as secretary/treasurer, and James Karr as director.
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc is led by Robert Karr, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Karr
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Karr
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Karr
Vice President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Timothy K. McManus
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Hollyhock Foundation Inc
How much does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc give each year?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc gave $35.7M across 53 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $32.9M across 41 grants.
What is The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $242,000, and its average grant was $673,698, across 53 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Hollyhock Foundation Inc that year got $258K on average.
Where does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc give grants?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's top state is Pennsylvania, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (38%) and Ohio (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (23 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants), Cincinnati, OH (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 23% of The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 53) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund ($15,700,000), Uncommon Schools ($3,919,654 across 2 grants) and Mount St Joseph University ($2,309,828 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($1,010,394), which are not listed by name. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Hollyhock Foundation Inc?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc reported $676.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $37.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $35.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation says it funds schools and organizations working to improve education, including by supporting skilled reading, extracurricular interests, and educators’ instructional expertise. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hollyhock Foundation 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 Hollyhock Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Hollyhock Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-2091336. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Hollyhock Foundation 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 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Hollyhock Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-hollyhock-foundation-inc-morg_09f2f5ce8cf24105b68b1a24e76f3a5b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_542091336_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Hollyhock Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-hollyhock-foundation-inc-morg_09f2f5ce8cf24105b68b1a24e76f3a5b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Hollyhock Foundation 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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