The Hollyhock Foundation Inc
The Hollyhock Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2002 by investor Robert Karr and his wife Suzanne Karr. Based in New York City, the foundation operates as the philanthropic vehicle of the Karr family, focusing on creating a more just world through strategic investments in education, journalism, and environmental solutions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$676.3M
-6.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$35.7M
+8.5% YoY
Grant Count
53
+29.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$674K
-16.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to create a more just world through investments in education, journalism, and the environment.
Education
The foundation funds schools and organizations working to ensure every child in America receives a quality education, becomes a fluent and skilled reader, and explores a variety of extracurricular passions. The foundation places particular emphasis on supporting educators through programs that deepen instructional expertise, foster subject-specific mastery, and connect teachers to dynamic communities of practice.
Local and Investigative Journalism
The foundation believes strong local and investigative journalism is fundamental to sustaining a healthy democracy.
Environment
The foundation supports cost-effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at speed and scale.
Grantmaking
The foundation has supported organizations including:
Grant Range
** $5,000 to $25,950,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily operates in California and New York, with some national initiatives. The foundation has been active in supporting organizations across these regions since 2003.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $723 million (as of 2023)
- Annual Giving: $32.9 million (2023)
- Total Expenses: $35.1 million (2023)
- Total Revenue: $2.9 million (2023)
- Total Liabilities: $178,000 (2023)
The foundation was established with $40.7 million in personal seed money from Robert and Suzanne Karr.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $676,289,414 | $723,006,059 | $782,225,749 |
| Revenue | $10,236,906 | $2,911,823 | $32,676,239 |
| Expenses | $37,846,610 | $35,084,597 | $37,273,367 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $37,787,414 | $34,633,781 | $35,309,049 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,062,156 | $29,521,682 | $86,473,651 |
| Distributable Amount | $35,141,473 | $37,552,162 | $35,136,969 |
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
161 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Robert Karr — Founder and primary decision-maker. Karr graduated with a B.A. in economics from Stanford University in 1984 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1990. He previously ran Tiger Management in Tokyo and served as principal of Joho Capital from 1996 to 2014, which he closed to focus on family and philanthropy.
Lauren Zane — Executive Director and Program Director
Joshua Davidoff — Administrative and Database Manager
Katherine Waggoner — Senior Program Manager and Associate Program Officer
The foundation operates with a staff of 5 employees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT KARR | PRESIDENT | 10 | — |
| SUZANNE KARR | VICE PRESIDENT | 10 | — |
| TIMOTHY K MCMANUS | SEC/TREAS | 5 | — |
| JAMES KARR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has maintained a significant presence in major philanthropic initiatives. In 2022, the Hollyhock Foundation became a major funder of investigative journalism, contributing $5.4 million to support this work. The foundation continues to make strategic grants aligned with its three core focus areas, with recent activity demonstrating sustained commitment to education, particularly in literacy and teacher development, as well as environmental solutions and journalism.
Hollyhock Foundation Inc - Grant Information & Application DetailsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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