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
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.
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
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Jp Morgan Charitable Giving Fund ($15,700,000), Uncommon Schools ($3,802,654), Propublica ($1,719,706).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| THE ACADEMY IN MANAYUNK CONSHOHOCKEN, PA | NYCPS DISTRICT 16 TRAININGS | $132,000 |
| AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA GROUP ST PAUL, MN | SOLD A STORY SEASON 2 | $400,000 |
| ARRAY EDUCATION NEW YORK, NY | AI PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY | $180,000 |
| ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK, NY | EDUCATION REPORTING NETWORK - COLLABORATIONS EDITOR | $279,000 |
| BEAM CENTER BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $75,000 |
| CHANGE SUMMER NEW YORK, NY | CAMP UNCOMMON | $200,000 |
| CITY LORE NEW YORK, NY | SOCAPA CITY CINEMA | $400,000 |
| COLLEGE OF IDAHO CALDWELL, ID | LITERACY LEARNING LAB | $40,545 |
| COMMUNITY LIBRARY KETCHUM, ID | SUN VALLEY EARLY LITERACY SUMMIT | $170,000 |
| URBAN ASSEMBLY CHARTER SCHOOL FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE BRONX, NY | SUMMER PD AND TEACHER PASSION SCHOLARSHIPS | $150,000 |
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's mission is to create a more just world through investments in education, journalism, and the environment. 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 teac…
How do I apply for a grant from The Hollyhock Foundation Inc?
• **Grant Range:** $5,000 to $25,950,000 • **Most Common Grant Size:** $25,000 • **Application Method:** Invitation only and targeted requests for proposals; the foundation does not accept general unsolicited applications • **Grant Distribution:** The foundation distributed $32.9 million in grants in 2023 across 41 awards The foundation has supported organizations including: • **Uncommon Schools** — A network of outstanding public charter schools that close the opportunity gap and prepare stude…
Where does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc make 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.
What size grants does The Hollyhock Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, The Hollyhock Foundation Inc awarded 53 grants totaling $35.7M — an average of about $674K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Hollyhock Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Hollyhock Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $35.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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