The Impact Fund
The Impact Fund is a public charity based in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1992, it provides grants, advocacy, and education to support impact litigation on behalf of communities seeking economic, environmental, racial, and social justice.
The Impact Fund at a glance
In short: The Impact Fund gave $733K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), top state California. 76% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $732,691
- +14.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,308
- +14.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $5,185,406
- +52.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 76% first-time grantees (19 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (19% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Impact Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- Invitation Only
-
The funder accepts unsolicited requests through its LOI process. Applicants may begin and submit an LOI at any time, but consideration takes place in quarterly cycles; a full application is by invitation.
- Review Cycle
- The Winter 2026 LOI deadline of September 29, 2026, has passed. The next listed LOI deadline is January 11, 2027, with applications due February 8, 2027.
- Deadline
- The Winter 2026 LOI deadline of September 29, 2026, has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2080 Addison Street 5, Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 845-3473
Website: https://impactfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Impact Fund
Who The Impact Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Fair Housing Allianc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $418K.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 105 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The funder is based in Berkeley, California, and its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states. California received 19% of grant dollars, Washington, DC 17%, New York 16%, and Hawaii and Oregon 10% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Impact Fund open to new grantees?
76%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 19 of 25 grantees (76%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $32K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $19K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $235K (2021) to $733K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $733K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Fair Housing Allianc Washington, DC | litigation costs | $50,000 |
| Our Childrens Trust Eugene, OR | litigation costs | $50,000 |
| Justice Catalyst Access Fund New York, NY | litigation costs | $45,691 |
| Southern Coalition for Social Durham, NC | litigation costs | $42,000 |
| Coalition for Humane Immigran Los Angeles, CA | litigation costs | $40,000 |
| Council of the Haida Nation Berkeley, CA | litigation costs | $40,000 |
| LatinoJustice PRLDEF New York, NY | litigation costs | $40,000 |
| Shulman Buske Reams PLLC Minneapolis, MN | litigation costs | $40,000 |
| Asian Law Caucus - Grantee San Francisco, CA | litigation costs | $35,000 |
| Hawaii Alliance for Progress Kapaa, HI | litigation costs | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Impact Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists 25 grants, and the 2024 and 2023 filings list 25 and 22 grants, respectively. The organization stated in its 2023 filing that it does not receive federal funding.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,185,406 | $4,175,136 | $3,579,857 | $732,691 | 25 | $69,799 |
| 2024 | $3,401,437 | $3,313,233 | $3,389,210 | $640,150 | 25 | $68,223 |
| 2023 | $3,616,509 | $2,737,475 | $2,853,731 | $597,750 | 22 | $83,113 |
| 2022 | $2,672,702 | $2,594,529 | $2,322,725 | $340,635 | 19 | $35,576 |
| 2021 | $2,415,972 | $1,877,041 | $2,052,248 | $235,000 | 14 | $306,341 |
| 2020 | $2,665,425 | $1,689,116 | $2,220,458 | $502,665 | 20 | $135,644 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to support class action public interest litigation and award grants in human and civil rights, elimination of unlawful discrimination, environmental justice, and the relief of poverty. It also provides technical support, advice and counseling, training, and representation to public interest lawyers.
The Impact Fund makes recoverable grants to nonprofit organizations, solo practitioners, and small law firms involved in impact litigation. Most grants support class actions, though the funder also considers multi-plaintiff and environmental justice cases intended to affect larger systems or lead to meaningful law reform. Grants may cover out-of-pocket litigation expenses, such as expert fees and discovery costs, but not attorneys’ fees, staff time, or organizational overhead.
Among its 2025 grantees, Our Children’s Trust received $50,000; the organization describes its mission as empowering youth to secure rights to life and a livable climate through litigation. LatinoJustice PRLDEF received $40,000 and describes its work as advancing a more just and equitable society through areas including voting rights, immigrant rights, economic justice, and criminal legal system reform. Centro Legal de la Raza, which received $25,000, describes its work as protecting and advancing the rights of low-income immigrant communities through bilingual legal representation, education, and advocacy. Snake River Waterkeeper, which received $20,000, describes its mission as protecting and restoring the Snake River Basin and supporting clean-water access and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Impact Fund reported 25 grants totaling $732,691. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $50,000, with a median of $25,000. The funder says most of its grants are in the $10,000–$50,000 range and that its average grant is around $20,000.
The largest listed 2025 grants included $50,000 each to National Fair Housing Alliance and Our Children’s Trust; $45,691 to Justice Catalyst Access Fund; and $42,000 to Southern Coalition for Social Justice. The stated purpose for these grants was litigation costs. Other listed recipients included Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights ($40,000), Council of the Haida Nation ($40,000), and LatinoJustice PRLDEF ($40,000).
Applicants register through the Grant Portal, complete an eligibility questionnaire, and submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) for a quarterly review cycle. Applicants invited to proceed submit a full application, including materials such as a filed or draft complaint and litigation budget; a grants committee member schedules a call with an attorney on the case. The funder prefers cases that have been filed or are about to be filed and prioritizes requests for future expenses from applicants who need funding to keep a case moving. Self-represented litigants are not eligible. Applicants may apply for one grant for one case per quarter; a previous grantee may apply again if at least one year has passed since receiving a grant.
Grants are recoverable with 7% simple interest if case costs or fees are recovered; repayment is not required if they are not recovered. Grantees submit annual status reports and a final report when the case concludes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lindsay Nako as Executive Director, Edward Basham-Witherington as Deputy Director, Lori E. Rifkin as Litigation Director, and Fawn J. Korr as Training Director. Robert Schug is listed as Board Chair and Sarah Alexander as Vice Chair.
The Impact Fund is led by Lindsay Nako, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 5 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lindsay Nako
Executive Director
Litigation Director → Director of Litigation & Training, 2022
Director of Litigation & Training → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$143K (2020) → $178K (2025)
Robert Schug
Board Chair
Vice Chair → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2024
Vice Chair & Treasurer → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fawn J Korr
Training Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$124K (2025)
Lori E Rifkin
Litigation Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$135K (2025)
Andrew P Lee
Director
Director → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dara Schur
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dena Sharp
Director
Director → Board Chair, 2023
Board Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason C Marsili
Director
Director → Board Member, 2021
Board Member → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mario M Moya
Director
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marco Simons
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Felicia Gilbert
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andre Mura
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Sun
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elissa Gershon
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence Yuan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Basham-Witherington
Deputy Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$125K (2020) → $155K (2025)
Erin Nunn
Hr & Finance Manager
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024) → $114K (2025)
Laboni Hoq
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Alexander
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Gourley Carter
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Catherine Fisk (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Christian Schreiber (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: David Lopez (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jocelyn Larkin (2020–2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Cecilia Mansilla (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Helen H Kang (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Amy Daniewicz (2022) — Grant Program Director
- Former: Cornelia Dai (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Eric Havian (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Michael Caesar (2020–2021) — Board Chair
- Former: Abby Ginzberg (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $178K, to Lindsay Nako (Executive Dir.). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Impact Fund
How much does The Impact Fund give each year?
The Impact Fund gave $733K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $640K across 25 grants.
What is The Impact Fund's typical grant size?
The Impact Fund's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $29,308, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Impact Fund that year got $32K on average.
Where does The Impact Fund give grants?
The Impact Fund's top state is California, with 19% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and New York (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does The Impact Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The Impact Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Litigation Costs" (25 grants).
Who are The Impact Fund's largest grantees?
The Impact Fund's largest 2025 grantees include National Fair Housing Allianc ($50,000), Our Childrens Trust ($50,000) and Justice Catalyst Access Fund ($45,691), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Impact Fund?
The Impact Fund reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.2M.
What does The Impact Fund fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to support class action public interest litigation and award grants in human and civil rights, elimination of unlawful discrimination, environmental justice, and the relief of poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Impact Fund?
The funder accepts unsolicited requests through its LOI process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Impact Fund's EIN?
The Impact Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3161863. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Impact Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Impact Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Impact Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-impact-fund-morg_0f7e4868c7a54c6ab203289d23a8d55f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943161863_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Impact Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-impact-fund-morg_0f7e4868c7a54c6ab203289d23a8d55f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Impact Fund'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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