The Ithaka Foundation
The Ithaka Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. In 2024, it made 18 grants totaling $146,250 to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, educational organizations, and groups working on conservation and community issues.
The Ithaka Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ithaka Foundation gave $146K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), top state District of Columbia. 39% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $146,250
- +0.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,125
- -10.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,375
- Total assets
- $1,646,051
- -2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (7 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (26% 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 Ithaka Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says applications are accepted at any time. Each application should include the requested amount, the purpose of the grant, and general information about the applying organization. The filing says notice of approval, rejection, or a request for additional information is usually sent within one month. It states that no restrictions apply.
- Contact
Application contact: David H Langstaff
Mailing address: 24020 Old Hundred Road, Dickerson, MD 20872
Phone: (202) 355-7830
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ithaka Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Wolf Trap Foundation for ($35K). Together the top 10 received $136K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 78 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Washington, DC (26%), Virginia (24%), Maryland (12%), Massachusetts (11%), and Illinois (9%). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ithaka Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 18 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 56% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−20%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 181% 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 $89K (2020) to $182K (2021). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $146K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Wolf Trap Foundation for Vienna, VA | General Fund | $35,000 |
| Library of Congress Washington, DC | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Montgomery Countryside Alliance Poolesville, MD | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Revels Inc Cambridge, MA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Glessner House Museum Chicago, IL | General Fund | $12,500 |
| Pestalozzi USA Childrens Charity New York, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Washington, DC | General Fund | $10,000 |
| The Putney School Putney, VT | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Wallingford Symphony Orchestra Wallingford, CT | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Music Associates of Aspen Inc Aspen, CO | General Fund | $3,750 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ithaka Foundation?
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 | $1,646,051 | $127,316 | $164,464 | $146,250 | 18 | $146,250 | $111,479 | $80,889 |
| 2023 | $1,683,199 | $83,355 | $159,717 | $145,250 | 16 | $145,250 | $68,512 | $99,787 |
| 2022 | $1,759,561 | $111,526 | $186,037 | $166,000 | 11 | $166,000 | $95,986 | $104,957 |
| 2021 | $1,833,302 | $310,273 | $199,046 | $182,474 | 23 | $182,474 | $223,997 | $112,058 |
| 2020 | $1,779,196 | $175,823 | $103,510 | $88,500 | 10 | — | $160,281 | $98,101 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ithaka Foundation reported a distributable amount of $81K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Montgomery Countryside Alliance says its mission is to promote policies that preserve the natural environment, open spaces, and rural lands in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. Revels describes itself as a performing arts organization presenting theatrical and musical productions and educational programs about cultural traditions. Glessner House Museum says it sparks interest in architecture, history, and design through exploration of the house and its preservation.
Other 2024 recipients include the Aspen Institute, which describes its work as driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action; Music Associates of Aspen, whose stated mission centers on transformative music education; and the National Constitution Center, which describes itself as a platform for constitutional education and civil dialogue.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $146,250. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median of $4,375. Among the largest awards were $35,000 to Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, $25,000 to the Library of Congress, $15,000 each to Montgomery Countryside Alliance and Revels, and $12,500 to Glessner House Museum. The listed grants were for general funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David H. Langstaff as director, Cynthia Shauer Langstaff as vice president, and Lee M. Langstaff as director.
The Ithaka Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David H. Langstaff
Director
President & Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lee M. Langstaff
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Shauer Langstaff
Vice President
Vice President & Secretary → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.5 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 Ithaka Foundation
How much does The Ithaka Foundation give each year?
The Ithaka Foundation gave $146K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $145K across 16 grants.
What is The Ithaka Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ithaka Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,375, and its average grant was $8,125, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ithaka Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Ithaka Foundation give grants?
The Ithaka Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (24%) and Maryland (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The Ithaka Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Ithaka Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ithaka Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ithaka Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Wolf Trap Foundation for ($35,000), Library of Congress ($25,000) and Montgomery Countryside Alliance ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ithaka Foundation?
The Ithaka Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $146K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $81K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ithaka Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ithaka Foundation?
The 2024 filing says applications are accepted at any time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ithaka Foundation's EIN?
The Ithaka Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0555608. 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 September 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 Ithaka Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ithaka-foundation-morg_2e43a5d4dd3244bb80680d3c1bc96d0a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760555608_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ithaka Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ithaka-foundation-morg_2e43a5d4dd3244bb80680d3c1bc96d0a},
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 Ithaka 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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