The Knowledge Freedom Foundation
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation is a private foundation based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including GiveWell, GiveDirectly, Helen Keller International, and New Incentives.
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation at a glance
In short: The Knowledge Freedom Foundation gave $361K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $361,350
- -20.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -18.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,045
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,100
- Total assets
- $1,616,375
- -21.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (8 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Knowledge Freedom Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Matrix Financial, Wellesley, MA 02481
Phone: (781) 943-4100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Knowledge Freedom Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Givewell ($78K). Together the top 10 received $283K.
Grant Size Distribution
205 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 194 grants of 205 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. California received 57% of grant dollars, New York 23%, Pennsylvania 7%, Colorado 3%, and Ohio 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Knowledge Freedom Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 30 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 47% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $361K (2025) to $713K (2023). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $361K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Givewell Oakland, CA | GIFT | $78,000 |
| 1INFINITELIFE Palo Alto, CA | GIFT | $50,000 |
| Give Directly New York, NY | GIFT | $50,000 |
| Helen Keller International New York, NY | GIFT | $25,000 |
| Malaria Consortium Hermitage, PA | GIFT | $25,000 |
| New Incentives Covina, CA | GIFT | $12,500 |
| Humanity's Team Boulder, CO | GIFT | $12,000 |
| Alameda County Community Food Bank Oakland, CA | GIFT | $10,000 |
| Matthew 25 Ministries Cincinnati, OH | GIFT | $10,000 |
| Meds & Food for Kids St. Louis, MO | GIFT | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Knowledge Freedom 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,616,375 | $-73,676 | $364,282 | $361,350 | 30 | $363,282 | $347,063 | $33,890 |
| 2024 | $2,054,333 | $102,408 | $464,176 | $453,002 | 37 | $456,852 | $62,710 | $55,690 |
| 2023 | $2,416,101 | $436,579 | $725,538 | $712,840 | 39 | $725,538 | $478,345 | $74,709 |
| 2022 | $2,705,060 | $915,371 | $692,486 | $683,120 | 61 | $692,486 | $876,303 | $78,206 |
| 2021 | $2,482,175 | $2,495,414 | $439,724 | $439,160 | 38 | $439,724 | $415,380 | $63,278 |
| 2020 | $426,485 | $522,930 | $388,728 | $387,245 | 46 | — | $1,906 | $7,873 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Knowledge Freedom Foundation reported a distributable amount of $34K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Helen Keller International says it works with communities to address poverty through health, nutrition, and vision programs; New Incentives says it provides cash incentives to increase childhood vaccination rates; and Alameda County Community Food Bank says it pursues a hunger-free community. Urban Adamah describes itself as an educational farm and community center integrating Jewish tradition, sustainable agriculture, mindfulness, and social action.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $361,350. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $78,000, with a median of $5,100. Its largest grants included $78,000 to GiveWell, $50,000 to 1infiniteLife, $50,000 to GiveDirectly, $25,000 to Helen Keller International, and $25,000 to Malaria Consortium.
Other reported 2025 grants included $12,500 to New Incentives, $12,000 to Humanity’s Team, and $10,000 each to Alameda County Community Food Bank, Matthew 25 Ministries, and Meds & Food for Kids. The filing also lists $7,200 grants to Chochmat Halev and Or Halev.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph Amram as president and Martha Schary Amram as director.
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation is led by Joseph Amram, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph Amram
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Schary Amram
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Knowledge Freedom Foundation
How much does The Knowledge Freedom Foundation give each year?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation gave $361K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $453K across 37 grants.
What is The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's typical grant size?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,100, and its average grant was $12,045, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Knowledge Freedom Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Knowledge Freedom Foundation give grants?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation gives mostly in California: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Pennsylvania (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Palo Alto, CA (2 grants) and Covina, CA (2 grants).
Does The Knowledge Freedom Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Gift" (30 grants).
Who are The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's largest grantees?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Givewell ($78,000), 1INFINITELIFE ($50,000) and Give Directly ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Knowledge Freedom Foundation?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $363K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $34K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Knowledge Freedom Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Knowledge Freedom Foundation?
The foundation 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 Knowledge Freedom Foundation's EIN?
The Knowledge Freedom Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3296540. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Knowledge Freedom Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Knowledge Freedom Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-knowledge-freedom-foundation-morg_f10d72880da945b693538a08a3d4c5ab
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043296540_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Knowledge Freedom Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-knowledge-freedom-foundation-morg_f10d72880da945b693538a08a3d4c5ab},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Knowledge Freedom 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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