The Middle Passage Foundation
The Middle Passage Foundation is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Its 2025 filing lists $250,000 in grants to 12 charitable organizations, including organizations providing shelter, housing, meals, and other services.
The Middle Passage Foundation at a glance
In short: The Middle Passage Foundation gave $250K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in California. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $250,000
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,833
- +31.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $154,823
- +8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (69% 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 Middle Passage Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1880 Century Park East, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Phone: (310) 553-1707
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Middle Passage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco ($60K). Together the top 10 received $235K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 59 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 69% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 12% to recipients in Washington, D.C., 6% each to recipients in Colorado and New York, and 4% to recipients in Massachusetts. The listed grants also included a $7,500 grant to K9 Warriors in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Middle Passage Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 208% of 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 $164K (2023) to $250K (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $250K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Donation of shelter, housing, meals, and behavioral health services | $60,000 |
| Insight Housing Berkeley, CA | Donation of Housing and Meals Services | $35,000 |
| Project Open Hand San Francisco, CA | Donation | $30,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Inc Washington, DC | Donation | $30,000 |
| ACLU of Northern California San Francisco, CA | Donation | $15,000 |
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Donation | $15,000 |
| Amnesty International Oakland, CA | Donation | $15,000 |
| Committee to Project Journalists New York, NY | Donation | $15,000 |
| Cultural Survivals Cambridge, MA | Donation | $10,000 |
| Kqed-FM San Francisco, CA | Donation | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Middle Passage 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 | $154,823 | $261,652 | $250,000 | $250,000 | 12 | $250,000 | $11,652 | $120,155 |
| 2024 | $143,171 | $3,230,923 | $175,075 | $175,000 | 11 | $175,000 | $176,323 | $9,901 |
| 2023 | $14,651 | $164,000 | $164,075 | $164,000 | 11 | $164,000 | — | $1,482 |
| 2022 | $14,726 | $200,000 | $187,095 | $187,000 | 13 | $187,000 | — | $567 |
| 2021 | $1,821 | $200,000 | $200,050 | $200,000 | 12 | $200,000 | — | $495 |
| 2020 | $1,871 | $200,000 | $200,060 | $200,000 | 12 | — | — | $471 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Middle Passage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $120K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included donations to organizations working in areas such as housing and food services, humanitarian response, education, civil liberties, journalism, and animal welfare.
Among its grantees, Insight Housing describes its programs as including emergency and transitional housing, permanent housing, rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention, and supportive services. Project Open Hand says it provides nutritious meals to sick and vulnerable people and works to improve health outcomes and quality of life. World Central Kitchen describes its work as providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. The American Indian College Fund says it invests in Native students and tribal college education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $250,000. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $60,000, with a median of $15,000.
Notable grants included $60,000 to Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco for shelter, housing, meals, and behavioral health services; $35,000 to Insight Housing for housing and meals services; and $30,000 each to Project Open Hand and World Central Kitchen. Other grants included $15,000 each to the ACLU of Northern California, American Indian College Fund, Amnesty International, and Committee to Protect Journalists.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tracy Chapman as president, Aneta Chapman as vice president, Lee Phillips as secretary, and Todd Gelfand as CFO.
The Middle Passage Foundation is led by Tracy Chapman, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tracy Chapman
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Aneta Chapman
V.p.
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lee Phillips
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Todd Gelfand
CFO
On filings since 2020
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 Middle Passage Foundation
How much does The Middle Passage Foundation give each year?
The Middle Passage Foundation gave $250K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $175K across 11 grants.
What is The Middle Passage Foundation's typical grant size?
The Middle Passage Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $20,833, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Middle Passage Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does The Middle Passage Foundation give grants?
The Middle Passage Foundation gives mostly in California: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants).
Does The Middle Passage Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Middle Passage Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (9 grants).
Who are The Middle Passage Foundation's largest grantees?
The Middle Passage Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco ($60,000), Insight Housing ($35,000) and Project Open Hand ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Middle Passage Foundation?
The Middle Passage Foundation reported $155K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $250K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $120K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Middle Passage Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included donations to organizations working in areas such as housing and food services, humanitarian response, education, civil liberties, journalism, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Middle Passage Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Middle Passage Foundation's EIN?
The Middle Passage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4247443. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Middle Passage 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 September 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 July 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Middle Passage Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-middle-passage-foundation-morg_7325c9ba9a7d45439650a761f42ebf1a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954247443_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Middle Passage Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-middle-passage-foundation-morg_7325c9ba9a7d45439650a761f42ebf1a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Middle Passage 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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