The Nararo Foundation

PHILADELPHIA, PA EIN: 02-0229861

The Nararo Foundation is a private non-operating foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in April 2002, it operates as a charitable organization with tax-exempt status and has unconditional exemption from the IRS. The foundation primarily makes unrestricted grants to support the exempt purposes of its grantees.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$13.8M

+0.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$553K

-30.7% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$79K

-30.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nararo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $663K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Human Rights
Social Justice
Creative Writing

The foundation provides unrestricted grants for the exempt purposes of its grantees, allowing organizations to direct funds according to their own priorities.

Grantmaking

The foundation makes unrestricted grants rather than restricted or project-specific funding, giving grantees flexibility in how they deploy resources.

Ready to take the next step with The Nararo Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:

Pennsylvania
District of Columbia
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $3.1M (89%)

New York $156K (5%)

District of Columbia $85K (2%)

Massachusetts $45K (1%)

Illinois $33K (1%)

Colorado $20K (1%)

California $10K (0%)

Minnesota $10K (0%)

+8 more states

States

Alabama California Colorado District of Columbia Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Mississippi North Carolina New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas Virginia Washington

Cities

Albert LeaAshevilleBala CynwydBaltimoreBerkeleyBostonBrooklynCambridgeChesterChicagoConshohockenDenverEl PasoFresh MeadowsJacksonJamaica PlainJenkintownKimbertonLincolnMedia

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (as of December 2023):

Total assets: $13,803,227
Total giving: $797,100
Total revenues: $494,984
Total expenses: $856,536
Investment income and dividends: $353,327

Staffing:

Number of employees: 0

The foundation operates without dedicated staff, relying on investment income and asset management to support its grantmaking activities.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$13,821,658	$13,803,227	$14,143,679
Revenue	$641,486	$494,984	$354,898
Expenses	$606,955	$856,536	$870,654
Qualifying Distributions	$557,007	$802,225	$796,872
Net Investment Income	$593,223	$440,611	$294,310
Distributable Amount	$662,941	$622,570	$690,328

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 7 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

100 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include National Philanthropic Trust ($500,000), Non Violence International ($15,000), Maia ($11,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BARBARA WHITMAN ENDOWMENT FELLOWSHIP FUND NEW YORK, NY	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$10,000
GLOBAL ARCH PHILADELPHIA, PA	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$6,000
MAIA CHICAGO, IL	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$11,000
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST JENKINTOWN, PA	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$500,000
NON VIOLENCE INTERNATIONAL WASHINGTON, DC	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$15,000
WCAI WOODS HOLE, MA	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$600
MECA BERKELEY, CA	UNRESTRICTED GRANT FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Thomas I Whitman is listed as the care-of contact for the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
THOMAS I WHITMAN	MANAGING TRUSTEE	4	—
MIRA RABIN	MANAGING TRUSTEE	4	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Nararo Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on: • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Human Rights • Social Justice • Creative Writing The foundation provides unrestricted grants for the exempt purposes of its grantees, allowing organizations to direct funds according to their own priorities.

How do I apply for a grant from The Nararo Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving (2023): $797,100 • Typical award range: $500,000–$750,000 • Number of grants (2023): Eight grants **Recent Grants (2023):** • National Philanthropic Trust: $750,000 (unrestricted grant) • French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust: $1,100 (unrestricted grant) The foundation makes unrestricted grants rather than restricted or project-specific funding, giving grantees flexibility in how they deploy resources.

Where does The Nararo Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • Pennsylvania • District of Columbia • New York

What size grants does The Nararo Foundation award?

In 2024, The Nararo Foundation awarded 7 grants totaling $553K — an average of about $79K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Nararo Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Nararo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $663K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.