The Narayanan Family Foundation
The Narayanan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $240,500 to charitable organizations.
The Narayanan Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Narayanan Family Foundation gave $241K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Massachusetts. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $240,500
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,031
- +15.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,146,234
- +19.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (31% 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 Narayanan Family 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Narayanan Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Envir ($55K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $225K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 64 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 31% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 31% to recipients in California. Wisconsin received 10% and the District of Columbia 8%; 12% was associated with an unspecified recipient state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Narayanan Family Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $108K (2020) to $241K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $241K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Madras Foundation Cupertino, CA | Narayanan Family Foundation Faculty Fellows fund | $45,000 |
| Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Envir Belmont, MA | General & Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| Institute for Financial Management and Research | WELL Labs - NbS Projects | $30,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Foundation Milwaukee, WI | UW ColorStack program | $25,000 |
| University of California Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | Louise Mozingo Award fund | $20,000 |
| Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Envir Belmont, MA | Greens of Wheels project in Bengaluru | $15,000 |
| Museum of Art and Photography Foundation Inc Boston, MA | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Black Landscape Architects Network Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Landscape Architecture Foundation Washington DC, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Nudge Foundation Irving, TX | General & Unrestricted | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Narayanan Family 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 | $7,146,234 | $1,534,373 | $354,144 | $240,500 | 16 | $324,452 | $509,961 | $349,649 |
| 2024 | $5,966,005 | $335,278 | $326,539 | $221,300 | 17 | $307,287 | $373,156 | $323,957 |
| 2023 | $5,957,266 | $441,661 | $302,840 | $235,500 | 12 | $285,191 | $429,969 | $290,408 |
| 2022 | $5,818,445 | $404,428 | $256,053 | $161,000 | 11 | $226,914 | $392,568 | $289,085 |
| 2021 | $5,670,070 | $1,553,893 | $182,137 | $114,000 | 8 | $159,509 | $1,272,066 | $238,501 |
| 2020 | $4,298,314 | $1,009,025 | $141,428 | $107,500 | 8 | — | $806,279 | $147,953 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Narayanan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $350K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for education and university programs, ecology research, landscape architecture, and other charitable work. For example, IIT Madras Foundation describes its mission as promoting education and scientific and technological research at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The Landscape Architecture Foundation says it supports preservation, improvement, and enhancement of the environment through research, scholarships, and leadership initiatives.
Other 2025 recipients describe work that includes developing skills and inclusion for differently abled individuals (Inclusive World) and advancing equality for LGBTQ+ families through advocacy, support, storytelling, and education (Family Equality).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $240,500. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $45,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $45,000 to IIT Madras Foundation for its Narayanan Family Foundation Faculty Fellows fund; $40,000 to Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment for general and unrestricted purposes; and $30,000 to the Institute for Financial Management and Research for WELL Labs – NbS Projects. Other notable awards included $25,000 to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for the UW ColorStack program, $20,000 to the University of California Berkeley Foundation for the Louise Mozingo Award fund, and $15,000 to Ashoka Trust for its Greens of Wheels project in Bengaluru.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ari Daman as Co-President and Director, and Srinivasa Narayanan as Director, Secretary, Treasurer, and Co-President.
The Narayanan Family Foundation is led by Ari Daman, Co- President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ari Daman
Co- President & Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Srinivasa Narayanan
Director, Secretary, Treasurer & Co- President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Narayanan Family Foundation
How much does The Narayanan Family Foundation give each year?
The Narayanan Family Foundation gave $241K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $221K across 17 grants.
What is The Narayanan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Narayanan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,031, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Narayanan Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Narayanan Family Foundation give grants?
The Narayanan Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (31%) and Wisconsin (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Belmont, MA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does The Narayanan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of The Narayanan Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Narayanan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Narayanan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Envir ($55,000 across 2 grants), IIT Madras Foundation ($45,000) and Institute for Financial Management and Research ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Narayanan Family Foundation?
The Narayanan Family Foundation reported $7.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $324K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $350K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Narayanan Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for education and university programs, ecology research, landscape architecture, and other charitable work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Narayanan Family 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 Narayanan Family Foundation's EIN?
The Narayanan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4121880. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Narayanan Family 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Narayanan Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Delaware
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
American Electric Power Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The American Electric Power Foundation funds education, especially STEM, basic human services, social justice, and environmental protection, primarily for organizations in AEP’s service territory or with broader beneficial impact. Its 2025 grants ranged from $500 to $1,428,570, with a median of $10,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; eligible organizations need an invitation from their local AEP Operating Company.
Assets
$43.6M
Grants
753
Total Given
$23.0M
Puget Sound Energy Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The Puget Sound Energy Foundation funds nonprofits serving communities where PSE has a service or generation presence, primarily in Washington, across household needs, education and workforce pathways, climate resilience, and community safety. Grants vary widely; in 2024 they ranged from $13 to $100,000, with a $500 median, while its 2026 disaster-focused competitive program offers up to $15,000. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but eligible local nonprofits can apply through that competitive program.
Assets
$19.6M
Grants
451
Total Given
$1.2M
First Eagle Investments Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$747K
Grants
389
Total Given
$1.2M
Hagerty Drivers Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$193K
Grants
330
Total Given
$192K
McNabb Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The McNabb Foundation’s website describes support for behavioral health and social services in East Tennessee, while its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions, mostly in California. Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median of $1,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected charitable organizations.
Assets
$4.8M
Grants
328
Total Given
$358K
More similar funders
More Funders in Delaware
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Narayanan Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-narayanan-family-foundation-morg_bdf1b6d5ded842d49fded87b39719d2a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814121880_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Narayanan Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-narayanan-family-foundation-morg_bdf1b6d5ded842d49fded87b39719d2a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Narayanan Family 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.
The Narayanan Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?