The Onda Foundation Inc
The Onda Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Burlington, Vermont. It supports organizations, municipalities, and institutions that encourage significant change in their communities, with a stated focus on areas including health and wellness, education, and access to food and water.
The Onda Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Onda Foundation Inc gave $906K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in Vermont. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $905,750
- -17.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -16.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,218
- -1.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $2,062,459
- -16.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (8 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Vermont (60% 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 Onda Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says a request should be written and describe the organization, its mission, and its need for funds. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing lists no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: The Onda Foundation Inc
Mailing address: 159 S Cove Rd, Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: (802) 238-5954
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Onda Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Philanthropic Trust ($110K). Together the top 10 received $578K.
Grant Size Distribution
149 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 149 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it supports organizations in many locations, predominantly in Vermont, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in Vermont, 12% to Pennsylvania, and 6% each to recipients in California and New York. The filing also lists a grant to Plenitud Iniciativas in Puerto Rico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Onda Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 31 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $26K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 648% 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 $332K (2020) to $1.3M (2022). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $906K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $110,000 |
| Champlain College Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $100,000 |
| One Percent for the Planet Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $100,000 |
| United Way South Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $60,550 |
| Saint Lawrence University Canton, NY | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $50,000 |
| Plenitud Iniciativas Las Marias, PR | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $50,000 |
| Fundacion Cuatro Estrellas | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $32,000 |
| King Street Center Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $25,000 |
| UVM Foundation Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $25,000 |
| Rozalia Project Burlington, VT | Unrestricted grant for donee's exempt purpose. | $25,000 |
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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 | $2,062,459 | $583,964 | $976,248 | $905,750 | 31 | $945,761 | $553,477 | $145,873 |
| 2024 | $2,454,743 | $539,237 | $1,161,041 | $1,096,665 | 37 | $1,124,751 | $500,082 | $185,116 |
| 2023 | $3,076,547 | $120,425 | $1,123,525 | $1,017,500 | 30 | $1,075,912 | $64,241 | $225,468 |
| 2022 | $4,079,647 | $-153,345 | $1,437,955 | $1,285,035 | 28 | $1,354,607 | $80,629 | $288,290 |
| 2021 | $5,670,947 | $1,084,355 | $852,164 | $731,264 | 23 | $793,433 | $1,025,624 | $318,740 |
| 2020 | $5,438,756 | $101,270 | $429,886 | $331,500 | 17 | — | $83,490 | $297,177 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Onda Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $146K 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
The foundation’s mission is to support progress, growth, and sustainability by supporting communities through their people. Its stated focus areas include health and wellness, mindfulness, empowerment, education, access to health care, food and water, and activities for marginalized communities.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it supports organizations encouraging significant change in their communities. Examples of grantees and their own descriptions include Champlain College, an institution of higher education; Plenitud Iniciativas, a nonprofit educational farm and teaching center; King Street Center, which empowers youth through learning, play, and opportunity; and Rozalia Project, whose mission is to protect the ocean and conserve a healthy marine environment.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $905,750. Grants ranged from $1,100 to $110,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest listed grants included $110,000 to National Philanthropic Trust, $100,000 each to Champlain College and One Percent for the Planet, and $60,550 to United Way. Other listed grants included $50,000 each to Saint Lawrence University and Plenitud Iniciativas, and $25,000 each to King Street Center, UVM Foundation, Rozalia Project, Spectrum Youth Family Services, and Audubon Vermont. The filing describes these grants as unrestricted support for each recipient’s exempt purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Roxanne Scully, Deborah Lichtenfeld, and Helaina Stergas as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Scully as its founder and Lichtenfeld as its executive director.
The Onda Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah Lichtenfeld
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$57K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Helaina Stergas
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Scully
Director
On filings since 2020
4 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $25K, to Deborah Lichtenfeld (Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Onda Foundation Inc
How much does The Onda Foundation Inc give each year?
The Onda Foundation Inc gave $906K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 37 grants.
What is The Onda Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Onda Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $29,218, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Onda Foundation Inc that year got $38K on average.
Where does The Onda Foundation Inc give grants?
The Onda Foundation Inc gives mostly in Vermont: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (12%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Burlington, VT (15 grants) and South Burlington, VT (3 grants).
Does The Onda Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Onda Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Onda Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Onda Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include National Philanthropic Trust ($110,000), Champlain College ($100,000) and One Percent for the Planet ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Onda Foundation Inc?
The Onda Foundation Inc reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $946K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $146K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Onda Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support progress, growth, and sustainability by supporting communities through their people. Its stated focus areas include health and wellness, mindfulness, empowerment, education, access to health care, food and water, and activities for marginalized communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Onda Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s filing says a request should be written and describe the organization, its mission, and its need for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Onda Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Onda Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2019103. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 July 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Onda Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Onda Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-onda-foundation-inc-morg_256e803927934ce9bbfdad8a3adc32d6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_822019103_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Onda Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-onda-foundation-inc-morg_256e803927934ce9bbfdad8a3adc32d6},
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 Onda Foundation Inc'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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