The Passport Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2007 in North Carolina and currently based in Wilmington, Delaware. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as an independent foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$62.7M
+21.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
-29.6% YoY
Grant Count
44
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$59K
-29.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports causes including environmentalism and left-leaning economic and social policy. Program areas include education, philanthropy and grantmaking, and human services. The foundation has demonstrated interest in health-related initiatives, including an interest in providing management services for organizations that exchange undesirable products for safer alternatives that do not pose inappropriate health risks.
Grantmaking
The Passport Foundation makes grants primarily ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $51.5 million
- Total Revenue: $7.81 million
- Total Expenses: $5.72 million
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of 2024 (most recent filing):
- Total Assets: $62.65 million
- Total Giving: $2.61 million
The foundation maintains unconditional tax-exempt status with a ruling date of February 2008.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $62,650,504 | $51,478,986 | $49,288,734 |
| Revenue | $15,722,506 | $7,811,665 | $7,686,076 |
| Expenses | $4,550,988 | $5,721,413 | $5,884,290 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,069,488 | $4,144,603 | $4,431,886 |
| Net Investment Income | $13,164,086 | — | $3,056,501 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,081,966 | $3,063,642 | $3,914,651 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
238 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation was founded by financier John H. Burbank III and his wife, Alison Carlson. Alison Carlson also founded the Forsythia Foundation, another environmentalist grantmaking organization.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ani Arutyunyan | Sec, Dir | 1 | — |
| John H Burbank III | Dir, Pres | 1 | — |
| Jim Cunningham | Dir | 1 | — |
| Joanne Poile | Dir | 1 | — |
| Michelle Ruggeri | Treas | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Passport Foundation has supported the American Passport Project, an initiative providing grants to Pell-eligible college students. Multiple higher education institutions, including Wake Forest University and Palm Beach Atlantic University, have been awarded grants through this program. The American Passport Project has celebrated five years of grant distribution and has received international recognition.
Wake Forest University awarded \u2018American Passport Project\u2019 grantSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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