The Policy Academies Inc
The Policy Academies Inc is a Washington, DC–based public charity that develops policy leaders from excluded and underserved communities and works to make the policy field more equitable. Its programs include training and career development for students and alumni, as well as efforts to improve practices in policy research and policy institutions.
The Policy Academies Inc at a glance
In short: The Policy Academies Inc gave $346K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), top state New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $346,000
- -48.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,600
- -53.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $1,524,901
- -48.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (48% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Policy Academies Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 740 15Th St Nw 900, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 948-9163
Website: https://thepolicyacademies.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Policy Academies Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Festival of the Diaspora Inc ($100K). Together the top 10 received $346K.
Grant Size Distribution
30 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 30 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant distribution by recipient state was New York, 48% of grant dollars; Maryland, 35%; California, 7%; Massachusetts, 4%; and Texas, 3%. The listed grants also included a $10,000 award to The Story of Our Schools in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Policy Academies Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $20K (2020) to $673K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $346K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Festival of the Diaspora Inc Rockville, MD | Program Support | $100,000 |
| MDRC New York, NY | Program Support | $75,000 |
| Russell Sage Foundation New York, NY | Program Support | $51,000 |
| The Regents of the University of California Los Angeles, CA | Program Support | $25,000 |
| New York University New York, NY | Program Support | $20,000 |
| St Johns University NY Queens, NY | Program Support | $20,000 |
| University of Maryland College Park College Park, MD | Program Support | $20,000 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Texas State University- San Marcos San Marcos, TX | Program Support | $10,000 |
| The Story of Our Schools Washington, DC | Program Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,524,901 | $373,724 | $1,739,811 | $346,000 | 10 | $52,564 |
| 2023 | $2,935,976 | $1,082,567 | $2,296,125 | $673,374 | 9 | $69,504 |
| 2022 | $4,304,003 | $2,028,600 | $1,294,212 | $305,500 | 5 | — |
| 2021 | $3,178,309 | $3,365,076 | $599,760 | $79,500 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | $384,771 | $477,125 | $371,061 | $20,000 | 2 | — |
| 2019 | $285,708 | $477,950 | $308,363 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to cultivate a new generation of policy leaders from excluded and underserved communities and help them develop and advance solutions to social and economic justice challenges. Its website describes work in training and development, career acceleration, thought leadership, and field transformation.
Its filing describes three programs: one- and two-year fellowship and research scholar programs for undergraduates and graduate students; an Alumni Career and Leadership Development Program offering training, mentorship, and support to attend career-accelerating conferences; and an initiative to improve equity in institutional and research practices. The filing says the training programs are free to participating students and that the organization covers airfare and lodging and provides a stipend.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, The Policy Academies reported 10 grants totaling $346,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $100,000, with a median of $20,000. All 10 listed grants were for program support.
The largest grants were $100,000 to Festival of the Diaspora Inc. in Rockville, Maryland; $75,000 to MDRC in New York; and $51,000 to the Russell Sage Foundation in New York. Other grants included $25,000 to the Regents of the University of California in Los Angeles, $20,000 each to New York University, St. John’s University, and the University of Maryland College Park, and $15,000 to Northeastern University.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lynette Rawlings as Founder, President and CEO; Angela Glover Blackwell as Chair; and Nick Turner and Darrick Hamilton as directors. It also lists Alexandr L. Maza and Marlene Castro as vice presidents. Arlene Williams is listed as COO and SVP, with her service ending in January 2024.
The Policy Academies Inc is led by Lynette Rawlings, Founder, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lynette Rawlings
Founder, President & CEO
President & CEO → Founder, President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$114K (2019) → $395K (2024)
Angela Glover Blackwell
Chair
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nick Turner
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darrick Hamilton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arlene Williams
COO & Senior Vice President
COO & Senior Vice President of Special Initiatives → COO & Senior Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$215K (2023) → $8K (2024)
Alexandr L Maza
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$164K (2024)
Marlene Castro
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$164K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kilolo Kijakazi (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $395K, to Lynette Rawlings (Founder, President and CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Policy Academies Inc
How much does The Policy Academies Inc give each year?
The Policy Academies Inc gave $346K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $673K across 9 grants.
What is The Policy Academies Inc's typical grant size?
The Policy Academies Inc's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $34,600, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does The Policy Academies Inc give grants?
The Policy Academies Inc's top state is New York, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maryland (35%) and California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Policy Academies Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Policy Academies Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (10 grants).
Who are The Policy Academies Inc's largest grantees?
The Policy Academies Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Festival of the Diaspora Inc ($100,000), MDRC ($75,000) and Russell Sage Foundation ($51,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Policy Academies Inc?
The Policy Academies Inc reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $374K.
What does The Policy Academies Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to cultivate a new generation of policy leaders from excluded and underserved communities and help them develop and advance solutions to social and economic justice challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Policy Academies Inc?
The Policy Academies Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check thepolicyacademies.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Policy Academies Inc's EIN?
The Policy Academies Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3333541. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Policy Academies Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-policy-academies-inc-morg_f84d2cebf93d4b61bc587aa8ff91800f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813333541_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Policy Academies Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-policy-academies-inc-morg_f84d2cebf93d4b61bc587aa8ff91800f},
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 Policy Academies 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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