The Renaissance Foundation
The Renaissance Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. Its stated mission is to make a significant difference in the lives of people in need, especially through education, human services, and the environment.
The Renaissance Foundation at a glance
In short: The Renaissance Foundation gave $4.7M across 228 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Oregon. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,677,293
- -8.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 228
- -5.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,514
- -2.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $8,256,918
- -33.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (24 of 216, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (55% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Renaissance Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists no fixed deadline and asks applicants to contact the foundation. Requests should include a project or program description and intended beneficiaries, anticipated outcomes, information about community impact, a brief project or program budget with the amount requested, a board roster, a narrative of no more than three pages describing the organization’s history and achievements, and operating and project budgets identifying the relevant programs or projects. Requests for capital expenses or contributions to capital campaigns are generally not considered.
- Contact
Application contact: The Renaissance Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 80516, Portland, OR 97280
Phone: (503) 726-5970
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Renaissance Foundation
Who The Renaissance Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Oregon ($406K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 11 individual scholarships ($171,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,043 grants of 1,118 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Oregon received 55% of grant dollars, recipients in Illinois received 18%, and recipients in California, an individual recipient, and New York received 5%, 3%, and 2%, respectively. The foundation says it generally funds programs in the Portland area, while also having funded some national and international programs.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 228 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Renaissance Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 216 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 528% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $2.4M (2020) to $5.1M (2023). In 2024 it made 228 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon Eugene, OR | Scholarships | $405,501 |
| Oregon State University Corvallis, OR | Scholarships | $379,980 |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | Scholarships | $340,000 |
| University of Portland Portland, OR | Scholarships | $275,000 |
| Portland State University Portland, OR | Scholarships | $273,863 |
| All Classical Radio Portland, OR | General Operating Purposes | $250,000 |
| Stand for Children Portland, OR | Scholarships | $215,000 |
| University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL | Scholarships | $116,298 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | Scholarships | $82,500 |
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $126,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Renaissance 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,256,918 | $2,844,912 | $5,281,197 | $4,677,293 | 228 | $5,114,619 | $2,726,323 | $969,510 |
| 2023 | $12,484,680 | $3,386,322 | $5,509,924 | $5,098,104 | 242 | $5,393,781 | $2,486,391 | $1,008,439 |
| 2022 | $14,715,465 | $2,094,649 | $4,908,344 | $4,580,659 | 250 | $4,784,230 | $1,248,808 | $1,141,071 |
| 2021 | $17,519,986 | $2,588,304 | $4,522,010 | $4,128,946 | 252 | $4,284,305 | $2,706,147 | $1,425,410 |
| 2020 | $19,421,478 | $3,202,530 | $2,709,778 | $2,415,195 | 146 | — | $5,402,259 | $1,245,032 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Renaissance Foundation reported a distributable amount of $970K for 2024 — 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 identifies education, social justice, equity and inclusion, environmental justice, and human services as its core values. Its website describes education, human services, and the environment as areas of particular focus. The foundation also says it generally funds programs in the Portland area and has supported some national and international programs.
Its 2024 grants included substantial scholarship support for universities, including the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University of Portland received a grant for scholarships; the university describes itself as an independent Catholic university offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Stand for Children received a grant for scholarships and describes its mission as promoting educational success and social progress.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 228 grants totaling $4,677,293. Grant amounts ranged from $914 to $405,501, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $405,501 to the University of Oregon for scholarships, $379,980 to Oregon State University for scholarships, $340,000 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for scholarships, and $275,000 to the University of Portland for scholarships. All Classical Radio received $250,000 for general operating purposes, and Stand for Children received $215,000 for scholarships.
The foundation’s website describes the Renaissance Scholars Program as providing renewable awards of up to $5,000 per year to eligible first-generation students with significant financial need. Eligibility information includes a 3.0 GPA and being a high school senior, recent graduate, or current college student from Oregon or Illinois; the program also awards students at partner HBCUs. The website lists an individual recipient State University, an individual recipient Central University, and Stillman College as those partners. This scholarship program supports students directly and is separate from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Irving J. Levin as chair and director, Diana Hoff as president, secretary, and director, and Stephanie J. Fowler as director. The foundation’s website identifies Irving Levin and Stephanie Fowler as founders and lists Levin among its trustees.
The Renaissance Foundation is led by Diana Hoff, President, Secretary & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Diana Hoff
President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$132K (2024)
Irving J. Levin
Chair & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie J. Fowler
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $132K, to Diana Hoff (President, Secretary & Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Renaissance Foundation
How much does The Renaissance Foundation give each year?
The Renaissance Foundation gave $4.7M across 228 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.1M across 242 grants.
What is The Renaissance Foundation's typical grant size?
The Renaissance Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $20,514, across 228 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Renaissance Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Renaissance Foundation give grants?
The Renaissance Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (18%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (45 grants), Chicago, IL (15 grants), New York, NY (7 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (5 grants).
Does The Renaissance Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 29% of The Renaissance Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (65 of 228) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (163 grants).
Who are The Renaissance Foundation's largest grantees?
The Renaissance Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Oregon ($405,501), Oregon State University ($379,980) and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ($340,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 11 individual scholarships ($171,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Renaissance Foundation?
The Renaissance Foundation reported $8.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $970K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Renaissance Foundation fund?
The foundation identifies education, social justice, equity and inclusion, environmental justice, and human services as its core values. Its website describes education, human services, and the environment as areas of particular focus. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Renaissance Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists no fixed deadline and asks applicants to contact the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Renaissance Foundation's EIN?
The Renaissance Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1306116. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Renaissance Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Renaissance Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-renaissance-foundation-morg_7515ebbaec6945f3a3c157bc6bf0e233
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931306116_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Renaissance Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-renaissance-foundation-morg_7515ebbaec6945f3a3c157bc6bf0e233},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Renaissance 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.
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