The Sparkplug Foundation
The Sparkplug Foundation is a private family foundation based in New York, NY, founded in 2003. The foundation is guided by community voices and prioritizes grassroots organizing and innovation as key drivers for creating change. The foundation operates with a small staff and emphasizes a supportive, accessible approach to grantmaking that does not create unnecessary barriers for applicants new to the grant process.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.6M
+7.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$668K
+31.2% YoY
Grant Count
43
+19.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
+9.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: "Sparking Ideas into Action" — guided by community voices, prioritizing grassroots organizing and innovation as the key for creating change.
The foundation operates from the belief that communities are best qualified to determine how funds should be used to create the change they need.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Education
- Community Organizing
- Music
The foundation also explores funding in alternative and sustainable energies.
Commitment to Equity: The foundation highly encourages applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, people with disabilities, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, queer and other queer-identifying communities, organizations, and organizers.
Grantmaking
Average Grant
amount: approximately $13,000
Review Cycle
** The foundation holds 2 grant cycles per year.
Ready to take the next step with The Sparkplug Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in the United States. It also funds projects in Palestine/Israel, limited to projects with Palestinian community involvement and leadership.
Primary grantmaking regions include New York, California, and Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $7,649,292
- Total Revenue: $1,530,000
- Total Expenses: $1,010,000
- Total Liabilities: $5,820
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $7,129,081
- Total Revenue: $887,697
- Total Expenses: $826,228
- Total Giving: $509,000
- Number of Grants: 36
Historical Trend: Total assets have grown from $5.5 million in 2011 to $7.6 million in 2024. Annual giving has decreased from $644,000 in 2020 to $509,000 in 2023, though grantmaking peaked at $962,000 in 2022.
Giving Rate: Approximately 7.1% of assets annually.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,649,292 | $7,129,081 | $7,067,612 |
| Revenue | $1,527,346 | $887,697 | $1,013,908 |
| Expenses | $1,007,959 | $826,228 | $732,438 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $784,570 | $733,026 | $633,505 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,045,305 | $291,482 | $453,694 |
| Distributable Amount | $538,640 | $478,831 | $445,910 |
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
205 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Sparkplug Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer: Felice Gelman
The foundation is governed by 4 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FELICE GELMAN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| YORAM GELMAN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| EMMAIA GELMAN | TRUSTEE | 20 | $33,150 |
| JOHN FRANCIS MULLIGAN | DIRECTOR | 40 | $80,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to accept applications and maintains active grant opportunities. Recent grantees have included organizations working in community organizing, music education, and grassroots initiatives across multiple states. The foundation has supported 161 unique organizations through its grantmaking history.
$20K Community Organizing Grant (Sparkplug Foundation)Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with The Sparkplug Foundation on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities