The Sparkplug Foundation

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 33-1033952 Website

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

+19.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

+9.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sparkplug Foundation reported a distributable amount of $539K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

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.

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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

New York $721K (27%)

California $445K (16%)

Pennsylvania $153K (6%)

District of Columbia $124K (5%)

Illinois $119K (4%)

Massachusetts $87K (3%)

Arizona $75K (3%)

Washington $73K (3%)

+29 more states

Cities

AlbanyAlbuquerqueAnaheimAntelopeAptosArvadaAshevilleAthensAtlantaAugustaAustinBaltimoreBalwinBellevilleBerkeleyBethesdaBloomingtonBostonBrattleboroBridgeport

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.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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

Foundation

Sparkplug Foundation Grant

THE SPARKPLUG FOUNDATION

Amount

US $1,000 - US $20,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Sparkplug Foundation: Emergency Grants

THE SPARKPLUG FOUNDATION

Amount

Up to US $5,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Institute for the Critical Study of ($62,976), Palestinian Christians for Justice ($20,700), 4dasoil ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
4DASOIL PHILADELPHIA, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
ACADEMICS4PEACE ORANGE, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
ACT UP PHILADELPHIA YEADON, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
ALYSSA RODRIGUEZ CENTER FOR GENDER BROOKLYN, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
CHRISTIANS FOR A FREE PALESTINE LANCASTER, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
CIRCLE UP YOUTH RESTORATIVE BROOKLYN, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
CLEAN AIR BALTIMORE COALITION PHILADELPHIA, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
CO-OP HUDSON VALLEY POUGHKEEPSIE, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
COLUMBIA SANCTUARY MOVEMENT HUDSON, NY	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
DE GULLAH SHIPP ST HELENA ISLAND, SC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000

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

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Sparkplug Foundation fund?

**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 enc…

How do I apply for a grant from The Sparkplug Foundation?

**Grant Cycles:** The foundation holds 2 grant cycles per year. **Spring 2026 Cycle:** Letter of Intent deadline is May 1, 2026, with applications opening March 1, 2026. **Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $1,000–$62,976 • Average grant amount: approximately $13,000 • Median grant: $12,000–$15,000 • One-year grants only (though new organizations may note interest in multi-year support on applications) **What the Foundation Funds:** • Early-stage organizations and new projects of e…

Where does The Sparkplug Foundation make 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.

What size grants does The Sparkplug Foundation award?

In 2024, The Sparkplug Foundation awarded 43 grants totaling $668K — an average of about $16K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Sparkplug Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Sparkplug Foundation reported a distributable amount of $539K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.