The Swaha Foundation
The Swaha Foundation is a private foundation based in Boulder, Colorado. It supports organizations working on human rights and equity, education, a livable environment, and grassroots leadership, and says it uses grants, investments, and its platform to pursue its aims.
The Swaha Foundation at a glance
In short: The Swaha Foundation gave $467K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), top state Colorado. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $466,816
- -45.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- -25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,451
- -27.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $17,778,866
- -1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (2 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (45% 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 Swaha Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2214, Boulder, CO 80306
Phone: (303) 596-4283
Website: https://swahafdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Swaha Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Watershed School ($110K). Together the top 10 received $436K.
Grant Size Distribution
152 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 152 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its human-rights work as global in scope. In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Colorado (45%), New York (24%), California (11%), Utah (11%), and Washington (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Swaha Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 24 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $18K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 37% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 81% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $467K (2024) to $862K (2023). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $467K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Watershed School Boulder, CO | General Support | $110,436 |
| Girl Rising Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $51,000 |
| Girl Ventures Oakland, CA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Style Her Empowered Salt Lake City, UT | General Support | $50,000 |
| Amplify Girls Inc New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Shanti Bhavan Bellevue, WA | General Support | $35,000 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fun Denver, CO | General Support | $30,000 |
| Thorne Nature Experience Boulder, CO | General Support | $25,000 |
| Friendship Bridge Boulder, CO | General Support | $25,000 |
| ByKids New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Swaha 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 | $17,778,866 | $814,475 | $655,936 | $466,816 | 24 | $707,296 | $652,609 | $874,780 |
| 2023 | $17,968,444 | $-33,812 | $1,119,852 | $861,822 | 32 | $1,022,478 | $94,082 | $867,520 |
| 2022 | $18,085,394 | $242,416 | $842,795 | $557,000 | 21 | $661,991 | $81,690 | $1,052,037 |
| 2021 | $21,774,521 | $797,774 | $1,052,277 | $745,700 | 32 | $957,158 | $629,879 | $1,087,631 |
| 2020 | $19,251,108 | $697,888 | $788,377 | $542,700 | 43 | — | $515,437 | $829,789 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Swaha Foundation reported a distributable amount of $875K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it supports organizations addressing human rights and equity, education, a livable environment, and grassroots leadership. Its website describes human rights as central to its work and says its human-rights granting is global in scope, supporting nonprofits working with under-resourced communities. Its environment work supports groups and movements advocating for communities facing inequitable outcomes from climate change.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. Watershed School says its mission is to spark adventure and wonder, foster inquiry and community, and build students’ ability to take on major challenges. Girl Rising says it uses storytelling, educational tools and programs, and support for local organizations to change how the world values girls and their education. Amplify Girls says it amplifies the voices, work, and impact of community-driven organizations in Africa working to build adolescent girls’ agency. Rios to Rivers says it invests in underserved and Indigenous youth connected to local waters and supports them as environmental stewards.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $466,816. Grant amounts ranged from $180 to $110,436, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants listed were $110,436 to Watershed School, $51,000 to Girl Rising, and $50,000 each to Girl Ventures, Style Her Empowered, and Amplify Girls. These grants were reported for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Julie Goldstein was listed as President on the 2024 filing.
The Swaha Foundation is led by Julie Goldstein, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Julie Goldstein
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$48K (2020) → $81K (2024)
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 $81K, to Julie Goldstein (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Swaha Foundation
How much does The Swaha Foundation give each year?
The Swaha Foundation gave $467K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $862K across 32 grants.
What is The Swaha Foundation's typical grant size?
The Swaha Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $19,451, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Swaha Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Swaha Foundation give grants?
The Swaha Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (24%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (5 grants), Aspen, CO (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does The Swaha Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Swaha Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Swaha Foundation's largest grantees?
The Swaha Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Watershed School ($110,436), Girl Rising ($51,000) and Girl Ventures ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Swaha Foundation?
The Swaha Foundation reported $17.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $707K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $875K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Swaha Foundation fund?
The foundation says it supports organizations addressing human rights and equity, education, a livable environment, and grassroots leadership. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Swaha Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Swaha Foundation's EIN?
The Swaha Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-3505984. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Swaha Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Swaha Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-swaha-foundation-morg_3802816aa7fb4d078182ed335fa6be64
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_833505984_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Swaha Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-swaha-foundation-morg_3802816aa7fb4d078182ed335fa6be64},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Swaha 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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