Trellis Charitable Fund
Trellis Charitable Fund is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including human rights, journalism, children’s welfare, reproductive rights, and the arts.
Trellis Charitable Fund at a glance
In short: Trellis Charitable Fund gave $4.9M across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $270K), top state District of Columbia. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,858,000
- +53.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- +28.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $269,889
- +19.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $119,919,523
- +42.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (46% 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 Trellis Charitable Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3150 South St Nw Apt 2B, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 966-3411
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Trellis Charitable Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Civil Liberities Union ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 29 grants of 71 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC, 35% to New York, 8% to Maryland, and 4% to California. The recipient state was unspecified for 4% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Trellis Charitable Fund open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $339K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $250K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 152% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% 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 $1.8M (2020) to $4.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $4.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Civil Liberities Union Washington, DC | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Children's Law Center Washington, DC | General Support | $750,000 |
| Human Rights Watch New York, NY | General Support | $750,000 |
| National Gallery of Art Landover, MD | General Support | $400,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | General Support | $350,000 |
| The Marshall Project New York, NY | General Support | $300,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | General Support | $250,000 |
| Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Washington, DC | General Support and Endowment Fnd | $250,000 |
| Fund for Global Human Rights Washington, DC | General Support | $200,000 |
| Global Witness Foundation Palo Alto, CA | General Support | $200,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Trellis Charitable Fund?
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 | $119,919,523 | $24,134,278 | $5,737,228 | $4,858,000 | 18 | $4,891,754 | $22,625,526 | $5,575,616 |
| 2023 | $84,099,353 | $2,362,016 | $3,854,246 | $3,157,500 | 14 | $3,157,500 | $1,575,230 | $5,137,312 |
| 2022 | $83,586,608 | $3,355,977 | $3,962,403 | $3,260,000 | 15 | $3,260,000 | $2,653,486 | $4,583,256 |
| 2021 | $84,261,788 | $92,986,395 | $2,175,792 | $1,925,000 | 11 | $1,925,000 | $51,515,514 | $3,428,561 |
| 2020 | $32,934,807 | $11,524,804 | $2,043,510 | $1,825,000 | 13 | — | $3,549,834 | $1,883,923 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Trellis Charitable Fund reported a distributable amount of $5.6M 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 fund’s stated mission is to “give voice to the voiceless, expose injustices and advocates for change both in the U.S and abroad.”
Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Human Rights Watch says it investigates and exposes abuses and presses those in power to respect rights; The Marshall Project describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization covering criminal justice; and the National Gallery of Art says it welcomes people to explore art, creativity, and shared humanity. Children’s Law Center says it uses the law to address children’s urgent problems and improve systems affecting children and families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund made 18 grants totaling $4,858,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $200,000. Notable grants included $1,000,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union for general support; $750,000 each to Children’s Law Center and Human Rights Watch for general support; and $400,000 to the National Gallery of Art for general support. Other grants included $350,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights, $300,000 to The Marshall Project, and $250,000 each to ProPublica and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Betsy Karel is listed as Chair/Secretary on the 2024 filing.
Trellis Charitable Fund is led by Betsy Karel, Chair & Secretary on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Betsy Karel
Chair & Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/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.
Frequently asked questions about Trellis Charitable Fund
How much does Trellis Charitable Fund give each year?
Trellis Charitable Fund gave $4.9M across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 14 grants.
What is Trellis Charitable Fund's typical grant size?
Trellis Charitable Fund's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $269,889, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Trellis Charitable Fund that year got $30K on average.
Where does Trellis Charitable Fund give grants?
Trellis Charitable Fund's top state is District of Columbia, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (35%) and Maryland (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants) and Washington, DC (6 grants).
Does Trellis Charitable Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Trellis Charitable Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Trellis Charitable Fund's largest grantees?
Trellis Charitable Fund's largest 2024 grantees include American Civil Liberities Union ($1,000,000), Children's Law Center ($750,000) and Human Rights Watch ($750,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Trellis Charitable Fund?
Trellis Charitable Fund reported $119.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.6M (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 Trellis Charitable Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to “give voice to the voiceless, expose injustices and advocates for change both in the U.S and abroad.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Trellis Charitable Fund?
The fund makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Trellis Charitable Fund's EIN?
Trellis Charitable Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4027960. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Trellis Charitable Fund 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Trellis Charitable Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Trellis Charitable Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/trellis-charitable-fund-morg_f5e5123e992e42408adfadecd8b5e51c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454027960_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Trellis Charitable Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/trellis-charitable-fund-morg_f5e5123e992e42408adfadecd8b5e51c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Trellis Charitable Fund'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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