Unbound Philanthropy
Unbound Philanthropy is a private foundation based in New York, NY, that invests in leaders and organizations in the United States and United Kingdom working on immigration, belonging, and a just immigration system.
Key facts about Unbound Philanthropy
In short: Unbound Philanthropy gave $8.1M across 104 grants in 2024 (avg $77K), top state New York. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 83-0411606
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,053,735
- Grants made (2024)
- 104
- Average grant
- $77,440
- Median grant
- $65,630
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (18 of 88, 2024)
- Total assets
- $198,446,689
- Primary geography
- New York (19% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; proposals are by invitation only, and it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$198.4M
+5.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.1M
-15.7% YoY
Grant Count
104
-14.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$77K
-1.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Unbound Philanthropy reported a distributable amount of $9.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Unbound Philanthropy open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 88 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $75K; repeat grants $96K. How we count
Medians: $58K first-time, $73K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 151% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to invest in leaders and organizations in the US and UK working to build a vibrant, welcoming society and just immigration system as part of a pluralist and inclusive democracy. Its three stated priorities are to Activate Public Support for a society where immigrants and others can belong and thrive; Ensure a Fair System that honors people’s dignity and advances the common good; and Strengthen Belonging so residents can participate fully in social, civic, and economic life.
The foundation supports organizations working across these priorities. Examples include the International Refugee Assistance Project, which describes its work as legal aid and advocacy for refugees and others seeking safety, and the American Immigration Council, which says it works on immigration policy through research, programs, legal efforts, and advocacy. Grantees’ stated missions also include educating the public about immigration policy, as described by America’s Voice Education Fund, and building welcoming and inclusive communities, as described by Re-Imagining Migration.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Unbound Philanthropy made 104 grants totaling $8,053,735. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $400,000, with a median of $65,630. The foundation says it makes multi-year general-support grants where possible and project-specific grants when its interest is in a particular area of an organization’s work. It also describes support beyond funding, including research, convenings, collaboration, learning exchanges, and capacity building.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $400,000 to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors for core support of the Pop Culture Collaborative; $256,820 to Charity Projects DBA Comic Relief for support of the Power of Pop Fund; and $250,000 to NEO Philanthropy for core support of the Four Freedoms Fund. Other grants included $195,795 to the Trust for London Trustee for a citizenship and integration initiative, $166,638 to Justice Collaborations for the Justice Together Initiative, and $150,000 each to Proteus Fund for core support of the Rise Together Fund and Resilience Force for general operating support.
Invitation Only
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; proposals are by invitation only, and it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with Unbound Philanthropy?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated grantmaking geography is the United States and the United Kingdom. It describes aligning its work across both countries while tailoring program components to their different contexts, and supporting learning exchanges between US and UK grantees and immigrant justice leaders.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 104 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $8.1M (2024) to $10.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 104 grants totaling $8.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Neo Philanthropy Inc ($440K across 5 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
597 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 276 grants of 597 (46%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors New York, NY | For Core Support of the Pop Culture Collaborative | $400,000 |
| Charity Projects DBA Comic Relief | For Support of the Power of Pop Fund | $256,820 |
| Neo Philanthropy Inc New York, NY | For Core Support of the Four Freedoms Fund | $250,000 |
| Trust for London Trustee | For support of the london citizenship and integration initiative to increase naturalization, citizenship registration, and civic engagement | $195,795 |
| Justice Collaborations | To support the justice together initiative to increase sound administration and rule of law for social welfare, especially immigration, including through fellowships, advice, and convenings. | $166,638 |
| Proteus Fund Inc Waltham, MA | For Core Support of the Rise Together Fund | $150,000 |
| Resilience Force New Orleans, LA | For General Operating Support | $150,000 |
| America's Voice Education Fund Washington, DC | For General Operating Support | $148,750 |
| Immigration Law Practitioners' Association | For Support of the Strategic Legal Fund | $136,740 |
| International Refugee Assistance Project New York, NY | For Support of a Project on Climate-Related Displacement | $125,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $198,446,689 | $10,895,646 | $14,437,710 | $8,053,735 |
| 2023 | $188,351,261 | $6,920,039 | $15,540,620 | $9,557,165 |
| 2022 | $190,457,337 | $7,079,789 | $13,425,886 | $9,702,326 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $198,446,689 | $188,351,261 | $190,457,337 |
| Revenue | $10,895,646 | $6,920,039 | $7,079,789 |
| Expenses | $14,437,710 | $15,540,620 | $13,425,886 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $13,861,094 | $14,526,982 | $14,227,434 |
| Net Investment Income | $10,142,460 | $6,000,794 | $9,283,935 |
| Distributable Amount | $9,178,714 | $10,362,658 | $9,481,584 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Deborah K. Berger as director, board chair, and secretary; Hilary Ann Weinstein as director and vice president; William Huntington Reeves as director and treasurer; and Kikilia Fordham as director. Taryn Higashi is listed as executive director, and Joseph Matara as chief operating officer.
Unbound Philanthropy is led by Taryn Higashi, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Taryn Higashi
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$355K (2020) → $443K (2024)
Deborah K. Berger
Director, Board Chair & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hilary Ann Weinstein
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kikilia Fordham
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Huntington Reeves
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Matara
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer From May → Chief Operating Officer, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$201K (2023) → $337K (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 $443K, to Taryn Higashi (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 575 Madison Avenue 1600, New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 219-1009
Website: https://unboundphilanthropy.org
Frequently asked questions about Unbound Philanthropy
How much does Unbound Philanthropy give each year?
Unbound Philanthropy gave $8.1M across 104 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $9.6M across 122 grants.
What is Unbound Philanthropy's typical grant size?
Unbound Philanthropy's median grant in 2024 was $65,630, and its average grant was $77,440, across 104 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Unbound Philanthropy that year got $75K on average.
Where does Unbound Philanthropy give grants?
Unbound Philanthropy's top state is New York, with 19% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (9%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (15 grants), Washington, DC (10 grants), Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (5 grants).
Does Unbound Philanthropy give general operating support?
Yes: 38% of Unbound Philanthropy's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 104) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "For Support for Public Education on Immigration" (3 grants).
Who are Unbound Philanthropy's largest grantees?
Unbound Philanthropy's largest 2024 grantees include Neo Philanthropy Inc ($440,000 across 5 grants), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors ($400,000) and Charity Projects DBA Comic Relief ($256,820), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Unbound Philanthropy?
Unbound Philanthropy reported $198.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Unbound Philanthropy fund?
The foundation’s mission is to invest in leaders and organizations in the US and UK working to build a vibrant, welcoming society and just immigration system as part of a pluralist and inclusive democracy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Unbound Philanthropy?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; proposals are by invitation only, and it 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 Unbound Philanthropy's EIN?
Unbound Philanthropy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-0411606. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Unbound Philanthropy 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.
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