United Nations Foundation Inc
The United Nations Foundation is an independent charitable organization based in Washington, DC, created to work closely with the United Nations to address global challenges and drive progress. For over 25 years, the Foundation has built innovations and partnerships to support UN causes and activities while functioning as a platform connecting people, ideas, and resources to solve global problems at scale.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$285.1M
-13.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$33.4M
+47.6% YoY
Grant Count
92
+48.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$363K
-0.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The UN Foundation mobilizes ideas, people, and resources to help the UN drive global progress through effective collective action.
The Foundation believes the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity's greatest challenges. It focuses on issues at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and engages influencers and citizens who seek action.
Core Capabilities: The Foundation convenes, champions, communicates, collaborates, and channels resources to advance its mission.
Primary Program Areas:
Global Health: Supports UN agencies and partners delivering vital services to improve health globally, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. Works with partners to generate ideas, resources, and partnerships to promote solutions for healthy lives through advocacy.
Girls and Women: Works with the United Nations and partners to address challenges related to gender equality, including in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. Collaborates with a wide network of partners to promote gender equity and universal access to sexual and reproductive health.
International Development and Relief Services
Conflict Resolution
Disaster Preparedness and Relief
Grantmaking
The Foundation functions as a grantmaker supporting UN programs and causes, with a focus on building partnerships and mobilizing resources across multiple sectors.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on New York, District of Columbia, and Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $329,134,648 (2023)
Total Revenue: $113,423,820 (2023)
Total Expenses: $127,465,638 (2023)
Total Assets (alternate filing): $285,077,061
Total Giving: $55,670,303
Staff: 391 employees (2023)
Financial Stewardship: The Foundation has maintained 20 consecutive years of clean financial audits. In 2018, 87 cents of every dollar received and spent went directly to support UN programs and causes. The organization has received the highest rating of four stars from independent evaluators.
Governance: The UN Foundation upholds the highest standards of governance and joined the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) in 2017, a voluntary multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to improve transparency of aid, development, and humanitarian resources.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $285,077,061 | $329,134,648 | $315,410,137 |
| Revenue | $77,013,346 | $113,423,820 | $107,148,918 |
| Expenses | $141,106,169 | $127,465,638 | $139,050,082 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $13,938,619 | $1,797,733 | $1,468,786 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include United Nations Fund for Intl Ptnrshps ($4,211,942), Population Council ($2,676,309), United Nations Fund for Intl Ptnrshps ($1,923,990).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ADAPTATION FUND BOARD WASHINGTON, DC | ENVIRONMENT | $26,778 |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS AUSTIN, TX | ADVOCACY | $14,000 |
| ARIZONA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCY PHOENIX, AZ | ENVIRONMENT | $252,700 |
| BERKELEY AIR MONITORING GROUP BERKELEY, CA | ENVIRONMENT | $75,000 |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IL CHAMPAIGN, IL | ENVIRONMENT | $50,000 |
| CLINTON HEALTH ACCESS INITIATIVE BOSTON, MA | GLOBAL HLTH | $150,000 |
| COOPERATIVE FOR ASSIST & RELIEF EVERYWHERE INC ATLANTA, GA | ADVOCACY | $150,000 |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM, NC | ENVIRONMENT | $19,900 |
| GENERAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S CLUBS WASHINGTON, DC | ADVOCACY | $14,000 |
| GOVERNOR'S OFFICE STATE OF COLORADO DENVER, CO | ENVIRONMENT | $252,672 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President & CEO: Elizabeth Cousens
VP of Philanthropy: Valencia Bembry
The organization is governed by an eminent Board of Directors who share a commitment to the goals and objectives of the United Nations Charter and the UN's work.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH COUSENS | PRESIDENT & CEO | 34 | $387,565 |
| HENRY F DE SIO JR | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | 34 | $305,260 |
| DAVID OHANA | CHIEF COMMN. OFFICER | 34 | $312,562 |
| MICHELLE MORSE | VP FOR GIRLS & WOMEN STRATEGY | 40 | $315,610 |
| DYMPHNA VAN DER LANS | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CCA | 40 | $292,753 |
| SHENAE BURGESS | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 34 | $253,763 |
| SOFIA BORGES | SR VP & HEAD OF NY OFFICE | 40 | $311,796 |
| PRIYA VORA | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DIAL | 40 | $293,537 |
| RE TURNER | CHAIRMAN | 5 | — |
| HER MAJESTY QUEEN RANIA AL-ABDULLAH | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| MARK MALLOCH-BROWN | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| FABIO C BARBOSA | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| NR NARAYANA MURTHY | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| HANS VESTBERG | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| VALERIE AMOS | DIRECTOR & VICE CHAIR | 5 | — |
| JULIO FRENK | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| KATHRYN CALVIN WALTERS | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| CHARLES HOLLIDAY | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| NAOKO ISHII | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| LAURA TURNER SEYDEL | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| MARTI G SUBRAHMANYAM | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| TIMOTHY E WIRTH | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| DR FRANNIE LEAUTIER | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| MARC ANDRE-BLANCHARD | DIRECTOR, CO-CHAIR | 5 | — |
| SUSANA MALCORRA | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| EDWARD NDOPU | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| RUTHERFORD SEYDEL | SECRETARY | 5 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does United Nations Foundation Inc fund?
**Mission:** The UN Foundation mobilizes ideas, people, and resources to help the UN drive global progress through effective collective action. The Foundation believes the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity's greatest challenges. It focuses on issues at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, builds initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and engages influencers and citizens who seek action. **Core Capabilities:** The Foundation convenes, champions, comm…
How do I apply for a grant from United Nations Foundation Inc?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $5,200 to $9,155,919. **Total Giving:** $55,670,303 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing in 2024) The Foundation functions as a grantmaker supporting UN programs and causes, with a focus on building partnerships and mobilizing resources across multiple sectors.
Where does United Nations Foundation Inc make grants?
The Foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on New York, District of Columbia, and Arizona.
What size grants does United Nations Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, United Nations Foundation Inc awarded 92 grants totaling $33.4M — an average of about $363K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is United Nations Foundation Inc's EIN?
United Nations Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-2368165. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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