The V Kann Rasmussen Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation established in 1991 and based in New York, NY. The foundation operates as an independent foundation focused on addressing global environmental challenges and systemic sustainability issues.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$7.5M
-1.8% YoY
Grant Count
30
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$249K
-34.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Since its establishment in 1991, the V Kann Rasmussen Foundation has made over 850 grants totaling approximately $170 million.
The foundation's overarching themes center on the urgency of addressing unsustainable consumption and its impacts on natural systems. In recent years, the foundation has focused on developing toolboxes for exploring and working with complex and dynamic processes involved in societal and natural systems simultaneously reaching irreversible tipping points.
Primary Funding Interests
The foundation works primarily on international-level issues, with selective engagement in national and place-based local projects that support international learning tools and resources for meaningful action.
The foundation favors projects that:
- Consider all life equally important
- Use a systems approach to address root causes and achieve change
- Take stock of and tell the truth about the scale, complexity, and urgency of dealing with environmental problems
- Are based on original thinking, creative ideas, and experimentation
- Alter power dynamics related to decision-making and influence
- Have international significance and perspective, even if locally based
Current Program Focus
Over the last four years, the foundation has concentrated on:
- Cultural Resilience and Global Leadership under the Conditions of Environmental Breakdown
- Development of systems-level responses to ecological, economic, and social stresses, destabilization, and collapse
- Furtherance of research related to social capacities for dealing with serious tipping points and the collapse of natural systems
- Exploration of sociocultural transformations and strategic planning frameworks that can enhance mitigation under conditions of environmental breakdown
Typical Grantees
The foundation's typical grantees are innovative non-profit organizations with demonstrated leadership in developing specialized strategies, communicating their vision, and effective project performance.
Grantmaking
Notable recent grants include:
Average Grant
amount: $249,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation works primarily on international-level issues. Recent grant recipients are located across multiple U.S. cities, including:
- Washington, DC (3 grants)
- New York, NY (2 grants)
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- Dillon, CO
- Libertyville, IL
- Boston, MA
- Cambridge, MA
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2024:
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $88,235,809 |
| Total Revenue | $1,829,600 |
| Total Expenses | $8,755,662 |
| Total Liabilities | $0 |
Fiscal Year End: June
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| 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
128 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from V Kann Rasmussen Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include United Nations Foundation ($1,250,000), United Nations Foundation ($685,000), University of Copenhagen ($662,273).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CENTER FOR HUMANS AND NATURE LIBERTYVILLE, IL | IN SUPPORT OF DAVID ABRAM'S RESEARCH | $212,000 |
| CHARLES UNIVERSITY | IN SUPPORT OF "PERCEPTION AND DEVELOPMENTAL BEHAVIOR IN BOQUILA: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO A MIMIC WINE" PROJECT | $80,000 |
| CLIMATE INTERACTIVE WASHINGTON, DC | IN SUPPORT OF THE "MODELING CLIMATE-RELATED IMPACTS ON NATURAL SYSTEMS AND NON-HUMAN SPECIES TO ENGAGE DECISION MAKERS AND INFORM WORLDWIDE CLIMATE POLICY" PROJECT | $290,250 |
| CONFLUENCE PHILANTHROPY NEW YORK, NY | PRACTITIONER MEMBERSHIP FOR 2024-2025 | $5,500 |
| CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY SAN FRANCISCO, CA | MEMBERSHIP FOR 2024-2025 | $10,000 |
| GLOBAL ECOVILLAGE NETWORK INTERNATIONAL | IN SUPPORT OF THE "WEAVING HUMANITY BACK INTO THE WEB OF LIFE: KINECENTRIC LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE POLYCRISIS" PROJECT | $147,686 |
| GLOBAL ECOVILLAGE NETWORK INTERNATIONAL | IN SUPPORT OF THE "KEYSTONE COMMUNITIES - SUSTAINING LIFE THROUGH POLYCRISIS" | $399,950 |
| HARVARD COLLAGE CAMBRIDGE, MA | IN SUPPORT OF THE "THINKING WITH PLANTS AND FUNGI" PROJECT | $23,210 |
| LUND UNIVERSITY | IN SUPPORT OF "EXPLORING FUNGAL DECISION MAKING AND AGENCY IN SYMBIOTIC INTERACTIONS" PROJECT | $250,000 |
| MERIDIAN INSTITUTE DILLION, CO | IN SUPPORT OF A "PETROCHEMICALS EVENT AND DURING CLIMATE WEEK NYC - SEPTEMBER 25, 2024" | $120,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Irene Krarup – Executive Director (Compensation: $271,931 as of 2024)
Jennifer Kupinse – Operations and Grants Manager
The foundation has approximately 2-4 employees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTRID KANN-RASMUSSEN | TRUSTEE AND BOARD CHAIR | 2 | $10,000 |
| KRISTIAN KANN RASMUSSEN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KRISTIAN CEDERVALL LAUTA | TRUSTEE | 1 | $10,000 |
| DIANE IVES | TRUSTEE | 1 | $10,000 |
| ANDREW BOWMAN | TRUSTEE AND TREASURER | 1.5 | $20,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to actively solicit applications for environmental projects and maintains engagement with organizations working on systemic responses to environmental breakdown, climate governance, and research on ecological and social resilience.
Applications Open for V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation's ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does V Kann Rasmussen Foundation fund?
Since its establishment in 1991, the V Kann Rasmussen Foundation has made over 850 grants totaling approximately $170 million. The foundation's overarching themes center on the urgency of addressing unsustainable consumption and its impacts on natural systems. In recent years, the foundation has focused on developing toolboxes for exploring and working with complex and dynamic processes involved in societal and natural systems simultaneously reaching irreversible tipping points. The foundation …
How do I apply for a grant from V Kann Rasmussen Foundation?
**2024 Fiscal Year:** • Number of grants awarded: 30 • Total grants given: $7,461,013 • Average grant amount: $249,000 **Historical Activity:** • Total grants made since 1991: Over 850 • Total funding distributed: Approximately $170 million Notable recent grants include: • United Nations Foundation: $1,250,000 (In Support of the Systemic Risk Assessment Accelerator Symposium) • United Nations Foundation: $685,000 (In Support of A Deep Dive on Biocentric Approaches) • RAND Corporation: $399,843 …
Where does V Kann Rasmussen Foundation make grants?
The foundation works primarily on international-level issues. Recent grant recipients are located across multiple U.S. cities, including: • Washington, DC (3 grants) • New York, NY (2 grants) • San Francisco, CA • Santa Monica, CA • Dillon, CO • Libertyville, IL • Boston, MA • Cambridge, MA
What size grants does V Kann Rasmussen Foundation award?
In 2024, V Kann Rasmussen Foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $7.5M — an average of about $249K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is V Kann Rasmussen Foundation's EIN?
V Kann Rasmussen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2283123. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in V Kann Rasmussen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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