Voices Underground
Voices Underground is a private foundation based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Its work centers on racial healing through storytelling about the Underground Railroad, including scholarly research, creative experiences, and historical memorialization.
Voices Underground at a glance
In short: Voices Underground gave $120K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 67% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $120,000
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,000
- +15.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,000
- Total assets
- $383,686
- -27.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 67% first-time grantees (10 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% 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 Voices Underground
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 455 Birch Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348
Phone: (484) 732-8571
Website: https://voicesunderground.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Voices Underground funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lincoln University ($15K). Together the top 10 received $95K.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 40 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The funder is based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 grants were all to recipients in Pennsylvania. Its stated memorial work is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and its annual Juneteenth festival is described as conveying the region’s Underground Railroad history.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Voices Underground open to new grantees?
67%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 15 grantees (67%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $93K (2022) to $125K (2023). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $120K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $15,000 |
| Young Professionals of Color Harrisburg, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| Trade Institute of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| The Artist Bank Inc Philadelphia, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| Chester Cultural Arts & Technology West Chester, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| The Women's Coalition for Harrisburg, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| Aliquippa Green Aliquippa, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $10,000 |
| NAACP - Indiana County Indiana, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $7,000 |
| Black Scranton Project Scranton, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $7,000 |
| City of Farrell Farrell, PA | Juneteenth Grant | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Voices Underground?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $383,686 | $1,305,486 | $1,395,633 | $120,000 | 15 | $1,377,865 | $3,431 |
| 2023 | $530,841 | $952,426 | $1,155,503 | $125,000 | 18 | $1,061,209 | — |
| 2022 | $653,301 | $1,447,031 | $1,026,048 | $93,000 | 7 | $988,716 | — |
| 2021 | $214,935 | $389,042 | $637,840 | — | — | $576,115 | — |
| 2020 | $422,335 | $450,000 | $28,664 | — | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Voices Underground’s mission is to promote racial healing by elevating the story of the Underground Railroad through scholarly research, creative experiences, and historical memorialization. Its website describes research conducted with Lincoln University’s Center for Public History and other scholars, creative work with artists and storytellers, and the creation of a memorial in partnership with descendants, scholars, and artists.
Its 2024 grants included a $15,000 grant to Lincoln University, a public HBCU whose stated mission includes providing liberal arts undergraduate education and professional programs. The Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, which received $10,000, says its mission is to train young people in various trades. Black Scranton Project, which received $7,000, says it works to share the historic narratives of Scranton’s African American community and cultivate awareness and unity through arts and public history. The listed grant purposes were Juneteenth grants.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Voices Underground reported 15 grants totaling $120,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, with a median of $7,000. Notable grants included $15,000 to Lincoln University; $10,000 each to Young Professionals of Color, Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, The Artist Bank, Chester Cultural Arts & Technology, The Women’s Coalition for, and Aliquippa Green; and $7,000 each to NAACP–Indiana County and Black Scranton Project. The listed grants were designated as Juneteenth grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists J Micheal Bontrager as president; Jose Sabastro as CFO/treasurer; Luke Zubrod as secretary; Brenda Allen, Marnie Conley, and Greg Thompson as board members; and Lanisha Cassell as executive director.
Voices Underground is led by J. Micheal Bontrager, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
J. Micheal Bontrager
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Thompson
Board Member
Board Member → Executive Di, 2022
Executive Di → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$199K (2021) → $146K (2024)
Lanisha Cassell
Executive Di
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$57K (2024)
Brenda Allen
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marnie Conley
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jose Sabastro
CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luke Zubrod
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Alex Parham (2021) — Secretary
- Former: Anasa Troutman (2020) — Board Member
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 $146K, to Greg Thompson (Board Member). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Voices Underground
How much does Voices Underground give each year?
Voices Underground gave $120K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $125K across 18 grants.
What is Voices Underground's typical grant size?
Voices Underground's median grant in 2024 was $7,000, and its average grant was $8,000, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Voices Underground that year got $8K on average.
Where does Voices Underground give grants?
Voices Underground gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Harrisburg, PA (2 grants).
Does Voices Underground give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Voices Underground's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Juneteenth Grant" (15 grants).
Who are Voices Underground's largest grantees?
Voices Underground's largest 2024 grantees include Lincoln University ($15,000), Young Professionals of Color ($10,000) and Trade Institute of Pittsburgh ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Voices Underground?
Voices Underground reported $384K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does Voices Underground fund?
Voices Underground’s mission is to promote racial healing by elevating the story of the Underground Railroad through scholarly research, creative experiences, and historical memorialization. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Voices Underground?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Voices Underground's EIN?
Voices Underground's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-4406870. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Voices Underground 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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Browse active grant opportunities in Voices Underground's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Voices Underground funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/voices-underground-morg_74b392534eb747dd831e00ec09a6b6a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_844406870_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Voices Underground funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/voices-underground-morg_74b392534eb747dd831e00ec09a6b6a8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Voices Underground'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.
Voices Underground down — hundreds of funders to go?