William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund is a private foundation based in Hamden, Connecticut. Its mission is to advance equity in education by working with affected communities and inspiring efforts to end racism and poverty.
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund at a glance
In short: William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund gave $5.1M across 167 grants in 2024 (avg $30K), mostly in Connecticut. 65% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,067,225
- -5.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 167
- +16.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $30,343
- -18.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $121,160,570
- -1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 65% first-time grantees (62 of 96, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (89% 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 William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
- How to Apply
-
For the Director’s Discretionary program, the Fund describes a request letter with a brief project description, amount requested, and timeframe. Its filing instructions say to submit a brief letter describing the problem and opportunity, methods, and proposed solution, with a current 501(c)(3) determination letter. After review, an application form may be provided. The filing states that grants are not made to individuals, organizations not recognized as 501(c)(3)s, religious organizations for sectarian purposes, capital campaigns, political causes and activities, or scholarships. Its website says applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored by one, and that work must be Connecticut-based.
- Review Cycle
- No established deadline.
- Deadline
- No established deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Gislaine Ngounou Ceo William Caspar
Mailing address: 1 Hamden Center Suite 2B 2319, Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06518
Phone: (203) 230-3330
Website: https://www.wcgmf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
WCGMF - Equity Grants For Community Groups- Funding Level- Up to $85,000
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
WCGMF Director’s Discretionary Fund Grant
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
WCGMF Rapid Response Grants
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was A Better Way Foundation ($240K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
902 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 713 grants of 902 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Fund states that it focuses its work in Connecticut. In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to Connecticut recipients; the remaining reported shares went to California (4%), New York (3%), Massachusetts (2%), and Washington, DC (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 167 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund open to new grantees?
65%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 62 of 96 grantees (65%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $73K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $73K repeat.
- 27% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 159% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.2M (2021) to $6.3M (2020). In 2024 it made 167 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cercle New Haven, CT | Cercle Strong | $118,125 |
| Bridgeport Generation Now Bridgeport, CT | General Support | $118,125 |
| Racce Inc Waterbury, CT | General Support | $103,250 |
| Serc Foundation Middletown, CT | Conference and supporting districts to build social justice community coalitions | $101,250 |
| Serc Foundation Middletown, CT | Dismantling systemic racism and supporting districts to build social justice community coalitions | $101,250 |
| Relay Graduate School of Education New York, NY | Relay Connecticut | $101,250 |
| Re-Center Hartford, CT | Re-Center: Building Networks for Racial Equity Impact | $101,250 |
| Make the Road Connecticut Hartford, CT | Building power for language justice & full participation in local democracy | $101,250 |
| Hearing Youth Voices New London, CT | General Supportyouth Building Power | $101,250 |
| Hearing Youth Voices New London, CT | General Supportyouth Building Power | $101,250 |
Ready to take the next step with William Caspar Graustein Memorial 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 | $121,160,570 | $6,322,420 | $9,915,189 | $5,067,225 | 167 | $8,648,161 | $4,858,653 | $5,443,545 |
| 2023 | $122,654,873 | $5,981,870 | $10,068,841 | $5,352,713 | 144 | $5,340,777 | $4,549,095 | $1,910,473 |
| 2022 | $122,724,471 | $4,615,888 | $8,679,325 | $4,329,050 | 98 | $7,621,646 | $3,369,723 | $2,172,022 |
| 2021 | $149,728,820 | $16,851,459 | $8,022,661 | $4,189,787 | 153 | $7,443,646 | $12,187,710 | $7,069,373 |
| 2020 | $124,986,917 | $9,467,315 | $10,592,234 | $6,334,929 | 340 | — | $5,987,583 | $5,776,392 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund reported a distributable amount of $5.4M 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 mission is “to achieve equity in education by working with those affected and inspiring all to end racism and poverty.” It says it centers the experiences and wisdom of communities of color and people living in or near poverty in developing solutions.
Its stated priorities include anti-racist and inclusive curricula, school climate, equitable school financing, and teacher diversification. It also supports work related to criminal justice, economic justice, health equity, housing equity, and immigration justice. Types of work described by the Fund include community organizing, infrastructure support for organizers, state and local advocacy, and grassroots social change.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Bridgeport Generation Now describes itself as a grassroots social action network that strengthens civic engagement among Bridgeport residents. All Our Kin says it trains and supports community child care providers so children and families have a foundation for success in school and life. FaithActs for Education describes its work as building power to secure the education children deserve.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Fund reported 167 grants totaling $5,067,225. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $118,125, with a median of $10,000.
Among the larger reported grants were $118,125 to CERCLE for “CERCLE Strong” and $118,125 to Bridgeport Generation Now for general support. The Fund also awarded $101,250 to All Our Kin, according to the grantee information provided, and $67,500 to FaithActs for Education.
The Fund describes Rapid Response Grants as providing up to $10,000 for urgent support related to real-time threats, trauma, or harassment. Its Director’s Discretionary Grants support mission-aligned community projects, are available once every twelve months, and provide up to $10,000, typically $5,000 or less. The Fund’s program information says it is not currently accepting new applications for its Equity Grants for Community Groups and Equity Grants for Work Within Educational Institutions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gislaine Ngounou as chief executive officer. It lists William C Graustein, Lisa Graustein, Barbara Tinney, Laura A Berry, Lucas Codognolla, Anna Blanding, Constance Royster, and Jessica Sager as trustees.
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund is led by Gislaine Ngounou, Chief Executive Officer on the 2024 filing; 8 of 9 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gislaine Ngounou
Chief Executive Officer
New on the 2024 filing
50 hrs/week
$100K (2024)
Anna Blanding
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$34K (2020) → $70K (2024)
Barbara Tinney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $25K (2024)
Constance Royster
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $32K (2024)
Jessica Sager
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $18K (2024)
Laura A. Berry
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$32K (2020) → $35K (2024)
Lucas Codognolla
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$21K (2020) → $22K (2024)
William C. Graustein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$6K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Lisa Graustein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: R. David Addams (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Benjamin R. Shute Jr. (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Angelica Matos (2020) — Trustee
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 $100K, to Gislaine Ngounou (Chief Executive Officer). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
How much does William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund give each year?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund gave $5.1M across 167 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.4M across 144 grants.
What is William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's typical grant size?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $30,343, across 167 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund that year got $42K on average.
Where does William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund give grants?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund gives mostly in Connecticut: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hartford, CT (43 grants), New Haven, CT (27 grants), Waterbury, CT (21 grants) and Bridgeport, CT (16 grants).
Does William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (50 of 167) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Supplemental Grant" (39 grants).
Who are William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's largest grantees?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's largest 2024 grantees include A Better Way Foundation ($240,000 across 4 grants), Hearing Youth Voices ($210,000 across 3 grants) and CT Black and Brown Students Union ($210,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund reported $121.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund fund?
The Fund’s mission is “to achieve equity in education by working with those affected and inspiring all to end racism and poverty.” It says it centers the experiences and wisdom of communities of color and people living in or near poverty in developing solutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund?
For the Director’s Discretionary program, the Fund describes a request letter with a brief project description, amount requested, and timeframe. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's EIN?
William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6037391. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-caspar-graustein-memorial-fund-morg_c9d3560688e1430cbfe9172c8c4489ec
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046037391_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-caspar-graustein-memorial-fund-morg_c9d3560688e1430cbfe9172c8c4489ec},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 William Caspar Graustein Memorial 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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