Aceso Foundation concentrates its giving into a small number of relatively large grants that target food and community-based resilience, animal protection, and philanthropic intermediaries. Grantees include hands-on urban agriculture and farmer-support programs as well as national animal-welfare advocacy, and the foundation sometimes routes funds through donor-advised or philanthropic funds. Its portfolio suggests an interest in practical, local food-system interventions and animal protection rather than broad institutional support.
Aceso Foundation Inc’s recent giving is defined by a $400,000 grant to Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, which shows how the foundation sometimes routes support through philanthropic intermediaries. Alongside that, it has made large charitable awards to animal-protection groups such as The Humane League and Compassion in World Farming USA, while also backing urban food-growing organizations like Mill City Growing and City Blossoms. The pattern is concentrated rather than broad: the foundation gave $8.3 million in annual grants, and its recent awards cluster around practical work in food systems, community resilience, and animal welfare. Its portfolio includes both direct operating support and project-oriented charitable grants. Several recipients appear more than once across the recent list, including Mill City Growing, Animal Charity Evaluators, and Compassion in World Farming USA, which suggests continued support rather than isolated one-time awards. The mix of grantees ranges from local gardens and orchard projects to national advocacy and research organizations. In the food-system lane, the foundation has supported groups working on community growing, farm support, and neighborhood food access. In the animal-protection lane, it has funded organizations focused on welfare, legal advocacy, and media. The overall picture is of a funder that uses relatively large grants to a small set of aligned organizations.
Urban agriculture is a clear thread in the foundation’s recent grants. It gave $298,000 to Mill City Growing in Lowell, Massachusetts, and later added $150,000 to the same grantee in 2025. It also supported City Blossoms with $190,000 and Common Good City Farm with $101,300, both in Washington, DC, and awarded $104,987 to Philadelphia Orchard Project in Philadelphia. A second cluster centers on animal protection. The Humane League received $325,000, while Animal Charity Evaluators was awarded $200,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024. Companion grants went to Compassion in World Farming USA for $210,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024, plus $100,000 to Animal Defense Partnership and $125,000 to Animal Outlook. The foundation also funds food-system and agriculture capacity: New Roots Institute received $277,000, and All Farmers received $148,000.
$4.6M
$72.8M
$3.3M
$5.2M
Most grants fall between $50K and $100K, with a median of $78K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$78K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 2% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Concentrated giving: a very small number of large grants (four grants totaling $1.3M) directed to a mix of direct-service community organizations and an intermediary/philanthropic vehicle; appears to favor multi-hundred-thousand-dollar, single-year contributions rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: The Humane League, Mill City Growing, New Roots Institute, Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund
Typical grant size is relatively high: the 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $77,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent awards include repeated support for several recipients across 2024 and 2025, pointing to ongoing relationships rather than purely one-off gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent grant list also shows use of philanthropic intermediaries, including Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, alongside direct charitable grants.
Grantmaking is national, and every recent recipient in the provided sample is in the United States. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, with Philadelphia recipients including Neighborhood Land Power Project, Philadelphia Orchard Project, and a separate Philadelphia-based grant to Common Good City Farm’s Washington, DC location is one of the more frequent city nodes in the list, and New York City appears through Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund and Compassion in World Farming USA. Massachusetts also appears repeatedly through Lowell and Springfield recipients.
Its recent grants go to urban agriculture and community food-growing groups, farmer-training and food-entrepreneurship programs, animal-protection and vegan-advocacy organizations, and philanthropic intermediaries. Examples in the data include Mill City Growing, New Roots Institute, The Humane League, and Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund.
The 25th percentile grant is $50,000, the median is $77,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent awards also include several larger gifts above that range, such as $400,000 and $325,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear multiple times in the recent list. Mill City Growing received $298,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025. Animal Charity Evaluators and Compassion in World Farming USA also each received grants in both 2024 and 2025.
The top state by grant count is Pennsylvania. Recent Pennsylvania recipients include Philadelphia-based organizations such as Neighborhood Land Power Project and Philadelphia Orchard Project, along with other in-state grantmaking.
The recipient country distribution in the provided data is entirely U.S.-based: 86 grants, or 100%, went to recipients in the United States.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW ROOTS INSTITUTE | LOS ANGELES, CA | $277,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST | MONTPELIER, VT | $250,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING USA | NEW YORK, NY | $210,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANIMAL CHARITY EVALUATORS | COVINA, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CITY BLOSSOMS | WASHINGTON, DC | $190,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NEIGHBORHOOD LAND POWER PROJECT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $160,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MILL CITY GROWING | LOWELL, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PROVIDENCE FARM COLLECTIVE | ORCHARD PARK, NY | $130,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| VICTORY GARDEN INITIATIVE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $125,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GREENER BY DEFAULT | CHICAGO, IL | $110,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| REUNITY RESOURCES | SANTE FE, NM | $109,450 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PHILADELPHIA ORCHARD PROJECT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $104,987 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COMMON GOOD CITY FARM | WASHINGTON, DC | $101,300 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANIMAL DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP | IRVINGTON, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LA SEMILLA FOOD CENTER | ANTHONY, NM | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANIMAL AND VEGAN ADVOCACY SUMMIT | PITTSFIELD, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE WALLS PROJECT | BATON ROUGE, LA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BALANCED INC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| DREAMING OUT LOUD | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST | LAMAR, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GROWING TOGETHER | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NORRIS SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PLANTING JUSTICE | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WILDERNESS LAND TRUST | HELENA, MT | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| A WELL-FED WORLD | ORLANDO, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ESPERANZA COMMUNITY FARM | WATSONVILLE, CA | $92,200 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| URBAN ROOTS GARDEN CLASSROOMS | RENO, NV | $85,600 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LEGAL IMPACT FOR CHICKENS | SACREMENTO, CA | $85,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FARM FORWARD | AMHERST, MA | $85,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOOD & WATER WATCH | VENTURA, CA | $85,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BETTER FOOD FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CULTIVATING COMMUNITY | PORTLAND, ME | $78,700 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| URBAN TILTH | RICHMOND, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| KENTUCKY NATURAL LAND TRUST | BEREA, KY | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ADVANCING LAW FOR ANIMALS | REDONDO BEACH, CA | $70,754 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SEEDLEAF INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $68,150 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FARMSTAND | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FAUNALYTICS | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| KEEP GROWING DETROIT | DETROIT, MI | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| LEADERS FOR ETHICS ANIMALS AND THE PLANET | SACREMENTO, CA | $47,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| COMPASSIONATE ACTION FOR ANIMALS | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FILBERT STREET GARDEN | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SOUL FOOD PROJECT | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $9,548 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SENTIENT MEDIA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY FARM | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK | DECATUR, GA | $3,300 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GOLDMAN SACHS PHILANTHROPY FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THE HUMANE LEAGUE | ROCKVILLE, MD | $325,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MILL CITY GROWING | LOWELL, MA | $298,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
NEW ROOTS INSTITUTE
$277,000CHARITABLE
NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST
$250,000CHARITABLE
COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING USA
$210,000CHARITABLE
ANIMAL CHARITY EVALUATORS
$200,000CHARITABLE
CITY BLOSSOMS
$190,000CHARITABLE
NEIGHBORHOOD LAND POWER PROJECT
$160,000CHARITABLE
MILL CITY GROWING
CHARITABLE
PROVIDENCE FARM COLLECTIVE
$130,000CHARITABLE
VICTORY GARDEN INITIATIVE
$125,000CHARITABLE
GREENER BY DEFAULT
$110,000CHARITABLE
REUNITY RESOURCES
$109,450CHARITABLE
PHILADELPHIA ORCHARD PROJECT
$104,987CHARITABLE
COMMON GOOD CITY FARM
$101,300CHARITABLE
ANIMAL DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP
$100,000CHARITABLE
LA SEMILLA FOOD CENTER
$100,000CHARITABLE
ANIMAL AND VEGAN ADVOCACY SUMMIT
$100,000CHARITABLE
ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
$100,000CHARITABLE
THE WALLS PROJECT
$100,000CHARITABLE
BALANCED INC
$100,000CHARITABLE
DREAMING OUT LOUD
$100,000CHARITABLE
SOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST
$100,000CHARITABLE
GROWING TOGETHER
$100,000CHARITABLE
NORRIS SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT
$100,000CHARITABLE
PLANTING JUSTICE
$100,000CHARITABLE
WILDERNESS LAND TRUST
$100,000CHARITABLE
A WELL-FED WORLD
$100,000CHARITABLE
ESPERANZA COMMUNITY FARM
$92,200CHARITABLE
URBAN ROOTS GARDEN CLASSROOMS
$85,600CHARITABLE
LEGAL IMPACT FOR CHICKENS
$85,000CHARITABLE
FARM FORWARD
$85,000CHARITABLE
FOOD & WATER WATCH
$85,000CHARITABLE
BETTER FOOD FOUNDATION
$80,000CHARITABLE
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
$78,700CHARITABLE
URBAN TILTH
$75,000CHARITABLE
KENTUCKY NATURAL LAND TRUST
$75,000CHARITABLE
ADVANCING LAW FOR ANIMALS
$70,754CHARITABLE
SEEDLEAF INC
$68,150CHARITABLE
FARMSTAND
$50,000CHARITABLE
FAUNALYTICS
$50,000CHARITABLE
KEEP GROWING DETROIT
$50,000CHARITABLE
LEADERS FOR ETHICS ANIMALS AND THE PLANET
$47,400CHARITABLE
COMPASSIONATE ACTION FOR ANIMALS
$40,000CHARITABLE
FILBERT STREET GARDEN
$10,000CHARITABLE
SOUL FOOD PROJECT
$9,548CHARITABLE
SENTIENT MEDIA
$8,000CHARITABLE
RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY FARM
$5,000CHARITABLE
GLOBAL GROWERS NETWORK
$3,300CHARITABLE
GOLDMAN SACHS PHILANTHROPY FUND
$400,000CHARITABLE
THE HUMANE LEAGUE
$325,000CHARITABLE
MILL CITY GROWING
$298,000CHARITABLE