Cornerstone Foundation concentrates its grantmaking on a small set of large, mission-driven organizations working in environmental advocacy, rural/island community development, family/domestic violence services, and national K–12 teacher pipelines. The foundation favors repeat, substantial gifts to organizations that deliver policy-level environmental work (Environmental Defense Fund), place-based community support (Island Institute), direct social services for survivors (House of Ruth), and talent pipelines into underserved schools (Teach For America). Its portfolio is limited in breadth but deep in commitment, emphasizing program support rather than many small awards.
Cornerstone Foundation Inc. gives repeated large grants to a small set of organizations, with several recipients appearing in consecutive years. The clearest signal in its recent grantmaking is sustained support for environmental advocacy and place-based community work: Environmental Defense Fund received $350,000 in 2025 after $325,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023, while Island Institute received $340,000 in 2025 after $325,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023. That same pattern of steady, substantial support extends to direct services and education-focused organizations, including House of Ruth and Teach for America, both of which received six-figure awards across multiple years. The foundation also funds organizations tied to civic engagement, legal advocacy, and student access, including Rock the Vote, the Brennan Center for Justice, The Posse Foundation, and Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Its grantmaking is broad enough to touch several issue areas, but the portfolio remains concentrated in a limited set of mission-driven nonprofits. Awards are generally for support of charitable activities, suggesting an emphasis on organizational capacity and ongoing program work rather than one-time project grants.
Environmental advocacy is a clear priority. Environmental Defense Fund received $350,000 in 2025, following $325,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2023, all labeled support for charitable activities. Community resilience and place-based development also show up through Island Institute, which received $340,000 in 2025, $325,000 in 2024, and $300,000 in 2023. In domestic violence services, House of Ruth received $240,000 in 2025 after $225,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023. Education and access to opportunity appear through Teach for America, which received $240,000 in 2025, $225,000 in 2024, and $200,000 in 2023, and through The Posse Foundation, which received $150,000 in 2025 after a $140,000 grant in 2024 and a $125,000 grant in 2023 under the DC-named entry.
Typical grant sizes cluster at the high end of the foundation’s distribution: p25 is $85,000, the median is $150,000, and p75 is $225,000. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. Grants are described as support for charitable activities, and the foundation does not make program-related investments or grants to individuals. Its annual giving of $5,735,000 is spread across a relatively small number of organizations, with a pattern of substantial operating-style support.
$2.2M
$52.4M
$9M
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $85K and $225K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$85K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$225K
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Concentrated giving: a small number of relatively large grants, often repeated to the same organizations; mainly unrestricted/program support to established national and place-based nonprofits rather than many one-off small grants.
Notable grantees: Environmental Defense Fund, Island Institute, House of Ruth, Teach For America
All recent grants in the data go to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC appears frequently among recipients, including organizations such as Environmental Defense Fund, House of Ruth, Teach for America, Rock the Vote, and others. Maryland is the top state by grant count overall, even though the foundation is headquartered in Washington, DC. Other recipient cities in the recent list include Rockland, Philadelphia, New York, West Hollywood, and Oakland.
The recent grants show support for environmental advocacy, rural and island community development, domestic violence services, teacher pipelines, civic engagement, legal advocacy, student access, and youth services. Recipients include Environmental Defense Fund, Island Institute, House of Ruth, Teach for America, Rock the Vote, The Posse Foundation, and Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Recurring. Several organizations appear in multiple years with similar award levels, including Environmental Defense Fund in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Island Institute in 2023, 2024, and 2025; House of Ruth in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Teach for America in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution centers on larger awards: p25 is $85,000, the median is $150,000, and p75 is $225,000. Recent grants include multiple awards in the $200,000 to $350,000 range.
The foundation gives most often in Maryland by grant count, while 59% of grants go to recipients in Washington, DC. Recent recipients also include organizations in New York, Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and the recent grants are all to nonprofit organizations such as Environmental Defense Fund, Island Institute, House of Ruth, Teach for America, and related public-benefit groups.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $350,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ISLAND INSTITUTE | ROCKLAND, MD | $340,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| HOUSE OF RUTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $240,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $240,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ROCK THE VOTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $160,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| CHILDREN'S LITERACY INITIATIVE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $150,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE POSSE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| WILLIAM J BRENNAN JR CENTER FOR JUSTICE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE TREVOR PROJECT | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE BASIC FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ISLAND INSTITUTE | ROCKLAND, ME | $325,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $325,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| HOUSE OF RUTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $225,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $225,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $190,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| CHILDREN'S LITERACY INITIATIVE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $140,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE POSSE FOUNDATION DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $140,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $110,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| BASIC FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $55,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ROCK THE VOTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $55,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $300,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE ISLAND INSTITUTE | ROCKLAND, ME | $300,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| HOUSE OF RUTH | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | NEW YORK, NY | $175,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| CHILDREN'S LITERACY INITIATIVE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $125,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THE POSSEE FOUNDATION DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $125,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| ROCK THE VOTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
| BASIC FUND | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES |
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$350,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
THE POSSE FOUNDATION
$150,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
THE POSSE FOUNDATION DC
$140,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$175,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
THE POSSEE FOUNDATION DC
$125,000SUPPORT CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES