The Septuagenarian Fund concentrates on strengthening independent media and journalism, supporting veterans and military-family services, and investing in internet security and technology education. It tends to make a small number of very large institutional grants to national organizations and mission-driven tech groups, frequently supporting both established policy/advocacy institutions and technical nonprofits that protect online systems and communities.
A $13.3 million grant to the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation, paired with a $10 million award to the C Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, shows the Septuagenarian Fund’s core pattern: very large institutional gifts to nonprofits working in journalism, veterans’ services, and digital infrastructure. The fund also gave $8.3 million to Blue Star Families and $5 million to Consumer Reports Inc, placing nonprofit media, military-family support, and consumer advocacy at the center of its recent work. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs organizations that build capacity rather than individuals, and the recipient pool is made up entirely of nonprofit organizations. Its portfolio includes journalism institutions, veterans-focused service groups, and technical nonprofits tied to cybersecurity and online trust. The scale is substantial even by foundation standards: several grants land in the multimillion-dollar range, and the fund repeatedly supports large, established organizations with national reach. Recent awards also extend into education and civic technology, with grants to groups such as Girls Who Code, The Shadowserver Foundation, and Wikimedia New York City Inc.
Independent journalism is one of the clearest throughlines. In 2025, the fund gave $10 million to the C Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and $5 million to Consumer Reports Inc, pointing to support for journalism education and public-interest media. Cybersecurity and internet safety also appear as a sustained area of interest: the Septuagenarian Fund awarded $500,000 to The Shadowserver Foundation, $100,000 to Fido Alliance Inc, and $100,000 to Cyber Threat Alliance. Veterans and military-family support is another major theme. A $13.3 million grant to the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation was joined by $8.3 million to Blue Star Families, plus a prior $1 million grant to Blue Star Families in 2024. The foundation also funds tech education and workforce pathways, including $600,000 and $500,000 to Girls Who Code and $500,000 to Vetsin Tech. These grants suggest a mix of service delivery, storytelling, and pipeline-building.
The recent grant sizes cluster at the high end: p25 is $400,000, the median is $600,000, and p75 is $800,000. Several awards exceed $1 million, which points to a model built around large institutional support rather than many small grants. The pattern is also steady across years: Blue Star Families received grants in both 2024 and 2025, and Girls Who Code appears more than once in 2025. Septuagenarian Fund is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant descriptions consistently use broad purpose language, with awards made “to further their nonprofit purpose,” consistent with general operating or unrestricted support.
$47.1M
$323.3M
$11.6M
$48.4M
Most grants fall between $400K and $800K, with a median of $600K.
25th Percentile
$400K
Median
$600K
75th Percentile
$800K
CRAIG NEWMARK
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Highly concentrated giving: a few very large grants account for most dollars, with both repeat gifts to priority grantees and one-off institutional gifts; grants skew national in reach and favor established organizations and technical providers over small local projects.
Notable grantees: Bob Woodruff Family Foundation, C Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, Blue Star Families, Consumer Reports Inc, The Shadowserver Foundation
All recent grants in the dataset went to US recipients, and 100% of the grants landed in California as the top giving state by count. The recipient cities are concentrated in major nonprofit hubs: New York, NY appears multiple times, San Francisco, CA shows up repeatedly, and other California locations include Encinitas, Pleasanton, and West Hollywood. Outside California, the list reaches Washington, DC; Yonkers, NY; Arlington, VA; Beaverton, OR; and New Haven, CT. The pattern reflects a local geographic scope in the sense of statewide concentration, even though many grantees serve national audiences.
It supports nonprofit organizations in journalism, veterans and military-family services, cybersecurity and internet safety, consumer advocacy, and tech education. Recent examples include a journalism school, a veterans family foundation, a consumer reporting organization, and several technical nonprofits working on online trust and security.
The distribution is large: p25 is $400,000, the median is $600,000, and p75 is $800,000. The recent list also includes multimillion-dollar awards, including several above $5 million.
No. Septuagenarian Fund is listed as a regular funder, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments.
Yes. Every recent grant in the dataset went to a US recipient, and 100% were in California as the top state by grant count. Recipient cities include San Francisco, Encinitas, Pleasanton, and West Hollywood in California, alongside New York, Washington, DC, and others.
Yes. Blue Star Families received grants in both 2024 and 2025, and Girls Who Code appears twice in the 2025 list. That suggests repeat support for some recipients rather than one-time awards only.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY DAF | CINCINNATTI, OH | $20,000,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| BOB WOODRUFF FAMILY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $13,300,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| BLUE STAR FAMILIES | ENCINITAS, CA | $8,300,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| INTERNET SOCIETY | FREDERICKSBURG, VA | $5,000,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| VETSIN TECH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| BOB WOODRUFF FAMILY FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $13,300,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| C NEWMARK GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| BLUE STAR FAMILIES | ENCINITAS, CA | $8,300,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| CONSUMER REPORTS INC | YONKERS, NY | $5,000,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| GIRLS WHO CODE | NEW YORK, NY | $600,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $550,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| THE SHADOWSERVER FOUNDATION | PLEASANTON, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| VETSIN TECH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| GIRLS WHO CODE | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| THE HACK FOUNDATION | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| CYBER THREAT ALLIANCE | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| FIDO ALLIANCE INC | BEAVERTON, OR | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| WIKIMEDIA NEW YORK CITY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| BLUE STAR FAMILIES | ENCINITAS, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
| MOZILLA FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE. |
INTERNET SOCIETY
$5,000,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
VETSIN TECH
$500,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
C NEWMARK GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
$10,000,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
THE SHADOWSERVER FOUNDATION
$500,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
VETSIN TECH
$500,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
CYBER THREAT ALLIANCE
$100,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
FIDO ALLIANCE INC
$100,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.
WIKIMEDIA NEW YORK CITY INC
$100,000TO FURTHER THEIR NONPROFIT PURPOSE.