Stone Steps Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on international poverty-alleviation through impact investing and support for social enterprises. Nearly all of its giving goes to Acumen (listed as Acumen Fund/Acumen), indicating a strategic interest in patient capital and market-based solutions for low-income communities in the developing world. The foundation appears to prioritize scaling ventures that deliver essential services (energy, health, livelihoods) rather than broad domestic or arts funding.
Highly concentrated: very few, large grants directed to a single recurring grantee (Acumen). Funding is sizable and repeat, suggesting multi-year or multi-project commitments rather than many small, one-off gifts.
Stone Steps Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by Acumen, with grants of $290,000 in 2023, $250,000 in 2024, and $200,000 in 2025 for general support. That repeated commitment points to a long-running preference for market-based approaches to poverty alleviation, especially work tied to social enterprises and impact investing. The foundation’s grant list also shows support for organizations connected to emergency response and flexible operating support, including the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for Ukraine emergency response and Global Communities for general support. Across the rest of the portfolio, the foundation backs groups working on practical services and community-level delivery. Street Business School received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Sanergy Inc and Global Witness Foundation also appear in the recent awards. The pattern suggests a funder that favors organizations with clear programmatic models and the capacity to deploy capital consistently over time. Grant amounts in the recent list range from small five-figure awards to larger strategic support, with most entries clustered around general support rather than restricted project funding.
Stone Steps Foundation gives to social enterprises and nonprofit organizations working on poverty-related services. In economic opportunity and livelihoods, Street Business School received $20,000 in 2023, $20,000 in 2024, and $20,000 in 2025 for general support, showing steady backing for an organization with an ongoing model. The foundation also supports humanitarian response. In 2023, it gave $25,000 to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for Ukraine emergency response, tying its grantmaking to urgent support for people affected by the Ukraine crisis. Health and basic services appear in the portfolio as well. Sanergy Inc received $10,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025 for general support, while Global Communities received $10,000 in 2023, $10,000 in 2024, and $20,000 in 2025. Those repeated grants suggest interest in organizations delivering durable services through established operating models.
Stone Steps Foundation’s recent grants are concentrated in the five-figure range, with a typical grant size of p25 $10,000, median $15,000, and p75 $23,750. The largest recent awards were much higher, led by a $290,000 grant in 2023 and two more large general-support grants in 2024 and 2025. The pattern is repeat-oriented rather than one-off: several recipients appear in multiple years, including Acumen, Street Business School, Global Communities, and Sanergy Inc. The foundation is also making donor-advised fund-related support, including a 2024 grant marked “Heading for Change DAF.” Its filing shows it funds individuals, although the recent list is made up of organizational grants.
$306K
$5.5M
$180K
$397K
Most grants fall between $10K and $24K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$24K
About 16% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: Acumen Fund / Acumen
Stone Steps Foundation gives nationally, and all recent grants in the data went to recipients in the United States. New York, NY appears frequently, including Acumen, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and Sustainable Buyers Guide Inc. Other repeated recipient locations include Silver Spring, MD for Global Communities and Brookline, MA for Sanergy Inc. The foundation’s headquarters are in Cardiff, CA, but no recent grants in the list went to recipients in California.
The recent grants show a strong pattern of support for social enterprises and organizations delivering practical services. Acumen received the three largest grants in the list for general support, and Street Business School, Global Communities, and Sanergy Inc each received repeated general-support awards over multiple years.
Yes. In 2023 it gave $25,000 to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee for Ukraine emergency response. That is the clearest emergency-focused grant in the recent list and ties the foundation to support for people affected by the Ukraine crisis.
Repeated. Acumen appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Street Business School appears in all three years; Global Communities appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Sanergy Inc appears in 2024 and 2025. That points to multi-year support for selected grantees.
The stated grant-size distribution is p25 $10,000, median $15,000, and p75 $23,750. That means many awards sit in the five-figure range, with a smaller number of much larger grants.
The grant geography is national, and the recipient-country distribution shows all recent grants went to U.S. organizations. By state, New York has the highest grant count, followed by recipients in Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts, California, and Texas.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACUMEN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GLOBAL WITNESS FOUNDATION | PALO ALTO, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STREET BUSINESS SCHOOL | NIWOT, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SUSTAINABLE BUYERS GUIDE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GLOBAL COMMUNITIES | SILVER SPRING, MD | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AL OTRO LADO | SAN YSIDRO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANERGY INC | BROOKLINE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SARARA INSTITUTE | DENEVER, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THIRD AVENUE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION (TACO) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACUMEN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STREET BUSINESS SCHOOL | NIWOT, CO | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IMPACTASSETS INC | BETHESDA, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | HEADING FOR CHANGE DAF |
| GLOBAL COMMUNITIES | SILVER SPRING, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SANERGY INC | BROOKLINE, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACUMEN | NEW YORK, NY | $290,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | UKRAINE EMERGENCY RESPONSE |
| STREET BUSINESS SCHOOL | NIWOT, CO | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GLOBAL COMMUNITIES | SILVER SPRING, MD | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WHIZZKIDS | AUSTIN, TX | $6,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SUSTAINABLE BUYERS GUIDE INC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GLOBAL COMMUNITIES
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
THIRD AVENUE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION (TACO)
$500GENERAL SUPPORT
WHIZZKIDS
$6,000GENERAL SUPPORT