About Telescope Fund
Telescope Fund partners with donors to expand their philanthropic giving by providing them with the tools needed to catalyze their vision for change. It provides support for strategic grant making, efficient operations, expert advising, and innovative problem solving.
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations (grant recipients)not specified (no target populations named)
Funding Style
project supportgeneral support (general operating)mixed portfolio (both project-level and unrestricted grants)organizational capacity / operations funding
Topics
no programmatic focus specifiedmulti-sector / agnostic fundingproject-level program delivery
About Telescope Fund
Telescope Fund’s recent grants show a pattern of large, project-level support to civic and advocacy organizations, with repeated backing for groups working across state-based organizing and election-related infrastructure. The funder gave $2,470,000 to One Arizona in 2024 and $1,700,000 to the same organization in 2023, showing multi-year support for the same grantee. It also awarded $1,400,000 in general support to Imagine North Carolina First and another $1,400,000 to Pennsylvania Voice in 2024, indicating willingness to fund both project work and broader organizational needs. Larger awards also went to The Recycling Partnership Inc, Florida Rising Together, and Tides Center, suggesting a portfolio that includes both issue-specific intermediaries and place-based groups. The grant list points to a funder that works at scale, with seven-figure grants appearing regularly and a mix of project support and general support across the portfolio. Telescope Fund operates as a regular funder and partners with donors to expand their philanthropic giving through advising and grantmaking support.
What Telescope Fund Funds
A clear cluster of funding goes to civic engagement and state-based organizing. Telescope Fund gave $1,350,000 to Ohio Organizing Collaborative in 2024 for project support and $800,000 to the same group in 2023 for general support. It also funded New Georgia Project with $850,000 in 2023 for general support. In North Carolina, the funder supported Blueprint North Carolina with $1,150,000 and Imagine North Carolina First with $1,400,000, both in 2024. Another recurring pattern appears in Texas: Texas Freedom Network Education Fund received $1,050,000 in 2024 for general support and the same amount in 2023 for project support. The list also includes support for environmental and movement infrastructure through The Recycling Partnership Inc and Tides Center.
How Telescope Fund Gives
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $250,000, the median is $400,000, and the 75th percentile is $612,500. The recent list also includes many seven-figure awards, with some organizations receiving support in more than one year, including One Arizona, Alliance for Youth Organizing, Tides Center, Neo Philanthropy Inc, Progeorgia State Table Inc, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, and Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. Telescope Fund is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants appear in both project support and general support, with the portfolio leaning toward organizational and campaign infrastructure rather than one-off awards.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$10.3M
Total Assets
$28.2M
Total Revenue
$5.5M
Total Expenses
$10.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $250K and $613K, with a median of $400K.
25th Percentile
$250K
Median
$400K
75th Percentile
$613K
Geographic Reach
National30 states funded
About 7% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LESLIE PAYNE
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