The Freeman Foundation gives in a fairly focused way, with major commitments clustered around East Asia-related education and exchange, Indigenous and rural community support, and place-based initiatives in Vermont and Hawai‘i. It repeatedly backs a small set of institutions over multiple grants, especially organizations tied to Japan/U.S. exchange, universities, and community foundations/intermediaries. The foundation also shows a strong interest in conservation, agriculture, and community development projects that benefit Native communities and refugees.
Concentrated giving with repeat grantees and multi-grant relationships; many awards are large, strategic commitments routed through a small number of trusted intermediaries, community foundations, and university partners rather than broadly distributed small grants.
The Freeman Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a single $19,940,871 charitable award to a grantee listed as “See Statement Attached,” alongside a cluster of large general-support grants to institutions working in international education, Indigenous development, and place-based philanthropy. That pattern makes the foundation look less like a broad regranting fund and more like a strategic investor in a small number of organizations it supports at meaningful scale. Among its recurring recipients, the Institute of International Education appears multiple times at $1,330,000 in 2024 and 2025, signaling sustained backing for higher-education exchange work. First Nations Development Institute also receives repeated support, including $1,650,000 grants in 2025 and additional $650,000 awards, pointing to ongoing investment in Native-led capacity building. The foundation also gives multi-million-dollar support to Hawaii Community Foundation and Vermont Land Trust, showing that its portfolio includes both regional intermediaries and land conservation partners. Its recent grant list is almost entirely domestic, with all grants landing in the United States.
International education is a clear throughline in the Freeman Foundation’s portfolio. The foundation gave $1,330,000 to Institute of International Education Inc in 2024 for general support, and repeated that amount to Institute of International Education in 2025, suggesting sustained institutional support for exchange-related work. Native and Indigenous economic development is another major area. First Nations Development Institute received $1,650,000 in 2025 for general support, along with additional $650,000 grants in the same year, indicating ongoing operating support rather than a single project award. The foundation also backs regional and place-based organizations. It awarded $2,800,000 to Hawaii Community Foundation and $2,400,000 to Vermont Land Trust in 2024, then followed Vermont Land Trust with $1,225,000 grants in 2025. These grants point to a mix of community foundation support and land conservation work.
Typical grant size is relatively large: the p25 is $47,750, the median is $100,000, and the p75 is $294,038. Recent grants then step up well above those benchmarks, with many awards in the seven-figure range. The portfolio shows repeat support to the same organizations across 2024 and 2025, including several general-support renewals rather than one-time project grants. The Freeman Foundation does not fund individuals and is not making program-related investments. The recent grants are structured as foundation-to-organization support, often labeled general support or charitable.
$20.4M
$371.5M
$38.7M
$26.3M
Most grants fall between $50K and $250K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$250K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in HI.
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Notable grantees: First Nations Development Institute, Vermont Land Trust, Institute of International Education, National Association of Japan-America Societies Incorporated, Hawaii Community Foundation
Grants are concentrated in the United States, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the recent sample. By count, Florida is the top state where the foundation gives most often, although the grants listed here also land in Hawaii, Vermont, New York, Colorado, Washington, DC, Tennessee, California, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Specific recipient cities include Honolulu, Montpelier, Longmont, New York, Washington, DC, Memphis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Athens.
Its recent grants center on international education and exchange, Native and Indigenous economic development and capacity building, regional community foundation support, and land conservation. Examples in the data include institutions such as the Institute of International Education, First Nations Development Institute, Hawaii Community Foundation, and Vermont Land Trust.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Institute of International Education in 2024 and 2025, First Nations Development Institute in 2025 with more than one award, and Vermont Land Trust in both 2024 and 2025. That pattern points to recurring institutional support.
The grant-size distribution is fairly large: p25 is $47,750, median grant size is $100,000, and p75 is $294,038. The recent list also includes several million-dollar awards, showing that the foundation often operates well above its median grant size.
The top state by grant count is Florida. In the recent grant sample, though, recipients are spread across multiple U.S. states and DC, with grant destinations including Honolulu, Montpelier, Longmont, New York, Washington, DC, Memphis, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Athens.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $1,650,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,330,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VERMONT LAND TRUST | MONTPELIER, VT | $1,225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAG AMERICA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HAWAII GOOD FOOD ALLIANCE | HONOLULU, HI | $1,032,350 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAVE THE CHILDREN FEDERATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETIES INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $711,280 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $650,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WEATHERHEAD EAST ASIAN INSTITUTE | NEW YORK, NY | $569,541 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $556,182 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDAION - CENTER FOR ASIAN STUDIES | BOULDER, CO | $455,700 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $433,725 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $391,116 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIVE COLLEGES INC | NORTHAMPTON, MA | $372,413 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRESERVATION TRUST OF VERMONT | BURLINGTON, VT | $363,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CENTER FOR AN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY | HARDWICK, VT | $337,400 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLAKEMORE FOUNDATION - EXPENDITURE RESPONSIBILITY GRANT | BELLEVUE, WA | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EAST WEST CENTER FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WORLD MONUMENTS FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $279,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRESERVATION TRUST OF VERMONT | BURLINGTON, VT | $275,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CFES BRILLIANT PATHWAYS | ESSEX, NY | $267,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KUPU - HAWAII YOUTH CONSERV CORPS SUMMER PROGRAM | HONOLULU, HI | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BUFFALO NATIONS GRASSLANDS ALLIANCE | LOWER BRULE, SD | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHELBURNE FARMS | SHELBURNE, VT | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WETA-BROADCAST BBC NEWS | ARLINGTON, VA | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS | HOUSTON, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PACIFIC AND ASIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL | HONOLULU, HI | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PACIFIC GATEWAY CENTER | HONOLULU, HI | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY | VILLANOVA, PA | $180,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY | DETROIT, MI | $180,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TUCSON REFUGEE MINISTRY | TUCSON, AZ | $175,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE | BURLINGTON, VT | $165,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $156,403 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $137,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BUTLER UNIVERSITY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $130,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $127,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| IOLANI SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY FOUNDATION | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $105,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PUNAHOU SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE | COLCHESTER, VT | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS | LAWRENCE, KS | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | COLUMBIA, SC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WING LUKE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNITED STATES VETERANS INITIATIVE | KAPOLEI, HI | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DAVIDSON COLLEGE | DAVIDSON, NC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
MAG AMERICA INC
$1,200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN-AMERICA SOCIETIES INCORPORATED
$711,280GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDAION - CENTER FOR ASIAN STUDIES
$455,700GENERAL SUPPORT
FIVE COLLEGES INC
$372,413GENERAL SUPPORT
BLAKEMORE FOUNDATION - EXPENDITURE RESPONSIBILITY GRANT
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WORLD MONUMENTS FUND
$279,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WETA-BROADCAST BBC NEWS
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
$180,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$180,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TUCSON REFUGEE MINISTRY
$175,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE
$165,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HOUSTON
$156,403GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$137,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$127,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PUNAHOU SCHOOL
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST MICHAEL'S COLLEGE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT