Vital Projects Fund makes large, concentrated grants to an intermediary that supports progressive civic engagement and social-change work. All disclosed giving goes to Proteus Fund, indicating the foundation channels support through donor collaboratives and fiscal sponsors rather than funding many direct-service nonprofits. Their funding appears focused on enabling national advocacy, policy, and organizing infrastructure rather than place-based service delivery.
Highly concentrated: very large, repeated grants to a single intermediary (Proteus Fund), indicating reliance on an intermediary model and preference for fewer, sizable commitments over many small awards.
Vital Projects Fund Inc channels its largest disclosed grants to Proteus Fund, with three annual general-support awards of $2.205 million in 2023, $2.705 million in 2024, and $3.496 million in 2025. That pattern points to sustained backing for an intermediary rather than scattered project grants. The foundation also appears to support a smaller set of institutions working in law, civic engagement, journalism, and public-interest infrastructure, including Civil Rights Corps, Texas Defender Service, and Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. Across the recent grants list, general support is the dominant grant purpose. The funder’s disclosed giving includes organizations connected to progressive civic engagement and democracy initiatives, as well as legal and movement-building work. Recipients range from national intermediaries such as Hopewell Fund and Tides Center to public-interest institutions like Yale University and Duke University, suggesting a mix of backbone support and broader institutional funding. The structure is concentrated: all disclosed grants in the provided data go to U.S. recipients, and many awards are repeated over multiple years.
A major theme is legal and justice-oriented infrastructure. Vital Projects Fund Inc gave $560,000 in 2024 to Civil Rights Corps for general support, and it supported Texas Defender Service with $350,000 in 2025 and $300,000 in 2024, also for general support. That same pattern appears with Louisiana Parole Project Inc, which received $550,000 in 2025 and $500,000 in 2024. The foundation also funds journalism and public-interest reporting. Investigative Reports & Editors Inc received $375,000 in 2023, and Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc received $282,000 in 2024, both as general support. In food-related and community-serving work, City Harvest received $250,000 in 2025 and $250,000 in 2023, while Chef Ann Foundation received $250,000 in 2025. Higher-education institutions are part of the portfolio too, with grants to Yale University, Duke University, Tulane University, University of San Francisco, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Typical grants cluster around six figures, with a p25 of $35,000, a median of $75,000, and a p75 of $125,000. The recent list also shows much larger awards, including multimillion-dollar support to an intermediary over multiple years. The recipient pattern is recurring rather than one-off: several organizations appear in more than one grant year, and all disclosed awards are general support. Vital Projects Fund Inc is classified as a regular funder, funds individuals is false, and makes program-related investments is false.
$15.6M
$384.3M
$61.7M
$17.3M
Most grants fall between $35K and $125K, with a median of $75K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$75K
75th Percentile
$125K
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Notable grantees: Proteus Fund
Giving is national, and every disclosed recipient is in the United States. New York City appears frequently, including grants to Community Funds Inc, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, City Harvest, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other repeated recipient locations include Amherst, MA; Baton Rouge, LA; Houston, TX; and Washington, DC. The top state by grant count is New York, and 37% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state.
The recent grants point to intermediaries, legal advocacy groups, journalism organizations, and institutions in higher education or civic infrastructure. Examples in the data include Proteus Fund, Civil Rights Corps, Texas Defender Service, Investigative Reports & Editors Inc, Hopewell Fund, Tides Center, and Yale University, almost all funded for general support.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years in the recent grants list. Proteus Fund received awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Texas Defender Service appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Louisiana Parole Project Inc appears in 2024 and 2025; and City Harvest appears in 2023 and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the middle six figures: p25 is $35,000, median is $75,000, and p75 is $125,000. The list also includes larger outliers, such as multimillion-dollar support to Proteus Fund and several grants in the $250,000 to $560,000 range.
Its geographic scope is national, and the recipient-country distribution shows 373 grants to U.S. organizations, or 100.0% of disclosed grants. New York is the top state by grant count, and 37% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNITY FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,850,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PROTEUS FUND | AMHERST, MA | $2,753,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHEF ANN FOUNDATION | BOULDER, CO | $1,250,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ASSOCIATION FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF MARYLAND | BALTIMORE, MD | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOUISIANA PAROLE PROJECT INC | BATON ROUGE, LA | $470,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TEXAS DEFENDER SERVICE | HOUSTON, TX | $400,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS | WASHINGTON, DC | $350,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW | ST PAUL, MN | $230,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACLU OF MICHIGAN FOUNDATION | DETROIT, MI | $210,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $206,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE POLITICAL REPORT INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARIZONA CAPITAL REPRESENTATION PROJECT | TUCSON, AZ | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DEEP SOUTH TODAY | JACKSON, MS | $175,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $170,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CITY UNIVERSITY OF NY SCHOOL OF LAW | QUEENS, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PAROLE PREPARATION PROJECT INC | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAFE AND JUST MICHIGAN | LANSING, MI | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE HADANOU COLLECTIVE | DENVER, CO | $125,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NURSE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP | DENVER, CO | $125,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHOOSING JUSTICE INITIATIVE | NASHVILLE, TN | $125,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALABAMA APPLESEED | MONTGOMERY, AL | $120,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $110,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY | NEW YORK, NY | $110,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTIC CENTER FOR CAPITAL REPRESENTATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $110,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE | WASHINGTON, DC | $105,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SECOND LOOK ALLIANCE | BATON ROUGE, LA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAD AGRICULTURE | BOULDER, CO | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ILLINOIS PRISON PROJECT | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADVANCING REAL CHANGE | BALTIMORE, MD | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DESERVING LIFE | LAS CRUCES, NM | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACLU OF PENNSYLVANIA FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES | BROOKLYN, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEL BLOUNT YOUTH HOME OF PA INC | CLAYSVILLE, PA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GOODNATION FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTANA INNOCENCE PROJECT | MISSOULA, MT | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TIDES CENTER (POWELL PROJECT) | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS & EDITORS INC | COLUMBIA, MO | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONGREGATION OF ST JOSEPH'S MINISTRY | CLEVELAND, OH | $90,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FELONY MURDER ELIMINATION PROJECT | CLAYTON, CA | $90,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW YORK CITY BALLET | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VERMONTERS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM | BURLINGTON, VT | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TIDES FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $56,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW YORK FOCUS NEWS | BROOKLYN, NY | $55,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND | TOWSON, MD | $53,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NACDL FOUNDATION FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOOK2JUSTICE | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRISON JOURNALISM PROECT INCORPORATED | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
COMMUNITY FUNDS INC
$3,850,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PROTEUS FUND
$2,753,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHEF ANN FOUNDATION
$1,250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ASSOCIATION FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF MARYLAND
$500,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOUISIANA PAROLE PROJECT INC
$470,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TEXAS DEFENDER SERVICE
$400,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CIVIL RIGHTS CORPS
GENERAL SUPPORT
MITCHELL HAMLINE SCHOOL OF LAW
$230,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ACLU OF MICHIGAN FOUNDATION
$210,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$206,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE POLITICAL REPORT INC
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARIZONA CAPITAL REPRESENTATION PROJECT
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DEEP SOUTH TODAY
$175,000GENERAL SUPPORT
YALE UNIVERSITY
$170,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CITY UNIVERSITY OF NY SCHOOL OF LAW
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PAROLE PREPARATION PROJECT INC
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAFE AND JUST MICHIGAN
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE HADANOU COLLECTIVE
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NURSE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHOOSING JUSTICE INITIATIVE
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ALABAMA APPLESEED
$120,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS
$110,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY
$110,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ATLANTIC CENTER FOR CAPITAL REPRESENTATION
$110,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE
$105,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SECOND LOOK ALLIANCE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAD AGRICULTURE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ILLINOIS PRISON PROJECT
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ADVANCING REAL CHANGE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DESERVING LIFE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ACLU OF PENNSYLVANIA FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEL BLOUNT YOUTH HOME OF PA INC
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GOODNATION FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTANA INNOCENCE PROJECT
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TIDES CENTER (POWELL PROJECT)
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS & EDITORS INC
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CONGREGATION OF ST JOSEPH'S MINISTRY
$90,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FELONY MURDER ELIMINATION PROJECT
$90,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VERMONTERS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER
$60,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TIDES FOUNDATION
$60,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE INC
$56,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NEW YORK FOCUS NEWS
$55,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND
$53,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NACDL FOUNDATION FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOOK2JUSTICE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRISON JOURNALISM PROECT INCORPORATED
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT