Harken Foundation
Highland Park, IL · EIN 36-3712655. Reported 290 grants totalling $1,086,352 to 178 organizations across tax years 2020-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Harken Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $500. Half of everything it gave fell between $250 and $1,500; the smallest was $25 and the largest $113,050. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Biological Lab | Woods Hole, MA | $217,616 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Marine Biological Labatory | Woods Hole, MA | $145,950 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod | Yarmouth, MA | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL | $106,500 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| The 300 Committee Land Trust | Falmouth, MA | $65,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| The 300 Committee | Falmouth, MA | $64,333 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Gulf of Maine Institute | West Newbury, MA | $59,091 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Friends of Nobska Light | Woods Hole, MA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Frederick Gunn School | Washington, CT | $19,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY | $15,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Alight | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ravinia | Highland Park, IL | $15,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $11,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| H Frank Carey High School | Franklin Sq, NY | $10,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Falmouth Housing Trust | Falmouth, MA | $10,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Falmouth Service Center | Falmouth, MA | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Smile Train | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Misericordia Home | Chicago, IL | $8,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Nrdc | New York, NY | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Smile Train | New York, NY | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Partners in Health | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Farmland Trust | Washington, DC | $4,824 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Buzzards Bay Coalition | New Bedford, MA | $4,500 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Depaul University | Chicago, IL | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Feeding America | Washington, DC | $4,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The College of Healthcare | Wheeling, IL | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $4,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Frank Carey High School | Franklin Sq, NY | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists | Cambridge, MA | $3,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Special Gifts Theater | Northbrook, IL | $3,355 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Rancho Mirage High | Rancho Mirage, CA | $3,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Save the Children | Fairfield, CT | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth | East Falmouth, MA | $3,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jdrf | New York, NY | $2,765 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Amnesty Intl | Chicago, IL | $2,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Finca | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Keshet | Boston, MA | $2,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Camp for All Kids | St Louis, MO | $2,223 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| College Bound Opportunity | Riverwoods, IL | $2,055 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Aaas | Washington, DC | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cape Cod Health Care | Hyannis, MA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Care | Atlanta, GA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Mercy Corps | Boone, IA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Parkinsons Foundation | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Project Hope | Roxbury, MA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| USA for Unhcr | Washington, DC | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cape Abilities | Hyannis, MA | $1,750 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Environmental Defense Fund | New York, NY | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Feeding America | Chicago, IL | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Greater Boston Food Bank | Boston, MA | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | Montgomery, AL | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Technoserve | Arlington, VA | $1,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Unitarian Unversal Fellowship | East Falmouth, MA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Uu Falmouth | East Falmouth, MA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Woodwell Climate Research Center | Falmouth, MA | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Association to Preserve Cape Cod | Dennis, MA | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Juf | Chicago, IL | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Parents Helping Parents | San Jose, CA | $1,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| St Judes Childrens Hospital | Memphis, TN | $1,250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Zacharins Sexual Abuse Center | Gurnee, IL | $1,250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Heart Assn | Waltham, MA | $1,215 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wbur | Boston, MA | $1,096 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| WGBH Educational Foundation | Boston, MA | $1,096 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Afmda | New York, NY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Assn Advancement Science | Washington, DC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Auditorium Theatre | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation | Hyannis, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| College Bound Oppo Success Il | Riverwoods, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Evan Scholars Foundation | Golf, IL | $1,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Fo's Feminista | New York, NY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lustgarten Foundation | Woodbury, NY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Oxford America | Little Rock, AR | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Palm Springs Unified School | Palm Springs, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wounded Warier Project | Jacksonville, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hopechicagoorg | Chicago, IL | $819 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Woods Hole Public Library | Falmouth, MA | $800 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Aipac | Washington, DC | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gosnold | Falmouth, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Highfield Hall and Gardens | Falmouth, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Jewish United Fund | Chicago, IL | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Juf Web | Chicago, IL | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Spohr Gardens Charitable Trust | Falmouth, MA | $750 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wcaipublic Radio | Woods Hole, MA | $731 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Various Small Donations | Highland Park, IL | $710 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| National Glaucoma Research | Clarksburg, MD | $600 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Highfield Hall | Falmouth, MA | $550 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Clear Air Task Force | Boston, MA | $525 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Red Cross | Hyannis, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Environmental Defense Fund | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Fairwinds | Falmouth, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Friends of Notre Dame De Paris Inc | Etna, NH | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gofundmecom | Redwood City, CA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Help Hope Love | Randor, PA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Keshet | Northbrook, IL | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Massachusetts Audubon | Lincoln, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Multiple Sclerosis | East Wareham, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic | Highland Park, IL | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pine Street Inn | Boston, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rosie's Place | Boston, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Carter Center | Atlanta, GA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Samaritans of Cape Cod | Mashpee, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicef USA | Ny, NY | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United Negro College Fund | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United States Holocaust Museum | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Woodwell Climate Reseach Center | Falmouth, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| World Food Program | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| World Wildlife Fund | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Falmouth Water Stewards | Falmouth, MA | $450 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo | Chicago, IL | $450 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Brain Tumor Assoc | Chicago, IL | $418 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cradles to Crayons | Chicago, IL | $400 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Neighborhood Falmouth | Falmouth, MA | $400 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Jazz 24 | Seattle, WA | $366 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wcai | Woods Hole, MA | $366 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Trustees | Boston, MA | $350 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| World Vision | Federal Way, WA | $337 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cary Institute for Ecosystems Federation | Millbrook, NY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cerf Legacy Fund | Seattle, WA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Focus on the Arts | Highland Park, IL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hubbard Brook Research Foundation | North Woodstock, NH | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Park Foundations | Washington, DC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New England Acquarium | Boston, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Parks Foundation Highland Park | Highland Park, IL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Population Connection | Washington, DC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Project Lyme | New York, NY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Prostate Cancer Foundation | Santa Monica, CA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Start Early | Chicago, IL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Trust for Public Lands | Washington, DC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| UNCF | Washington, DC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Uusc | Cambridge, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Women for Women Intl | Washington, DC | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Yellowstone Forever | Bozeman, MT | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Yosemite Conservancy | El Portal, CA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Yosemite Conservation | San Francisco, CA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cancer Wellness | Chicago, IL | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Leuk & Lymphoma Society | Rye Brook, NY | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northwell Health Foundation | New Hyde Park, NY | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Scleroderma Foundation | Danvers, MA | $200 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| West Falmouth Library | West Falmouth, MA | $200 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Nfgaspen Community | Highland Park, IL | $185 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Soulshine Inc | Atlanta, GA | $180 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gratitude Generation | Deerfield, IL | $161 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Elyssa S Mission | Northbrook, IL | $155 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| CASA De Paz | Aurora, CO | $154 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project Lyme Https Project | New York, NY | $150 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer | Chicago, IL | $118 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lauri Bauer Grief Center | Deerfield, IL | $107 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gildasclubchicagoorg | Chicago, IL | $105 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cradles to Crayons | Newtonville, MA | $104 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lungevity | Chicago, IL | $104 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Roatan Rescue Inc | Altomi, MI | $104 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Giordano Dance Chicago | Chicago, IL | $103 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ldcrf Donation | Falls Church, VA | $103 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nfg Children First Fun | Chicago, IL | $103 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| ACLU | Chicago, IL | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Adr Foundation | Carrollton, TX | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Als Assoc Il | Chicago, IL | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Alumni Assn of University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Falmouth Commadores | Falmouth, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Feilding Foundation | Raleigh, NC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Good Neighbor Energy Trust | Boston, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Grant Canyon Conservancy | Grand Canyon, AZ | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Humane Society | Washington, DC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Humble Designs | Chicago, IL | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| International Rescue Committee | New York, NY | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Macular Degeneration Research | Northampton, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Msaa | Hagerstown, MD | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Npca | Washington, DC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Nssra Foundation | Highland Park, IL | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Special Olympics | Marlborough, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Falmouth Commodores | Falmouth, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Salvation Army | Hyannis, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Be the Match Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | $50 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Pef Israel | New York, NY | $50 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Salvation Army | Ny, NY | $50 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Volunteer Pool of Highland Park | Highland Park, IL | $25 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
61 of 178 (34%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 39%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Marine Biological Lab
RESTORATION & RECOVERY OF THE LITTLE POND ECOSYSTEM - Lake Forest College
3RD PLANET SUSTAINING FUND - The 300 Committee Land Trust
1ST INSTALLMENT OF 2 YR H2 PLEDGE - Frank Carey High School
WILSON & EMILY GIBLIN SCHOLARSHIP
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 127 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 71 | $273,937 | $500 |
| 2021 | 84 | $295,101 | $682 |
| 2022 | 53 | $273,511 | $550 |
| 2023 | 82 | $243,803 | $500 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 70% of this one's giving went to organizations in Massachusetts. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $500. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Massachusetts.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Harken Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 332 Skokie Valley Road 223, Highland Park, IL, 60035. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 36-3712655 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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