Funders › District of Columbia
The Arca Foundation
Washington, DC · EIN 13-2751798. Reported 210 grants totalling $14.2M to 90 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. 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. The Arca 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 $75,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $50,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $1,500 and the largest $230,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tides Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $1,105,000 | 10 | 4 | 2024 |
| Amalgamated Charitable Fund | Washington, DC | $695,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| We the People Mi | Detroit, MI | $525,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Win Without War Education Fund | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Windward Fund | Washington, DC | $450,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Tides Center | San Francisco, CA | $425,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Neo Philanthropy | New York, NY | $421,000 | 10 | 4 | 2024 |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorofchangeorg Education Fund | Oakland, CA | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Michigan Voices | Detroit, MI | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| United for Respect Education Fund | Brooklyn, NY | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Public Accountability Initiative | Baffalo, NY | $375,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mothering Justice | Detroit, MI | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Advance Decmocracy | Mclean, VA | $300,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blueprint North Carolina | Durham, NC | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Freedom Inc | Fitchnurg, WI | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Voces De La Frontera | Milwakee, WI | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| We Are Down Home | Greensboro, NC | $300,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| National Iranian American Council | Washington, DC | $275,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| State Voices | Detroit, MI | $275,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Alliance for Youth Organizing | Washington, DC | $255,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Just Future Fund | Washington, DC | $230,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Just Vision Inc | Washington, DC | $225,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Michigan United | Detroit, MI | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| United We Dream Network | Washington, DC | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund | Milwaukee, WI | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund | Washington, DC | $175,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Congressional Progressive Caucus Center | Washington, DC | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Solidaire Network Inc | Malden, MA | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blueprint Nc | Durham, NC | $155,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Institute for Policy Studies | Washington, DC | $152,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Citizen Action of Wi Education Fund | Milwaukee, WI | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Social Good Fund Inc | Richmond, CA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| State Power Fund | Kent, OH | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Center for International Policy Inc | Washington, DC | $125,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Democracy for the Arab World Now | Ashburn, VA | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Powerswitch Action (formerly Known As the Partnership for Working Families) | Oakland, CA | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Center for Economic and Policy Research | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Center for Third World Organizing | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Democracy North Carolina | Morrisville, NC | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Florida Rising Together (formally New Florida Majority Education Fund) | Miami, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leaders Igniting Transformation Education Fund | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Florida Majority Education Fund | Miami, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Florida Majority Education Fund (florida Rising Together) | Miami, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Florida Majority Fund | Miami, FL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Powerswitch Action | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Public Wise Research and Education | Oakland, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Good Nation Foundation | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood Funders Group | Oakland, CA | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Watershed Center Inc | Millerton, NY | $80,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Advance Democracy Inc | Mclean, VA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Popular Democracy Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Democracy for the Arab World Now | Brooklyn, NY | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Isaiah | Minneapolis, MN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Michigan Organizing Project | Detroit, MI | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Peoples Action Institute | Chicago, IL | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Quincy Institute | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| State Voices | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| United We Dream | Washington, DC | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| CASA Inc | Hyattsville, MD | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Demand Progress | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Demand Progress Eduation | Silver Spring, MD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Democracy Nc | Morrisville, NC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Oil & Gas Action Network | Oakland, CA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc | Calabasas, CA | $30,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Washington Office on Latin America | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Solidaire Network | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (acce) Institute | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Comision Ciudadana Para La Auditoria (aditoria Ya) Integral Del Credito Pub | San Juan, PR | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fund for Constitutional Government | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Government Accountability Project | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Haitian Bridge Alliance | San Diego, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Highlander Research and Education Center | New Market, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| If Not Now | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ifnotnow Education Fund | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Illuminative | Tulsa, OK | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Immigration Law Center | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Georgia Project Inc | Atlanta, GA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New York Communities Organizing Fund Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Public Policy and Education Fund (ppef) of New York | Albany, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Publicwise | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rise Education Fund | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Social and Evironmental Entreprenures Inc | Calabasas, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sustainable Markets Foundation | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Union Theological Seminary | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Women Cross Dmz | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy | Washington, DC | $4,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
44 of 90 (49%) 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 69%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. 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.
- Amalgamated Charitable Fund
support for the Just Future Fund - Tides Foundation
Project grant for Center for Working Families Fund - Tides Center
Project grant fo Detroit Action Education Fund - Windward Fund
fiscal sponsor grant for Heartland Fund - Neo Philanthropy
fiscal sponsor grant for Youth Engagement Fund - Public Wise Research and Education
fiscal sponsor grant for Athena Coalition
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 165 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52 | $2,897,000 | $50,000 |
| 2022 | 53 | $3,884,500 | $75,000 |
| 2023 | 51 | $3,686,500 | $75,000 |
| 2024 | 54 | $3,760,000 | $75,000 |
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. 30% of this one's giving went to organizations in District of Columbia. 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 $75,000. 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 District of Columbia.
- 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 The Arca Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 1730 Rhode Island Ave Nw 606, Washington, DC, 20036. 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 13-2751798 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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