The Sparkplug Foundation
New York, NY · EIN 33-1033952. Reported 116 grants totalling $1,657,531 to 112 organizations across tax years 2022-2024. 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 Sparkplug 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 $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $20,000; the smallest was $1,049 and the largest $62,976. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism | New York, NY | $89,485 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Interfaith Peace Builders | Takoma Park, MD | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Middle East Children's Alliance | Berkeley, CA | $24,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Palestinian Christians for Justice | Anaheim, CA | $20,700 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| 4DASOIL | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| About Face Veterans Against the War | Arvada, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Alabama Coalition Immigrant Justice | Irondale, AL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| All of US Community Action Group | Schenectady, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Alyssa Rodriguez Center for Gender Justice (arc) | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Bach Collegium San Diego | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bushwick Housing Independence Project | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Christians for a Free Palestine | Lancaster, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Co-Op Hudson Valley | Poughkeepsie, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Decarcerate Kc | Kansas City, MO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Equality for Flatbush | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Foster Advocates | St Paul, MN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Friendship Park | San Diego, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Grass Roots Fund | Newmarket, NH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Health Justice Commons | Richmond, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Heard | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Human Rights Defenders Fund | Tel Aviv | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kokua Na Aina | Kapaau, HI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Laundry Workers Center | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Memphis Tenants Union | Memphis, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (masgd) | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Open Hearts Initiative | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Peace Development Fund | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Peopleshub | Albuquerque, NM | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Philly Black Worker Project | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Poder Emma Community Ownership | Asheville, NC | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Social Justice Politicorps | Antelope, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Black Out Collective | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Umuwi Ethnic Studies | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Union Maya | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Urbe Apie Inc | Caguas, PR | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Web Du Bois Movement School for Abolition and Reconstruction | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wespac - National Students for Just | White Plains, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Wollman - Brea - Baitel Trio | Mishawaka, IN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Xicanx Institute of Teaching and Organizing | Tucson, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ya-Ya Network | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Palestinian Feminist Collective | Providence, RI | $17,820 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| ACADEMICS4PEACE | Orange, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Action Center Inc for Kokua Na Aina | Kappau, HI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Arab American Action Network | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Be a Hero Education Fund | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Camden for Clean Air | Camden, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Clean Air Baltimore Coalition | Philadelphia, PA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Decrimsexworkca | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Encampment for Citizenship Pesticide-Free Soil Project | Aptos, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fang Collective | Pawtucket, RI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Far From Home Initiative | Jamaica Plain, MA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fare Food Access Raises Everyone | Cleveland, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| House Out Neighbors Education Fund | Seattle, WA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Housing Ours Neighbors | Baltimore, MD | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| If Not Now Education Fund | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Never Again Action | Albuquerque, NM | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New York Network of Worker Cooperatives (nyc Nowc) | Elmhurst, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Progressive Technology Project | Austin, TX | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Saginaw Community Alliance for the | Saginaw, MI | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership | Colorado Springs, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice | Tucson, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Western Regional Advocacy Project | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Xicanx Institute for Teasing in Org | Tucson, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Return Strong | Las Vegas, NV | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Calypsus Brass Inc | Warren, OH | $12,421 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mosquito Fleet Pdx | Seattle, WA | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tenant Education Network | Chicago, IL | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Palestinian American Research Center | Washington, DC | $11,700 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Marista | Osceola, WI | $11,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Worcester Youth Cooperatives | Worcester, MA | $10,776 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Queen City Workers Center | Buffalo, NY | $10,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Act Up Philadelphia | Yeadon, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Chainless Change Inc | Sunrise, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Charlottesville Public Housing Association of Residents | Charlottesville, VA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Circle Up Youth Restorative Justice Arts Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Columbia Sanctuary Movement | Hudson, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| First State Abortion Fund | Wilmington, DE | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hindus for Human Rights | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Land in Common | Greene, ME | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Palestine Writes Literature Festiva | Elkins Park, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project New Yorker | Jamaica, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Reality Speaking Inc | Norristown, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Seattle Arts & Culture for Anti-Rac | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sol Underground | Atlanta, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| SONG2SEA | Fremont, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sos Worcester | Warren, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Teachers Unite | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Black Butterfly Collective | Pike Road, AL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Vanguard Incarcerated Press of the People's Vanguard at Davis | Davis, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tranforming Communities Initiative - Pontiac | Pontiac, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Udw Resource Center | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unity Circles | Mattapan, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vizualizing Impact | Santa Barbara, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Voz Workers Rights Education | Portland, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Westchester Alliance for Sustainabl | Peekskill, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Youth Activism Project | Bethesda, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Firelands Workers United | Seattle, WA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hidden Voices | Cedar Grove, NC | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Integrate Nyc | New York, NY | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Black Families Love & Unite | Bronx, NY | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Racial Justice for Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz, CA | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| De Gullah Shipp | St Helena Island, SC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lunart Chambers Music Collective | Madison, WI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Release Aging Pople in Prison | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unmute Humanity | Santa Ana, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wespac - Uscpn | White Plains, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Healthgap | New York, NY | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Arab American Women's Association | Falls Church, VA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Release Aging People in Prison | New York, NY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jews for Racial and Economic Justice | New York, NY | $1,080 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Parole Preparation Project | New York, NY | $1,049 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
3 of 112 (3%) received money in more than one year over the 3 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 5%, across 2 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.
- Grass Roots Fund
COMUNIDADES ENRAIZADAS COMMUNITY LAN
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 46 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 37 | $481,197 | $11,000 |
| 2023 | 36 | $508,758 | $15,000 |
| 2024 | 43 | $667,576 | $15,000 |
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.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The Sparkplug Foundation has 2 of them, worth $35,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| People's Justice Project | Columbus, OH | $20,000 |
| Capital Tea | Tallahassee, FL | $15,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 25% of this one's giving went to organizations in New York. 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 $15,000. 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 New York.
- 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 Sparkplug 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: Park W Finance Station Po Box 20956, New York, NY, 10025. 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 33-1033952 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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