Non-profit

Hollyhock Foundation

Website:

www.thehollyhockfoundation.org/

Location:

New York, NY

Tax ID:

54-2091336

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Assets: $743,088,292

Type:

Grantmaking Organization

Formation:

2002

Executive Director:

Lauren Zane

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $9,044,964
Expenses: $36,832,184
Assets: $736,991,387 1

References

  1. “The Hollyhock Foundation Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202243199349110569/full.

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The Hollyhock Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation. In 2022, Hollyhock Foundation contributed $5,368,305 to the investigative journalist organization ProPublica, making it the site’s largest funder that year. 1

Hollyhock Foundation’s grantmaking  is primarily focused on environmentalism, activist journalism, and education-related causes with particular support for the left-leaning Robin Hood Foundation. 2 3

In 2021, Hollyhock Foundation granted $25,950,000 to Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving, $1,000,000 to the left-wing Environmental Defense Fund, $797,000 to ProPublica, $350,000 to critical race theory-inspired Good Shepherd Services, $250,000 to the Robin Hood Foundation, $250,000 to Immigrant Justice Corps, and $100,000 to the Hunt Institute. 4 5

History and Leadership

The Hollyhock Foundation was founded in 2002 by investor Robert Karr and his wife Suzanne Karr with $40,719,930 of personal seed money. 6 7 8 The foundation began investing in various causes in 2003. 9 Robert Karr is on the boards of Generation Teach, the Japan Society, Uncommon Knowledge and Achievement (UKA), Uncommon Schools, and Zearn. 10

Lauren Zane is the executive director of the Hollyhock Foundation. Previously, she was a senior program manager at the Tiger Foundation. Zane is on the board of trustees of Generation Teach 11 and has held other positions at Bain and Company and The Bridgespan Group. 12

Activities and Funding

The Hollyhock Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that focuses its grantmaking on environmentalism, activist journalism, and education-related causes. Hollyhock Foundation founders Robert and Susan Karr use the foundation to conduct their personal philanthropy and have been particularly supportive of the left-leaning Robin Hood Foundation. 13

The foundation funds environmentalist organizations that seek to reduce carbon emissions, left-of-center activist journalism, and education programs to support K-12 schools and teachers in underserved neighborhoods. 14 The foundation is also a seed funder of Stanford University’s Hollyhock Fellows program. 15 16

Grantmaking

Hollyhock Foundation’s grantmaking is primarily focused on environmentalist, education, and activist journalism-related issues. 17 In 2022, Hollyhock Foundation contributed $5,368,305 to the investigative journalist organization ProPublica, making it ProPublica’s largest funder for that year. 18

Hollyhock Foundation’s education grants have supported Uncommon Schools, Generation Teach, Mount St. Joseph University, Relay Graduate School of Education, Teaching Lab, and Zearn Math. Its journalism grants have supported ProPublica, and New York City newspaper The City, and podcast Sold a Story. The Hollyhock Foundation also funds the environmentalist organization Environmental Defense Fund to support its work addressing climate change. 19 A large portion of the foundation’s annual grants go to the Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving, a provider of donor-advised funds. 20

In 2021, the Hollyhock Foundation made $35,678,668 of grants. These grants included $25,950,000 to Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving, $1,228,000 to Uncommon Schools, $1,180,000 to the Stanford Graduate School of Education, $1,036,668 to the Penn Graduate School of Education, $1,000,000 to the left-wing Environmental Defense Fund, $797,000 to ProPublica, $500,000 to Zearn, $400,000 to Together Education, $350,000 to critical race theory-inspired Good Shepherd Services, $300,000 to Impact Public Schools, $285,000 to Frontline AIDS, $275,000 to Generation Teach,  $250,000 to the left-leaning Robin Hood Foundation, $250,000 to Immigrant Justice Corps, $200,000 to Change Summer, $100,000 to IslandWood, and $100,000 to the Hunt Institute. 21 22

In 2020, Hollyhock Foundation made $31,207,000 of grants. These grants included $24,200,000 to the Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving, $2,022,000 to Uncommon Schools, $785,000 to ProPublica, $500,000 to Environmental Defense Fund, $285,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation, $275,000 to Change Summer, $265,000 to Immigrant Justice Corps, and others. 23

In 2019, the foundation granted $2,500,000 to Uncommon Schools, $1,400,00 to the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and $1,200,000 to Stanford University. 24

Funding

The Hollyhock Foundation is funded by its founders, Bob and Suzanne Karr, and investment income. The foundation reported revenue of $9,044,964 and expenses of $36,832,184 in 2021. 25 In 2020, Hollyhock Foundation reported revenue of $638,765 and expenses of $32,273,221. 26

References

  1. “Pro Publica Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule B. https://assets-c3.propublica.org/pdf/reports/2022-Pro-Publica-Form-990.pdf.
  2. “Our Team.” Generation Tech. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.generationteach.org/who#:~:text=Lauren%20Zane%20is%20Executive%20Director,Officer%20at%20the%20Tiger%20Foundation.
  3. “Bob and Suzanne Karr.” Inside Philanthropy Wall Street Donors Guide. Accessed via Web Archive November 19, 2023. https://archive.ph/WfqNM.
  4. “The Hollyhock Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202243199349110569/full.
  5. “The Hollyhock Foundation.” CauseIQ. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/hollyhock-foundation,542091336/.
  6. “The Hollyhock Foundation, Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2002. Schedule B. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/542091336/2003_11_PF%2F54-2091336_990PF_200212.
  7. “The Hollyhock Foundation Inc C/o Robert a Karr.” Foundation Center. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=HOLL125.
  8. “About.” The Hollyhock Foundation. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.thehollyhockfoundation.org/home#about.
  9. “The Hollyhock Foundation.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-hollyhock-foundation/about/.
  10. “Board of Trustees.” Generation Teach. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.generationteach.org/who.
  11. “Our Team.” Generation Tech. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.generationteach.org/who#:~:text=Lauren%20Zane%20is%20Executive%20Director,Officer%20at%20the%20Tiger%20Foundation.
  12.  “Our Team.” Generation Tech. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.generationteach.org/who#:~:text=Lauren%20Zane%20is%20Executive%20Director,Officer%20at%20the%20Tiger%20Foundation.
  13. “Bob and Suzanne Karr.” Inside Philanthropy Wall Street Donors Guide. Accessed via Web Archive November 19, 2023. https://archive.ph/WfqNM.
  14. “About.” The Hollyhock Foundation. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.thehollyhockfoundation.org/home#about.
  15. “The Hollyhock Program.” Stanford University Graduate School of Education.” Accessed November 21, 2023. https://cset.stanford.edu/hollyhock-program.
  16. “Hollyhock Foundation.” Climatebase. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://climatebase.org/company/1132755/hollyhock-foundation.
  17.  “About.” The Hollyhock Foundation. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.thehollyhockfoundation.org/home#about.
  18. “Pro Publica Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Schedule B. https://assets-c3.propublica.org/pdf/reports/2022-Pro-Publica-Form-990.pdf.
  19. “About.” The Hollyhock Foundation. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.thehollyhockfoundation.org/home#about.
  20. Kavate, Michael. “Julian Robertson’s Philanthropic Tiger Cubs: How Five Hege Fund Founders Give.” Inside Philanthropy. Reposted by the Robertson Foundation. August 25, 2023. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.robertsonfoundation.org/press/julian-robertsons-philanthropic-tiger-cubs-how-five-hedge-fund-founders-give.
  21. “The Hollyhock Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202243199349110569/full.
  22. “The Hollyhock Foundation.” CauseIQ. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/hollyhock-foundation,542091336/.
  23. “The Hollyhock Foundation Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2020. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202143199349106244/full.
  24. Kavate, Michael. “Julian Robertson’s Philanthropic Tiger Cubs: How Five Hege Fund Founders Give.” Inside Philanthropy. Reposted by the Robertson Foundation. August 25, 2023. Accessed November 19, 2023. https://www.robertsonfoundation.org/press/julian-robertsons-philanthropic-tiger-cubs-how-five-hedge-fund-founders-give.
  25. “The Hollyhock Foundation Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202243199349110569/full.
  26. “The Hollyhock Foundation Inc.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2020. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/542091336/202143199349106244/full.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: November 1, 2003

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $743,088,292 $299,138 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $744,122,095 $86,011 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2014 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $521,006,086 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $416,988,766 $180,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $309,974,921 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $0 $0 $305,477,562 $9,220,684 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Hollyhock Foundation

    888 7th Avenue, 28th Floor
    New York, NY 10106-0001