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

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