Telescope Fund
96% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Telescope Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, District of Columbia, registered in 2023, with $5,536,429 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C, and it directs about 96% of spending to programs.
1050 Connecticut Ave Nw Ste 500, Washington, DC, 20036 EIN 86-2577635 Since 2023
Revenue (FY2024)
$5.5M
▼ 92.0% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2024)
$10.8M
Net assets
$27.6M
Employees
0
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →A+Program efficiency40% of the rating96% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Telescope Fund: 96% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
FFinancial health25% of the rating31 mo reserves · -95% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Telescope Fund: 31 mo reserves · -95% margin earns a F on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
BGovernance25% of the rating4 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Telescope Fund: 4 of 6 checks met earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Telescope Fund: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Partnering with donors to expand philanthropic giving.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1050 Connecticut Ave Nw Ste 500, Washington, DC, 20036
- City
- Washington
- State
- District of Columbia
- Subcategory
- Public Foundations
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $150K (FY2021) to $5.5M (FY2024) across 4 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $653KNet assets $27.6M
Operating margin
-94.9%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$28.2M
Total liabilities
$653K
Net assets
$27.6M
Salaries & benefits
$0
0% of expenses
Board members
3
3 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,536,429▼92.0% | $10,788,449▼71.0% | $27,562,175▼16.0% | $28,215,070▼26.0% | 990 |
| 2023 | $69,446,551▲128% | $37,206,092▲23.8% | $32,814,195▲5619% | $38,127,793▲1510% | 990 |
| 2022 | $30,475,057▲20217% | $30,044,973▲473198% | $573,736▲299% | $2,367,892▲1548% | 990 |
| 2021 | $150,000 | $6,348 | $143,652 | $143,652 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Schulz | General Counsel | 1 | — |
| Ben Mangan | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Dori Kreiger | Director | 1 | — |
| Leslie Payne | President | 1 | — |
| Marla Blow | Treasurer (through 7/2024) | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Arabella Advisors LLC | Admin. Operations and Support Services | $268,250 |
Grants received · $93.5M total
6 grants to Telescope Fund totaling $93.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $89,660 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $33,000,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Capacity building | 2022 | $327,721 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $30,000,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $30,000,000 |
| New Venture Fund | Capacity building | 2021 | $50,000 |
Grants made · $10.3M in FY2024
35 grants totaling $10.3M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Telescope Fund →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Recycling Partnership Inc | Project support | $2,200,000 |
| Save Ukraine Inc | Project support | $1,000,000 |
| Superhumans Ukraine Inc | Project support | $1,000,000 |
| Dreaming Out Loud Foundation | Project support | $1,000,000 |
| Feed the Children Inc | General support | $700,000 |
| Florida Atlantic University Foundation Inc | Project support | $680,000 |
| Dion S Chicago Dream Inc Nfp | Project support | $600,000 |
| National Arbor Day Foundation | Project support | $500,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | Project support | $266,046 |
| Globalgiving Foundation Inc | Project support | $237,000 |
| Cal Ripken Sr Foundation Inc | General support | $200,000 |
| Games For Change Inc | General support | $200,000 |
| Imagine North Carolina First | General support | $152,437 |
| Isaiah | General support | $152,436 |
| Pennsylvania Voice | General support | $150,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Telescope Fund a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Telescope Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 86-2577635, based in Washington, District of Columbia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Telescope Fund's EIN?
- Telescope Fund's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 86-2577635.
- How much revenue does Telescope Fund report?
- Telescope Fund reported $5,536,429 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Telescope Fund's spending goes to programs?
- Telescope Fund spends about 96% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Telescope Fund have?
- CharityIndex grades Telescope Fund C, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Telescope Fund's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Telescope Fund's latest Form 990 is $0, paid to Andrew Schulz (General Counsel).
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Data for Telescope Fund (EIN 86-2577635) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.