What Freedom Together Foundation does

Freedom Together Foundation is a New York-based private foundation (renamed from The JPB Foundation in December 2024) that operates as a philanthropic grantmaking platform, distributing capital from its endowment to U.S.-based nonprofit organizations across five program areas: Democracy, Gender, and Racial Justice; Community and Worker Power; Movement Infrastructure and Explorations; Faith, Bridging, and Belonging; and Reproductive Justice, Medical Research, and NYC Community Grants. Since founding in 2011, the foundation has distributed over $2.7 billion across 3,900 grants, with nearly $500 million committed in 2024 alone — a ~40% increase from 2022 levels — and in 2026 it doubled its endowment payout to 10%, double the federally required 5% minimum for private foundations. The foundation uses an invitation-only direct solicitation model, meaning it carefully selects organizations from which it solicits grant applications and does not accept unsolicited proposals, restricting its funding base to U.S.-based grantees and excluding attempts to influence legislation.

The foundation's value proposition centers on building power with working-class communities of color, immigrants, women, and LGBTQ+ people, and it pairs large-scale grantmaking with rapid-response grants (over $60 million channeled to civic engagement and pro-democracy work since fall 2023) and cross-funder coalition leadership. Its "Bigger We" approach deliberately extends beyond traditional progressive allies to build a broad pro-democracy coalition, with a distinctive emphasis on faith, bridging, and belonging that brings spiritual and interfaith dimensions into movement infrastructure. The leadership team — anchored by President Deepak Bhargava (former Community Change CEO), Senior VP Alicia Garza, and a board including Mary Kay Henry (SEIU) and Cecilia Muñoz — combines decades of social movement experience with institutional credibility.

Operationally, the foundation employs 51–100 staff, is headquartered in New York, and is governed by a board chaired by founder Barbara Picower (President Emerita). Its revenue model is fundamentally an endowment-to-grant pass-through: the foundation raises no commercial revenue, sets no product pricing, and instead determines grant amounts through direct solicitation of selected organizations. Recent strategic moves include co-founding The Courage Project coalition with eight peer foundations (May 2025, $5 million initial commitment), expanding the board by five members, and appointing Venus Phillips as incoming Chief Investment Officer (December 2025). The foundation markets primarily through its website, presidential letters, email newsletter, and earned media in outlets such as Inside Philanthropy, TIME, and The Nation.

Name

Freedom Together Foundation

Legal name

Freedom Together Foundation

Website

https://www.freedomtogether.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Freedom Together Foundation works with partners to build power and defend multiracial democracy through transformative philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation
• Grantmaking
• Nonprofit grants
• Social justice funding
• Civic engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking from Endowment: The foundation operates as a philanthropic grantmaking organization, distributing funds from its endowment to support nonprofit organizations working in its five program areas: Democracy, Gender, and Racial Justice; Community and Worker Power; Movement Infrastructure and Explorations; Faith, Bridging, and Belonging; and Reproductive Justice, Medical Research, and NYC Community Grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Freedom Together Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to nonprofit organizations working in five program areas: democracy, social justice, worker power, faith, and reproductive justice. The foundation commits a 10% annual payout—double the 5% IRS minimum required of private foundations—and supports grantees through multi-year, general operating support, capacity building, and the donor-collaboration initiative known as The Courage Project.

Product overview

Freedom Together Foundation is a philanthropy organization (formerly The JPB Foundation) that provides grant funding across five interconnected program areas rather than a technology product platform. The Foundation's portfolio includes: Community and Worker Power (supporting grassroots organizations and unions), Democracy, Gender, and Racial Justice (protecting democratic institutions), Faith, Bridging, and Belonging (building cross-ideological coalitions), Movement Infrastructure and Explorations (strengthening movement capacity and technology for social justice), and Reproductive Health, Medical Research, and Community Grants. The Foundation also operates The Courage Project initiative to celebrate civic courage. All program areas work toward the mission of supporting people who have been denied power to build it, so they can change unjust systems and create a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Democracy Program Grants Multi-year general operating and project grants to nonprofits advancing democratic participation, voting rights, and civic engagement in the United States. Targeted at 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
• Social Justice Program Grants Funding to nonprofits working on racial, gender, and economic justice issues, with an emphasis on movement-building and policy reform.
• Worker Power Program Grants Grants to nonprofits organizing for labor rights, unionization, and improved working conditions for low-wage and contingent workers.
• Faith Program Grants Grants supporting faith-based organizations and progressive interfaith movements addressing social justice and community needs.
• Reproductive Justice Program Grants Grants to nonprofits advancing reproductive rights, abortion access, and the broader reproductive justice movement.
• The Courage Project A donor-collaboration initiative in which the foundation pools resources with peer funders to provide rapid-response and pooled grant funding to nonprofits facing urgent threats.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.7 billion distributed across 3,900 grants from 2012–2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Washington National CathedralminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Freedom Together will join the Courage Project, MacArthur Foundation, and McKnight Foundation for an interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, focused on courage, belonging, and unfinished democratic work.
• United Way WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025The Courage Project is a coalition initiative backed by an initial $5 million commitment from founding partners including United Way Worldwide, honoring organizations and individuals exhibiting civic courage. The project distributes awards and highlights acts of bravery across communities.
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025One of the founding partners of The Courage Project with a $5 million initial commitment. MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey co-authored a solidarity statement with Freedom Together President Deepak Bhargava in Nonprofit Quarterly.
• Marguerite Casey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project, contributing to the $5 million initial commitment and coalition efforts to celebrate civic courage in advance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
• McKnight FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project. McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen co-authored the Unite in Advance solidarity statement with Deepak Bhargava and John Palfrey in Nonprofit Quarterly.
• Public Welfare FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project coalition supporting civic courage recognition and awards.
• The Skillman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project, participating in the coalition of foundations honoring civic bravery.
• Surdna FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project, contributing to the coalition backing civic courage awards.
• The James Irvine FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project coalition supporting the recognition of civic courage.
• CFLeadscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Founding partner of The Courage Project coalition.
• Unite in Advance Coalition (307+ foundations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2025Over 307 foundations in 30+ states and D.C. signed on to the Unite in Advance solidarity campaign, a joint statement defending philanthropy’s freedom to give and committing to stand up for civil society and vulnerable communities. Led by McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen, MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey, and Freedom Together President Deepak Bhargava.
• Democracy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024Freedom Together joined Democracy Fund and Open Society Foundations-US in the All by April campaign, pledging to disburse as much non-partisan civic engagement funding as possible by April 2024. Over 150 funders signed on. Joint co-authored opinion article on philanthropy’s role in democracy defense.
• Open Society Foundations-UScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024Co-launcher of the All by April campaign with Democracy Fund and Freedom Together, coordinating rapid civic engagement funding ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Society Foundations: One of the largest private grantmaking foundations in the world, with a major focus on democracy, human rights, and racial justice. Most directly comparable to Freedom Together on mission, scale, and program-area structure; co-led the All by April civic engagement campaign with Freedom Together.
• Ford Foundation: Large private foundation with a long-standing program focus on democratic participation, racial justice, gender equity, and economic fairness. Highly comparable in scale, multi-program structure, and commitment to addressing structural inequality.
• John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation: Major private foundation with significant democracy, civic engagement, and justice grantmaking. Founding partner of the Courage Project alongside Freedom Together and a co-author of the Unite in Advance solidarity statement.
• Democracy Fund: Independent foundation focused specifically on strengthening American democracy through voting, campaign finance, and media reform. Co-led the All by April campaign with Freedom Together; highly comparable on narrow democracy focus.
• Kresge Foundation: Large private foundation with programs in American cities, climate, health, and human services, and a growing commitment to racial equity and democracy. Comparable scale and multi-program portfolio; like Freedom Together, has increased payout above the IRS minimum.
• Knight Foundation: Private foundation with a strong focus on journalism, civic engagement, and democracy. Directly comparable on civic engagement, voter mobilization, and democracy-defense grantmaking; similar U.S.-only geographic scope.
• Wellspring Philanthropies: Private foundation funding work on democracy, economic justice, and social justice globally. Highly comparable on grantmaking focus areas; operates in adjacent democracy and rights spaces.
• Hewlett Foundation: Large private foundation funding effective governance, education, environment, and other public-interest causes. Comparable scale and multi-issue portfolio; engaged on democracy and civic life topics.
• Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Private foundation with programs in democratic practice, sustainable development, and peacebuilding. Comparable on focus areas including democracy, racial justice, and migration; similar private-foundation operating model.
• Public Welfare Foundation: Private foundation focused on criminal justice, democracy, and economic inclusion. Founding partner of the Courage Project alongside Freedom Together; directly comparable on grantmaking focus and scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecourageproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Freedom Together Foundation