Garden Homes Fund
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The fund makes contributions only to preselected organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small nonprofit without an existing invitation should not send in a cold application; the filing gives no further application steps.
- If your work centres on affordable housing, zoning reform or desegregation, it matches the fund's stated emphasis, though its grant record also includes food banks, homelessness and family-service bodies, schools, arts, health and civil-rights organisations.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 296 grants to organisations fall between $500 and $25,000, and half were $5,000 or less, so a request near $5,000 fits its usual pattern, although its largest grant was about $170,000.
- Repeat giving is significant, with 65% of its grant dollars in its most recent filing going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so building on an existing relationship with the fund is the more realistic route.
- Its grants are concentrated in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Tennessee, but the filing states no geographic focus, so location alone should not decide whether you approach it.
Overview
Garden Homes Fund is a US private foundation based in Stamford, CT.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and web pages about the foundation (firstcountybank.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Garden Homes Fund describes its grant-making emphasis as affordable housing, zoning reform and desegregation. It also undertakes direct charitable activity to develop and operate 100% affordable housing for low- and very-low-income residents. Its filings state that investment income is distributed to other qualified charitable organisations. The grant record includes food banks and soup kitchens, homelessness and family-service organisations, schools and educational programmes, arts and cultural bodies, health organisations, and housing and civil-rights organisations. Its recorded giving is concentrated in Connecticut, while the grants also reach organisations in other states.
Themes
- Affordable housing
- Zoning reform
- Desegregation
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Tennessee.
How to apply
The fund makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; the filing gives no further application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 65% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 296 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Fund places emphasis on affordable housing, zoning reform and desegregation. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to organisations Garden Homes Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 115 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Planned Parenthood of Southern New England · Donation$170,5002025 tax year
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation · Donation$100,0002025 tax year
- Open Communities Alliance · Donation$100,0002025 tax year
- Future Five · Donation$55,0002025 tax year
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Shade Tree Clinic · Donation$50,0002025 tax year
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee · Donation$50,0002025 tax year
- Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen · Donation$45,0002025 tax year
- Safe Haven Family Shelter · Donation$40,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Deborah Freedman — Trustee
- Richard Freedman — Trustee
- Jane Freedman — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $3,015,765 | $903,150 | $55,266,002 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,711,425 | $1,095,500 | $61,207,120 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $4,402,856 | $1,473,250 | $64,852,091 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Garden Homes Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Stamford, CT
Applying to Garden Homes Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Stamford, CT