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Inmaat Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.3M
000

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,327,794 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $45,192,386 (2024)
  • Grant Awards: 103 grants (2023)
  • Average Grant Size: Approximately $22,600
  • Geographic Focus: International (with focus on gender justice globally)
  • Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 225 West 35th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Phone: (212) 736-0055

Website: https://inmaatfoundation.org

Email: Contact form available on website

Overview

Founded in 2012, the InMaat Foundation is a private independent foundation based in New York that promotes equality and human rights worldwide for underrepresented genders and those who are otherwise marginalized. With assets of $45.2 million, the foundation provided $2.3 million in grants across 103 awards in 2023. Founded and led by President Chandra Jessee, a prominent activist and venture investor, InMaat supports organizations that challenge and disrupt systemic gender oppression while championing justice and human rights. The foundation is guided by the belief that media and the arts play a vital role in the advancement of human rights, and emphasizes providing unrestricted, streamlined support that allows partner organizations to focus on their mission. Executive Director Rebecca Lichtenfeld, an Emmy award-winning human rights advocate and impact strategist, brings extensive experience from her previous role directing the Storytelling portfolio at the Bertha Foundation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

InMaat Foundation operates through trustee-selected grants without distinct named programs. The foundation's funding is distributed across multiple areas:

  • Direct Organizational Support: Core funding to gender justice and human rights organizations (amounts vary based on organization size and need)
  • Documentary Film Production: Support for documentary films that challenge systemic gender oppression
  • Impact Distribution: Funding for creative advocacy projects involving filmmakers, artists, and organizers

Priority Areas

  • Gender justice and equality for people across the gender spectrum
  • Human rights at all intersections of identity (gender, race, geography, religion)
  • Reproductive rights and bodily autonomy
  • Criminal justice reform related to gender-based violence
  • Environmental justice with gender equity lens
  • Documentary filmmaking and storytelling for social change
  • Organizations working in remote or underserved communities globally
  • Projects addressing deepfake pornography and digital rights
  • Women's leadership development
  • Legal and systemic gender equality advocacy

What They Don't Fund

Not explicitly stated, but as a foundation focused on gender justice and human rights, they likely do not fund:

  • Projects without a clear gender equity component
  • Organizations that do not align with their justice and human rights framework
  • Individual scholarships or direct aid to individuals
  • Capital campaigns or endowments (focus appears to be on operational and programmatic support)

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Chandra Jessee - Founder and President Chandra Jessee is an activist, producer, and venture investor who founded InMaat Foundation. She serves on the US board of Equality Now (joined as Global Board Member in 2019), is a board member of Vital Voices Global Partnership, and is a member of RAINN's National Leadership Council. She is also an executive producer of several award-winning documentaries on gender justice themes and directly supports women in business through strategic investment in female-led startups.

Rebecca Lichtenfeld - Executive Director (Compensation: $175,000 plus $5,100 additional) Rebecca is an Emmy award-winning New York-based human rights advocate, producer, and impact strategist. Before joining InMaat, she directed the Storytelling portfolio at the Bertha Foundation, where she was involved in the production and impact distribution of several Oscar-nominated and winning feature-length documentaries. She has created, produced, and executed creative advocacy projects involving filmmakers, artists, heads of state, and organizers globally. She serves on selection panels for documentary funds including the International Documentary Association's Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund.

Eric Dorsch - Secretary (Uncompensated) Tax attorney and Partner at Kozusko Harris Duncan in New York.

Leadership Philosophy

Chandra Jessee has articulated the foundation's approach: "I care deeply about the rights and equality of women and girls but know I'm not the expert on how to achieve this. The people on the ground are, and I want to invest in their work in a meaningful and impactful way. At InMaat, this means trusting the organizations we partner with and making our support as unrestricted and streamlined as possible so staff can focus on their work and mission."

On the foundation's justice lens: "A lot of us are looking at systemic injustice, not only around gender bias but also how it intersects with other forms of inequality across race, geography, religion and so much more. Looking at gender issues through a justice and equity lens makes the absolute imperative of achieving gender equality even clearer."

On foundational principles: "Unless a woman has control over her life, health and body, she doesn't have an equal role in her family, community or society."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The InMaat Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's leadership, particularly the President and Executive Director, who proactively identify and select organizations to support based on alignment with the foundation's mission and strategic priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

Foundation Leadership Networks: Both Chandra Jessee and Rebecca Lichtenfeld are deeply embedded in the gender justice and documentary film sectors:

  • Chandra Jessee serves on boards of Equality Now, Vital Voices, and RAINN's National Leadership Council - organizations and networks where InMaat may identify potential partners
  • Rebecca Lichtenfeld participates in documentary funding panels (e.g., IDA's Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund) and the Global Impact Producers Alliance network, providing visibility opportunities for filmmakers

Sector Events and Conferences: The foundation's leadership has been connected to:

  • FIFDH (International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights) Impact Days and webinars on impact filmmaking
  • Documentary film festivals and forums focused on human rights
  • Gender justice conferences and convenings organized by Equality Now and Vital Voices

InMaat Foundation's Website: The foundation features selected partner organizations on their website (inmaatfoundation.org/who-we-support), suggesting they may review organizations' alignment with their mission through public information and sector reputation.

Social Media Presence: InMaat maintains an active LinkedIn presence and Instagram account (@inmaatfoundation) where they highlight partners and issues, indicating these channels may provide visibility.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As grants are by invitation only, there is no standard application-to-decision timeline.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no public application process.

Examples of Organizations Funded

Based on publicly available information, InMaat Foundation has supported:

Human Rights Organizations:

  • WITNESS - Uses video and technology to protect and defend human rights
  • Vital Voices Global Partnership - Invests in women leaders solving the world's greatest challenges
  • Equality Now - International human rights organization advocating for legal and systemic gender equality
  • Frontline Women's Fund - Supports women's rights organizations

Community-Based Organizations:

  • Safari Doctors - Community-based organization providing vital health services in remote areas of Lamu, Kenya
  • Room to Read - Creates a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality through education
  • #MyImageMyChoice - Organization working on deepfake pornography issues

Documentary Films: The foundation has supported award-winning documentaries including:

  • Partice
  • The Eternal Memory
  • Queendom
  • Roll Red Roll (focusing on gender-based violence)
  • Street Heroines
  • NY Export: Opus Jazz

These examples demonstrate the foundation's commitment to funding across geographic boundaries (Kenya, Latin America, global), supporting both established international organizations and smaller community-based groups, and investing in documentary storytelling as a tool for social change.

Application Success Factors

Since InMaat Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the following factors appear to be important for organizations that come to their attention:

Alignment with Core Values

Organizations must demonstrate they "challenge and disrupt systemic gender oppression while championing justice and human rights." Based on Chandra Jessee's statements, this means:

  • Working at the intersections of identity (gender, race, geography, religion)
  • Focusing on systemic injustice, not just individual issues
  • Centering women's control over their lives, health, and bodies
  • Approaching gender issues through a justice and equity lens

Trust in Grassroots Expertise

As Chandra Jessee stated: "The people on the ground are [the experts], and I want to invest in their work in a meaningful and impactful way." This suggests InMaat values:

  • Community-led and community-based organizations
  • Grassroots expertise and local knowledge
  • Organizations led by those most affected by the issues they address

Preference for Unrestricted Support

InMaat's philosophy emphasizes "making our support as unrestricted and streamlined as possible so staff can focus on their work and mission." This indicates:

  • Organizations should be prepared to articulate their core mission and strategy, not specific project proposals
  • The foundation values operational flexibility and trusts partners to allocate funds where most needed
  • Strong organizational leadership and vision are likely more important than detailed project plans

Media and Arts Connection

Given Rebecca Lichtenfeld's background and the foundation's belief that "media and the arts play a vital role in the advancement of human rights," organizations with:

  • Documentary film projects addressing gender oppression
  • Creative advocacy approaches
  • Storytelling components to their work
  • Impact distribution strategies may be particularly well-positioned for support.

Scale and Geography

With 103 grants averaging $22,600, InMaat appears to support:

  • Both large international NGOs (Vital Voices, Equality Now, WITNESS) and small community organizations (Safari Doctors)
  • Organizations working globally, not limited to U.S.-based groups
  • A range of budget sizes, suggesting accessibility to smaller organizations

Established Track Record

The foundation's invitation-only approach suggests they identify organizations through:

  • Sector reputation and peer recommendations
  • Presence in networks and coalitions where foundation leaders participate
  • Demonstrated impact and proven track record in gender justice work

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: Do not send unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry to InMaat Foundation. They proactively select all grantees.

  • Build sector visibility: Focus on building your organization's reputation within gender justice, human rights, and documentary film networks where InMaat's leadership is active (Equality Now, Vital Voices, RAINN, documentary film festivals, Global Impact Producers Alliance).

  • Intersectional approach matters: InMaat looks for organizations addressing gender justice at intersections with race, geography, religion, and other forms of inequality - not gender in isolation.

  • Grassroots expertise is valued: As a community-based organization led by those most affected, emphasize your local knowledge and lived experience in your public-facing materials and sector presentations.

  • Unrestricted funding philosophy: If you do come to their attention, be prepared to articulate your overall mission and organizational vision rather than specific project proposals, as they prefer to provide flexible support.

  • Consider storytelling and media: If your work includes documentary film, creative advocacy, or innovative storytelling approaches to advance gender justice, these align particularly well with InMaat's strategy and leadership expertise.

  • Average grant size context: With an average grant of approximately $22,600, InMaat makes numerous smaller grants rather than a few large ones, suggesting they support a diverse portfolio of organizations at various scales.

References

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