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Hopewell Fund

Annual Giving
$87.0M
Decision Time
1mo

Hopewell Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $87,030,788 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 321 grants awarded (2023)
  • Grant Range: Varies widely by project
  • Geographic Focus: Domestic (U.S.) and international
  • Founded: 2015
  • Application Method: No public application process - invitation/relationship-based

Contact Details

Address: 1828 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

Website: https://www.hopewellfund.org/

Email:

Overview

The Hopewell Fund was established in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates through a unique model combining fiscal sponsorship and charitable grantmaking. Managed initially by Arabella Advisors (now transitioning to Sunflower Services as of November 2025), Hopewell serves as a platform for donors, social entrepreneurs, and changemakers to launch new social change initiatives without establishing separate nonprofit organizations. In 2023, the fund distributed over $87 million in grants across 321 awards, focusing on advancing public good and achieving equity for all people. The organization is governed by an independent board with extensive experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, and policy advocacy. Anna Brower was appointed as the fund's inaugural president in September 2025, marking a significant milestone in the organization's evolution.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Hopewell Fund operates through a fiscal sponsorship model rather than traditional grant programs. The organization creates restricted funds for specific projects and then executes grantmaking on behalf of those projects. Grant amounts vary widely depending on the sponsored project's scope and resources.

Primary Focus Areas (based on 2022 tax filings):

  • Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy: $59.7 million in spending (2022), with $51.2 million distributed as grants
  • Health Advocacy: $12 million in spending (2022), with $8.8 million distributed as grants
  • International Development: $831,645 in spending (2022)

Priority Areas

Based on sponsored projects and grantmaking patterns, Hopewell Fund supports initiatives in:

  • Economic Justice and Tax Reform: Addressing income inequality, advancing tax justice, and promoting economically equitable policies
  • Democracy and Civic Engagement: Supporting voting rights, election integrity, civic participation, and state-level economic and democracy reforms
  • Reproductive Rights and Women's Health: Including the State Abortion Access Network and projects supporting healthcare access
  • Education Access: STEM education, literacy development, and programs serving underserved communities
  • Civil and Human Rights: Fair economies, government policy reform, and advancing equity
  • Public Health: Reducing health disparities, addressing avoidable infant mortality, and improving healthcare access

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As a fiscal sponsor, Hopewell works primarily with donors and social entrepreneurs who have their own charitable visions rather than accepting general grant applications from organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (2023/2024)

  • Lee Bodner - Board Chair and President (former managing director for Arabella Advisors and president of New Venture Fund)
  • Cheryl Contee - Secretary and Treasurer (CEO of Impact Seat Foundation)
  • Andrew Schulz - General Counsel (also general counsel for Arabella Advisors)
  • Marissa Padilla - Director (Executive Vice President of Global Strategy Group)

Executive Leadership

  • Anna Brower - Inaugural President (appointed September 2025)

The board brings extensive experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, and policy advocacy. The organization operates with support from Sunflower Services (previously Arabella Advisors), a Public Benefit Corporation that provides finance, HR, grants management, and compliance support.

Organizational Values

Hopewell emphasizes integrating equity and belonging throughout its operations through three key commitments:

  • Weaving equity and belonging principles into workplace culture
  • Intentionally embedding them in programmatic efforts
  • Leading by example and engaging donors around shared equity commitments

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Hopewell Fund does not have a public grant application process. Instead, the organization operates through two primary models:

  1. Fiscal Sponsorship for Existing Projects: Organizations that already exist as a legal entity but do not have tax-exempt status can approach Hopewell for comprehensive fiscal sponsorship. Hopewell accepts donations into a restricted fund and makes grants to organizations that support the project's mission while the project manages its own operations, finances, and programs.

  2. Project Incubation for Donors/Philanthropists: Donors and social entrepreneurs with a vision for charitable initiatives can partner with Hopewell to establish restricted funds without creating their own nonprofit. Hopewell provides full financial management, hiring and HR support, grantmaking execution, and potential spinoff services.

To Explore Partnership Opportunities: Contact newprojects@hopewellfund.org

Grantmaking Process (for Sponsored Projects)

Once a project is fiscally sponsored by Hopewell, the fund executes grantmaking on behalf of that project with a streamlined 30-day or less grant cycle, using web-based administration that allows applicants 24/7 access.

Major Funders to Hopewell

Organizations that have provided grants TO Hopewell Fund (which then distributes them) include:

  • William and Flora Hewlett Foundation ($600,000-$1,000,000 grants for reproductive rights and social justice initiatives)
  • Ford Foundation ($150,000-$250,000 grants for civic engagement and policy work)
  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • Rockefeller Foundation ($500,000 for tax policy initiatives)
  • James Irvine Foundation
  • Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation
  • Democracy Fund
  • David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Application Success Factors

Since Hopewell Fund does not accept unsolicited grant applications, success depends on establishing a partnership relationship as either a fiscally-sponsored project or a donor launching a new initiative.

For Organizations Seeking Fiscal Sponsorship

  1. Have a Clear Action Plan: Hopewell describes itself as "tailored for changemakers who have a plan of action and need a nimble, quick-to-market platform for bold new initiatives." Come prepared with a well-developed concept.

  2. Legal Entity Status: Projects should already exist as a legal entity but lack tax-exempt status, or be new initiatives from established donors/philanthropists.

  3. Alignment with Mission Areas: While Hopewell has broad social change interests, projects aligned with their core focus areas (civil rights, health equity, economic justice, democracy, education access) are most relevant.

  4. Need for Speed and Nimbleness: Hopewell's model is designed for initiatives that need to launch quickly without the lengthy process of establishing independent 501(c)(3) status.

  5. Scale and Sophistication: Given that Hopewell distributed $87 million in 2023, they likely work with initiatives that have significant funding potential or strategic importance.

Example Projects

Recent fiscally-sponsored projects include:

  • Better Taxes for a Better America: Coordinating funders to advance tax justice and racially just, economically equitable tax policies
  • The Learning Together Project Fund: Online mentoring connecting underserved students with corporate volunteer eMentors for literacy and STEM education
  • Economic Security Project: Supporting economic security initiatives
  • Free Election Fund: Supporting voting rights and election litigation
  • State Abortion Access Network: A collaborative network of state-level abortion advocacy nonprofits (Hewlett Foundation funded)
  • Over Zero: Working to prevent identity-based violence (Hewlett Foundation funded)
  • National Tax Container: Informing organizations about pro-worker tax and revenue strategies (Rockefeller Foundation funded)
  • Paid Leave for All: Universal paid family and medical leave programs (Ford Foundation funded)
  • The Charley Project: Collecting and sharing stories of people impacted by abortion bans (Ford Foundation funded)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Hopewell is not a traditional funder: They do not accept grant applications from organizations seeking funding. Instead, they serve as a fiscal sponsor and grantmaking intermediary for donors and established projects.

  • Think of them as infrastructure, not as a funder: If your organization needs fiscal sponsorship (you lack 501(c)(3) status but have a significant initiative to launch), Hopewell may be relevant. If you're seeking grants, you would apply to the projects that Hopewell fiscally sponsors, not to Hopewell itself.

  • High-level partnerships: With $87 million in annual grantmaking, Hopewell works with significant initiatives backed by major foundations. This is not typically an entry point for small grassroots organizations seeking modest funding.

  • Focus on systems change: Successful projects address large-scale issues like tax reform, democracy, reproductive rights, and economic justice rather than direct service delivery.

  • Relationship-driven: All partnerships begin with direct outreach to newprojects@hopewellfund.org. There is no application portal or formal RFP process.

  • Rapid deployment model: If you're a donor or philanthropist who wants to execute on a charitable vision within 30 days rather than spending months establishing a new foundation, Hopewell's model offers significant advantages.

  • Recent transition: With the November 2025 transition from Arabella Advisors to Sunflower Services management and Anna Brower's September 2025 appointment as president, the organization may be evolving its approach and could be open to new conversations.

References

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