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Hollyhock Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$32.9M
Grant Range
$5K - $25.9M

Hollyhock Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $32,912,763 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $723+ million
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $25,950,000 (most common: $25,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily California and New York, with some national initiatives
  • Application Method: Invitation only / Targeted RFPs

Contact Details

Address: 888 7th Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10106

Email: info@hollyhockfoundation.org

Website: https://www.thehollyhockfoundation.org

EIN: 54-2091336

Overview

The Hollyhock Foundation was founded in 2002 by investor Robert Karr and his wife Suzanne Karr with $40.7 million in personal seed money. Since then, the foundation has grown to over $723 million in assets and distributed $32.9 million in grants in 2023 across 41 awards. The foundation's mission is "to create a more just world through investments in education, journalism, and the environment." The foundation has been particularly active in supporting quality education for underserved children, investigative and local journalism essential to democracy, and cost-effective climate solutions. In 2022, Hollyhock became ProPublica's largest funder with a contribution of $5.4 million. The foundation primarily operates through targeted initiatives, requests for proposals in specific focus areas, and trustee-identified opportunities rather than accepting general unsolicited applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Hollyhock Foundation focuses on three core areas:

Education ($5,000 - $2,022,000+)

  • Supports schools and organizations ensuring every child receives quality education and becomes a fluent, skilled reader
  • Emphasizes programs that strengthen teacher expertise and connect educators to professional communities
  • Recent recipients include Uncommon Schools ($1,228,000 in 2021), Zearn ($500,000 in 2021), Relay Graduate School of Education, Generation Teach, Teaching Lab, Mount St. Joseph University, and Reel Works (2023 RFP awardee for teen digital media programs)

Journalism ($100,000 - $5,368,305+)

  • Supports strong local and investigative journalism as fundamental to democratic health
  • Focuses on regional and local journalism initiatives
  • Recent recipients include ProPublica ($5,368,305 in 2022, making Hollyhock their largest funder), THE CITY (NYC nonprofit news platform), ProPublica's Pacific Northwest Hub, and the "Sold a Story" investigative podcast on reading education

Environment ($100,000 - $1,000,000+)

  • Funds cost-effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at speed and scale
  • Recent recipients include Environmental Defense Fund ($1,000,000 in 2021), GridLab, and Connected Grid Initiative

Application Method: The foundation conducts targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific focus areas. A 2023 RFP for culinary arts or digital media programs for NYC high schoolers invited both existing nonprofits and entrepreneurs creating new nonprofits to apply, with grants up to $750,000/year available.

Priority Areas

  • K-12 education with emphasis on literacy and teacher development
  • Investigative journalism and local news organizations
  • Climate change mitigation and greenhouse gas reduction
  • Programs serving underserved communities, particularly in California and New York
  • Organizations led by exceptional leaders with vision for systemic change

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." While specific exclusions aren't detailed, the narrow focus on education, journalism, and environment suggests limited interest in other sectors.

Governance and Leadership

President: Robert Karr (serves without compensation) Vice President: Suzanne Karr (serves without compensation)

Robert Karr serves on the boards of several foundation grantees and aligned organizations, including Generation Teach, the Japan Society, Uncommon Knowledge and Achievement (UKA), Uncommon Schools, and Zearn. This suggests the foundation's approach involves deep engagement with portfolio organizations rather than arm's-length grantmaking.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a standard public application process. The foundation operates primarily through:

  1. Targeted Requests for Proposals (RFPs): The foundation periodically issues RFPs for specific focus areas. Past examples include a 2023 RFP for organizations providing culinary arts or digital media programs for high schoolers in NYC. These opportunities are announced on their website and through sector networks.

  2. Trustee-Identified Opportunities: The foundation makes contributions to "preselected charitable organizations," suggesting trustees and leadership identify potential grantees through their networks and sector engagement.

  3. Invitation-Only: General unsolicited proposals are not accepted.

Grants are made at various sizes depending on organizational capacity and programming needs. The foundation has shown willingness to support multiple projects within a single RFP depending on proposal quality and scope.

Getting on Their Radar

Robert Karr's Board Service: Robert Karr serves on the boards of Generation Teach, Uncommon Schools, Zearn, and other education organizations. His active involvement in these organizations suggests that sector leadership and demonstrated impact in education, journalism, or climate work may lead to foundation awareness.

Sector-Specific Networks: The foundation's focus on investigative journalism (especially their major support of ProPublica), literacy education, and climate solutions suggests visibility in these specific communities could be valuable. Organizations working in these areas that achieve recognition for innovation or impact may come to the foundation's attention.

Response to Targeted RFPs: When the foundation issues specific RFPs, they have shown openness to both established nonprofits and social entrepreneurs creating new organizations. Monitoring their website for RFP announcements provides the clearest pathway for organizations seeking funding.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the foundation's approach of targeted RFPs and trustee-identified opportunities, timelines likely vary by initiative.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. With 41 grants made in 2023 from $32.9 million in total giving, the foundation makes relatively concentrated investments in fewer organizations rather than many small grants.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. However, the foundation has demonstrated multi-year support for organizations, with Uncommon Schools receiving grants in both 2020 ($2,022,000) and 2021 ($1,228,000).

Application Success Factors

Since the Hollyhock Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors don't apply. However, the foundation's grantmaking patterns reveal clear priorities:

Mission Alignment with Foundation Language: The foundation seeks to support "exceptional leaders whose organizations share our vision for a world where all people have the opportunity to flourish." Organizations should demonstrate both strong leadership and alignment with this vision of equity and opportunity.

Focus on Literacy in Education: Within education, the foundation emphasizes ensuring children "become fluent and skilled readers." Their support of the investigative podcast "Sold a Story" (which examined reading education) and grants to literacy-focused organizations suggest this is a particular passion area.

Investigative and Local Journalism: The foundation's largest single grant ($5.4 million to ProPublica in 2022) and support for THE CITY and local journalism initiatives show preference for in-depth, accountability journalism over general media. They specifically value journalism that sustains democratic health.

Climate Solutions at Scale: Environmental grants target "cost-effective solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at speed and scale." The foundation appears less interested in conservation or awareness and more focused on measurable emissions reduction.

Geographic Concentration: While the foundation makes some national grants, there's clear preference for California and New York-based organizations, reflecting the Karrs' connections to these regions.

Track Record and Evidence: As a data-driven foundation (Robert Karr's background is in investing), grantees tend to be established organizations with demonstrated impact rather than early-stage initiatives, with the exception of specific RFPs that invite new nonprofit creation.

For RFP Responses: The 2023 RFP language indicated grants would vary "depending on each organization or entrepreneur's capacity and programming needs," suggesting proposals should be realistic about organizational readiness rather than inflating budgets.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Monitor for RFPs: The foundation's website should be checked regularly for targeted Requests for Proposals, which represent the primary accessible funding pathway for organizations not already in the foundation's network.

  • Focus on the Big Three: Only organizations working in education (especially literacy), journalism (especially investigative/local), or environment (especially emissions reduction) should pursue this funder.

  • Leadership Matters: The foundation invests in "exceptional leaders" - highlighting founder/executive director vision, track record, and strategic thinking is critical.

  • Scale and Systems Change: With an average grant of over $800,000 and emphasis on solutions "at scale," the foundation seeks organizations positioned for significant impact, not pilot projects.

  • California and New York Priority: Organizations based in or serving these states have clear advantages given the foundation's geographic preferences.

  • Long-term Engagement: Multi-year grants to organizations like Uncommon Schools and the foundation president's board service suggest preference for deep partnerships over one-off support.

  • Evidence and Results: The foundation's roots in investment strategy suggest that data-driven organizations with clear metrics and demonstrated outcomes are most likely to attract attention.

References

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