Riff Foundation (Radical Imagination Family Foundation)

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~$6.97 million (based on most recent 990 data)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $20,000 - $7,136,000 (multi-year general operating grants typical)
• Geographic Focus: National (US), with particular focus on Washington D.C., Mississippi, and other areas with concentrated grassroots movement activity

Contact Details

• Website: radicalimaginationfoundation.org
• Mailing Address: PO Box 961510, Boston, MA 02196
• Office Address: 6 Beacon Street, Suite 920, Boston, MA 02108
• EIN: 81-5214407
• Note: The foundation does not list a public email or phone number. They do not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Radical Imagination Family Foundation (RIFF), registered as the Riff Foundation with EIN 81-5214407, is a private family foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established as a 501(c)(3) in August 2017 (originally incorporated as the KOVIN Foundation, a portmanteau of the founding Kohlberg and Vinal families), the foundation operates with total assets of approximately $32 million and distributes roughly $7 million in grants annually.

RIFF's mission is to "support grassroots movements fighting for self-determination and collective liberation," grounded in the belief that deep community organizing, bold collective leadership, transformative strategy, and radical imagination are the engines of historic progress. The foundation emphasises trust-based philanthropy, providing multi-year general operating support with minimal reporting requirements. It is connected to progressive philanthropic networks including the Solidaire Network and maintains close ties with organizations such as Grassroots International. RIFF funds community organizations and movements advancing racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice, primarily in the United States.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

RIFF does not operate named, open-application grant programs. All grantmaking is conducted by invitation, with grants taking the form of:

• Multi-year General Operating Support: The foundation's preferred grant type, recognising that "transformational change is a long-term process" and that community leaders need flexibility. Example: A six-year general operating commitment to NDN Collective with no reporting requirements.
• Large Anchor Grants: Awards can range up to $7,136,000 for major, long-term partnerships.
• Smaller Project or Initial Grants: Awards as low as $20,000 have been recorded.

Priority Areas

RIFF's grantmaking centres on seven core strategies:

1. Communities at the Center: Prioritising support for those most affected by inequality, including communities of colour, low-income communities, Indigenous and immigrant communities, and LGBTQI communities.
2. Uplifting Intersectionality: Recognising the interconnected nature of racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice.
3. Building Power: Supporting community organising and collective leadership development, particularly organisations directly engaging large numbers of community members.
4. Supporting Movement Building: Aggregating and amplifying the power of organised communities, fostering solidarity and strategic alignment.
5. Supporting Sparks: Backing creative, community-led ideas and innovative solutions that emerge from grassroots contexts.
6. Culture Change: Supporting work that shifts narratives and cultural norms.
7. Healing and Resilience: Investing in the capacity of individuals and communities to sustain long-term struggle.

Known grantees include:

• NDN Collective (multi-year general operating)
• Essie Justice Group
• CSVANW (Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women)
• Grassroots International

What They Don't Fund

• Organisations that do not employ a community organising or collective leadership development approach
• Initiatives not aligned with racial, economic, gender, or environmental justice
• Unsolicited proposals (the foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds")
• Single-issue organisations that do not attend to intersectional analysis

Governance and Leadership

RIFF is a family foundation led by members of the Vinal and Kohlberg families, with no compensated officers.

• Samuel (Sam) Vinal — President/Secretary: Sam Vinal grew up south of Boston on occupied Wampanoag Land and currently lives in Los Angeles. He directs documentaries and produces fictional films in partnership with social movements, using film as a vehicle for social change. He is a board member of Grassroots International and the Solidaire Network, and is the primary public voice of the foundation.
• Nancy Vinal — President/Director: Nancy Vinal is a director of the foundation, listed at the Boston office address.
• Pamela (Pam) Kohlberg — Treasurer/Board Member: Pam Kohlberg has a background in forestry and environmental consulting, having previously worked with the US Forest Service, the Town of Hingham, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and BSC Engineering. She also serves on the board of the Vision Fund of the Kohlberg Foundation and the Gnu Foundation (a micro-credit fund operating in Haiti, Kenya, Cuba, Mexico, and Guatemala). She describes herself as "thrilled to be working with her family on social and environmental justice goals."

The foundation name KOVIN (used prior to 2021) reflects the two founding family names: Kohlberg and Vinal.

Sam Vinal has been quoted describing the foundation's approach as seeking "right relationship" with social change organisations, and the foundation's model has been cited in YES! Magazine (April 2025) as an example of trust-based, long-term philanthropic commitment.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. RIFF explicitly states on its website that "grant applications are accepted by invitation only" and that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations." The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded through a community-guided process, informed by the perspectives and wisdom of RIFF's advisors and existing grant partners. With longer-term partnerships as a priority, the foundation notes there are "limited opportunities for new grants in a given year."

Getting on Their Radar

The following information is specific to RIFF's documented approach to identifying new grantees:

• Network connections matter: Sam Vinal's active involvement in the Solidaire Network and on the board of Grassroots International means that organisations known to these networks are more likely to come to RIFF's attention. Being active in the Solidaire Network ecosystem (which connects donors and grantees aligned with progressive movements) is one documented pathway.
• Existing grantee introductions: RIFF explicitly describes a "community-guided grant-making process, informed by the perspectives and wisdom of its advisors and grant partners." This means current grantees and advisors play a role in surfacing new organisations to the foundation.
• Documented alignment with core strategies: Organisations that publicly articulate their work in the language of racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice, and that demonstrate a community organising model with deep membership engagement, are most likely to match RIFF's profile.
• Long-term relationship timeline: Given the foundation's preference for multi-year partnerships and the small number of new grants made each year (in recent years, 1-3 new grants), organisations should view relationship-building with the broader network as a multi-year endeavour rather than a near-term funding strategy.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, there is no standard application-to-decision timeline.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. IRS 990 data indicates a significant reduction in the number of discrete grants in recent years: from approximately 60 grants in 2020, to 1 grant in 2021, 1 in 2022, and 3 in 2023. This suggests the foundation has consolidated its portfolio around a small number of large, long-term partnerships rather than making many smaller, shorter-term awards.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

All insights below are derived from RIFF's own published materials and documented grantmaking behaviour:

1. Community organising model is non-negotiable: RIFF's strategy explicitly prioritises organisations that "employ a community organizing and collective leadership development approach" and directly engage "local leaders and a large number of community members." Organisations without this at their core are unlikely to be considered regardless of other alignment factors.

2. Intersectional framing is essential: RIFF does not fund single-issue work. Their model of "uplifting intersectionality" means organisations must demonstrate awareness of how racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice are connected. The language used in public materials should reflect this intersectional lens.

3. Long-term general operating support is the foundation's preferred vehicle: RIFF's documented preference is for multi-year unrestricted grants. Organisations should be prepared to articulate their general operating needs and long-term theory of change, not just project-specific asks.

4. Trust-based, low-reporting relationship model: RIFF's grant to NDN Collective came with no reporting requirements - a signal that the foundation values trusting relationships over administrative accountability. Organisations that can demonstrate a track record of trustworthy stewardship without heavy oversight are a good fit.

5. Movement ecosystem positioning: RIFF's leadership is embedded in specific progressive philanthropic networks (Solidaire Network, Grassroots International). Organisations that are visible and active in these ecosystems - and can point to relationships with others in RIFF's network - are better positioned.

6. Focus areas include Jackson, MS and Washington D.C.: Geographically, RIFF's 990 filings indicate concentration of grants in Washington D.C. and Mississippi. Organisations operating in or connected to social movements in these areas may have higher alignment with current portfolio strategy.

7. "Sparks" and innovation welcome: RIFF's strategy includes a specific category for "Sparks" - creative, community-led solutions. Organisations with innovative programmatic approaches that emerge directly from community experience may appeal to this element of the strategy.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• RIFF does not accept unsolicited applications. Grant writers should not spend time preparing proposals for this funder without a prior relationship or invitation.
• Network access is the pathway: The most productive strategy is to build relationships within the Solidaire Network and Grassroots International ecosystems, where RIFF's leadership is active, rather than attempting direct outreach to the foundation.
• The foundation is moving towards fewer, larger, longer-term grants: Recent 990 data shows a dramatic reduction in grant numbers (from 60 in 2020 to 1-3 per year from 2021-2023), suggesting a more concentrated portfolio. New entrants face very limited opportunities.
• Alignment on community organising and intersectionality is essential: There is no flexibility on these core strategy elements. Organisations must genuinely embody these approaches, not merely adopt the language.
• Multi-year unrestricted funding is the model: Prepare to articulate your organisation's long-term general operating needs, not a discrete project budget.
• Leadership connections to Solidaire Network and Grassroots International are key intelligence: Monitor activity and convenings connected to these networks as potential points of introduction to RIFF's leadership.
• Geographic focus on Washington D.C. and Mississippi: Organisations operating in or strongly connected to social movements in these regions have demonstrated alignment with recent grantmaking patterns.

References

• Radical Imagination Family Foundation — Official Website (Home): radicalimaginationfoundation.org — Accessed February 2026
• Radical Imagination Family Foundation — Purpose Page: radicalimaginationfoundation.org/purpose/ — Accessed February 2026
• Radical Imagination Family Foundation — Grantmaking Strategy Page: radicalimaginationfoundation.org/grantmaking-strategy/ — Accessed February 2026
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — Riff Foundation (EIN 81-5214407): projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/815214407 — Accessed February 2026
• Cause IQ — Riff Foundation profile: causeiq.com/organizations/kovin-foundation,815214407/ — Accessed February 2026
• Instrumentl — 990 Report, Riff Foundation (formerly Kovin Inc): instrumentl.com/990-report/kovin-inc — Accessed February 2026
• Grantmakers.io Profile — Riff Foundation: grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/815214407-riff-foundation/ — Accessed February 2026
• NCFP — Sam Vinal Profile: ncfp.org/people/sam-vinal/ — Accessed February 2026
• NCFP — Pam Kohlberg Profile: ncfp.org/people/pam-kohlberg/ — Accessed February 2026
• CSVANW — Our Funders: csvanw.org/about-us/our-funders/ — Accessed February 2026 (confirms RIFF as funder)
• Essie Justice Group — Ways to Give: essiejusticegroup.org/ways-to-give/ — Accessed February 2026 (confirms RIFF as funder)
• YES! Magazine — "Self-Determined: Foundations Must Match the Far Right's Commitment to Systemic Change": yesmagazine.org/opinion/2025/04/17/self-determined-foundations-commitment — Published April 17, 2025 (cites RIFF's six-year NDN Collective commitment as model)
• OpenCorporates — RIFF Foundation (Massachusetts): opencorporates.com/companies/us_ma/001301858 — Accessed February 2026
• Charity Navigator — EIN 815214407: charitynavigator.org/ein/815214407 — Accessed February 2026