The Monarch Charitable Foundation (aka The Monarch Foundation)

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $92,725 (Tax Year 2023, per 990-PF)*
Total Assets: $103,666,820 (Tax Year 2023)
Grant Range: $75 - $61,000 (Tax Year 2023)
Median Grant: $4,000
Geographic Focus: Primarily New York City, with climate justice grants across North America and the Arctic
Application Method: Accepts unsolicited proposals (no letter of inquiry required)

*Note: These figures reflect only The Monarch Charitable Foundation as filed with the IRS (EIN 82-4278252). The foundation's actual grantmaking scope may be substantially larger, as suggested by their stated portfolio of 30+ organisations in each programme area and secondary sources citing significantly higher annual distributions. The 990-PF filing may represent only the Delaware charitable foundation entity and not the full scope of The Monarch Foundation's grantmaking activities.

Contact Details

Email: info@themonarchfoundation.org
Website: https://themonarchfoundation.org
Address: 501 Silverside Road, Suite 123, Wilmington, DE 19809 (registered office)
Operating Location: New York City

Overview

The Monarch Charitable Foundation (EIN: 82-4278252), operating as The Monarch Foundation, is a family foundation created by venture capitalist Jeff Lieberman and his wife Holly Fogle, a former McKinsey & Company senior partner. Established in 2018, the foundation has grown to $103,666,820 in assets (Tax Year 2023). The foundation's mission centres on "scaling simple and inclusive solutions to society's toughest problems" through two primary strategic pillars: disrupting cycles of poverty in New York City (with particular focus on pregnancy and early childhood) and advancing climate justice solutions. The foundation is a pioneer in trust-based philanthropy, eliminating traditional grant reports in favour of informal conversations, providing nearly all funding as unrestricted grants, and accepting unsolicited proposals. The foundation notably founded and launched The Bridge Project, New York City's first guaranteed income programme for mothers and babies living in poverty, which became an independent 501(c)(3) in 2022.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The foundation operates three distinct funding portfolios:

Pregnancy & Early Childhood Development (NYC-based)

Supports 30+ New York City organisations focused on prenatal care through the first 1,000 days of life
Emphasis on preventing poverty rather than addressing its effects
Primarily unrestricted, multi-year grants
Grant amounts vary (based on 990-PF data: $75 - $61,000 range, $4,000 median for Tax Year 2023)

Climate Justice Grantmaking

Supports 30+ grassroots organisations across North America and the Arctic
Focus on organisations led by women, BIPOC communities, and Indigenous peoples
Primarily unrestricted, multi-year operating support
Grant amounts not publicly specified

Climate Investing

Investment portfolio of 15+ climate-focused venture capital firms
Not traditional grantmaking - catalytic investment approach
Focus on early-stage climate technology and solutions

Priority Areas

Early Childhood & Poverty Prevention:

Maternal care providers and birthing services
Family support organisations providing coaching and material goods
Community-based organisations in low-income NYC neighbourhoods
Programmes addressing root causes: income inequality, systemic racism, food insecurity, housing instability

Climate Justice:

Grassroots, minority-led climate organisations
Indigenous-led environmental and renewable energy initiatives
Youth climate action movements
Community-based climate resilience solutions
Organisations addressing climate justice and racial equity intersections

Direct Cash Programmes:

Organisations implementing or advocating for guaranteed income programmes
Policy advocacy for cash transfer programmes

What They Fund

Nearly all grants are unrestricted general operating support
Multi-year funding commitments
Organisations led by women and/or people of colour (majority of portfolio)
Grassroots organisations working directly with affected communities
Programmes with potential for scale and systems change
Preventative approaches addressing root causes

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not explicitly list exclusions, but their focus areas clearly centre on:

NYC-based early childhood organisations (geographic restriction for this portfolio)
North American and Arctic climate justice (geographic restriction for climate portfolio)
Their approach emphasises grassroots and community-led organisations over large institutional recipients

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

Holly Fogle, Co-Principal & Director

Co-founder and President of The Bridge Project
Co-founder and co-Executive Director of Nido de Esperanza (NYC early childhood organisation)
Former senior partner at McKinsey & Company (13 years, healthcare focus)
Background in Appalachian foothills; studied at The Wharton School
Leading voice in trust-based philanthropy and women's philanthropy movements
Unpaid role at foundation

Jeff Lieberman, Co-Principal, Secretary & Treasurer

24-year veteran at Insight Partners (world's largest growth-oriented software investment firm)
Board member of multiple private and public companies
Notable investments include Qualtrics, DeliveryHero, HelloFresh, Udemy
Recognition: Forbes Midas List, AlwaysOn Venture Capital 100 winner
Education: University of Pennsylvania's Jerome Fisher Programme in Management & Technology
Unpaid role at foundation

Caroline Noble, Director

Oversees foundation operations and all funding portfolios
Leads climate investment strategy and early childhood grantmaking
Compensation: $120,199 (2024)
Background in regenerative agriculture research across U.S. farms
Education: Harvard College (Regenerative Biology)

Christine Switzer Theodoridis, Director

Compensation: $91,667 (2024)

Abby Pratt, Chief of Staff

Former Manager at McKinsey & Company
Education: Northwestern University (Computer Science, Human-Centred Design)

Previous Leadership:

Megha Agarwal (Former Executive Director, 2023): $188,802
Noa Saint Marc (Former Chief of Staff, 2023): $108,409

Leadership Philosophy

Holly Fogle has articulated the foundation's philosophy in multiple forums:

On trust: "We trust mothers to know what's best for their babies, whether it's more nappies, healthy food, a working stove, or a pram... Trust me, these mothers can stretch $10 further than most people I know."

On grant requirements: "Ask [yourself], is what I am requiring of the grantee actually necessary? Does it directly facilitate greater success? Consider how the form, amount, and duration of the funding can best support the organisation and its people."

On foundation relationships: "As a foundation, we try to live this every day with our grantees - we don't need reports, we need honest dialogue."

On their approach: "People actually know what they need -- they just don't have the means to get there." - Co-chair Natalie Foster

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Monarch Foundation accepts unsolicited proposals and has deliberately removed traditional barriers to application:

No letter of inquiry (LOI) required - Holly Fogle specifically eliminated this requirement after surveying grantees and learning that 93% had been unable to apply to other funders due to unsolicited proposal bans
Submit proposals directly to info@themonarchfoundation.org
No formal application template - the foundation embraces trust-based practices
No grant reports required - replaced with informal conversations a few times per year

Important Note: While the foundation's IRS 990-PF form indicates they "only make contributions to preselected charitable organisations," their actual practice (documented extensively in Holly Fogle's writings and the foundation website) contradicts this. They actively accept unsolicited proposals as part of their trust-based approach. This discrepancy likely reflects administrative classification rather than actual practice.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented. The foundation emphasises relationship-based grantmaking with ongoing conversations rather than fixed application cycles.

Success Rates

No specific success rate data is publicly available. The foundation made grants to 7 organisations in Tax Year 2023 according to 990-PF filings (this figure reflects only the Delaware charitable foundation entity and likely does not capture the full scope of The Monarch Foundation's grantmaking activities).

Historical 990-PF grant counts:

2023: 7 grants
2022: 6 grants
2021: 7 grants
2020: 19 grants

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly documented. Given their multi-year funding approach and emphasis on long-term relationships with grantees, the foundation appears to prioritise sustained partnerships over one-time grants.

Application Success Factors

What The Monarch Foundation Values

1. Alignment with Core Belief: Cash Addresses Poverty The foundation operates on the fundamental principle that "poverty stems from lack of cash." Organisations that understand and embrace this philosophy - moving away from paternalistic assistance models towards dignity and self-determination - align with their worldview.

2. Grassroots Leadership & Proximity The foundation explicitly prioritises organisations that are:

Led by and support women, BIPOC communities, and Indigenous peoples
Working directly in affected communities
Operating "on-the-ground" with lived experience of the issues
Serving as "equal partners" rather than distant service providers

3. Preventative vs. Reactive Approach The foundation funds organisations that address root causes rather than symptoms. In early childhood, this means supporting prenatal care and the first 1,000 days rather than later interventions. In climate, this means supporting systemic solutions rather than adaptation alone.

4. Potential for Scale From their stated criteria: "We look for programmes that have the potential to scale up and out." This doesn't mean organisations must be large, but solutions should be replicable and expandable beyond initial implementation.

5. Trust & Transparency Organisations willing to engage in honest dialogue about what's working and what isn't, rather than presenting only successes, fit their collaborative model. As Holly Fogle notes: "donors can learn far more from a conversation with a nonprofit leader than from a 20-page grant report."

Specific Examples of Funded Organisations

Early Childhood Portfolio:

Ashe Birthing Services, The Birthing Place, Bronx Health Collective (maternal care)
Room to Grow (coaching, material goods, community connections)
Power of Two (nurturing child and family potential)
Nido de Esperanza (breaking poverty cycles in first 1,000 days)
NYC Mammas Give Back (supporting homeless/poverty-impacted mothers)
The Bridge Project (guaranteed income for mothers/babies) - now independent
The Bronx is Blooming ($12,000 for youth-led park improvement and planting programmes)

Climate Justice Portfolio:

Alaska Conservation Foundation and Alaska Venture Fund
Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy (Indigenous renewable energy)
Climate Justice Alliance (community-based resilience)
Honor the Earth (Indigenous environmental justice)
Sunrise Movement (youth climate action)

Language & Framing That Resonates

The foundation responds to language emphasising:

Self-determination and agency over "helping" or "serving"
Partnership and collaboration over top-down delivery
Root causes and systems change over Band-Aid solutions
Equity and justice (racial, economic, climate) as interconnected
Trust and dignity over compliance and gatekeeping

What Doesn't Work

Paternalistic approaches that assume organisations/beneficiaries don't know their own needs
Heavy emphasis on reporting, metrics, and accountability structures
Restricted funding requests tied to specific narrow programmes
Large institutional organisations without grassroots connections
One-time project funding rather than sustainable operating support

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Submit unsolicited proposals directly - Don't be deterred by the 990-PF language about "preselected organisations." The foundation has publicly stated they accept and welcome unsolicited proposals.
Request unrestricted, multi-year funding - This is their preferred approach. Don't feel obligated to restrict your proposal to a specific project.
Lead with values alignment - Demonstrate understanding of their core belief that cash/resources + trust = solutions. Show how your organisation embodies grassroots leadership and proximity to communities.
Emphasise prevention and root causes - Whether in early childhood or climate work, show how your approach addresses why problems occur, not just their symptoms.
Showcase diverse leadership - If your organisation is led by women, BIPOC leaders, or Indigenous peoples, this strongly aligns with their priorities.
Be honest about challenges - Their emphasis on "honest dialogue" and welcoming "tough conversations" suggests they value transparency over polish.
Keep it simple - This foundation values "simple and inclusive solutions" and has eliminated bureaucratic barriers. Your proposal doesn't need to be elaborate.
Geographic considerations matter - For early childhood work, focus on NYC. For climate justice, emphasise North American or Arctic scope and grassroots community connections.
Think about scale - Even if you're small now, articulate how your approach could expand or be replicated.
Contact them conversationally - Given their emphasis on dialogue over formal processes, an initial email conversation may be more effective than a formal proposal package.

References

Research accessed December 2025

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