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Telescope Fund

Annual Giving
$35.6M
Grant Range
$300K - $1.7M

Telescope Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $35,590,849 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: $300,000 - $1,700,000+ (based on 2022-2023 data)
  • Geographic Focus: United States (state-based civic engagement)

Contact Details

Website: https://telescopefund.org
Email: info@telescopefund.org
Address: Washington, DC
EIN: 86-2577635

Overview

Telescope Fund was launched in 2021 as a subsidiary of the New Venture Fund (NVF), managed by Arabella Advisors, and was reclassified as a traditional 501(c)(3) public charity in 2023 by the IRS. The organization is the first spoke in the Arabella network dedicated to hosting donor-advised fund accounts. Telescope Fund partners with donors to expand their philanthropic giving by providing tools to catalyze their vision for change and supporting strategic grantmaking, efficient operations, expert advising, and innovative problem solving. Since 2022, the organization has awarded 52 individual grants totaling $29.3 million in that year alone, expanding to $35.6 million in grants during 2023. With revenue of $69.4 million in 2023 and total assets of $38.1 million, Telescope Fund operates multiple donor-advised funds focused on different priority areas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Telescope Fund operates through donor-advised funds (DAFs) that support specific thematic areas:

  • State-Based Civic Engagement Fund: Supports grassroots organizing and voter engagement organizations across multiple states (grants typically $300,000 - $1,700,000)
  • Global Land Conservation Fund: Supports environmental conservation initiatives
  • Racial Equity and DEI Fund: Supports diversity, equity, and inclusion programs

Priority Areas

Based on grant distributions from 2022-2023, Telescope Fund actively funds:

  • Civic engagement and voter participation: State-based organizations working on voter registration, mobilization, and turnout
  • Social justice and racial equity: Organizations advancing equity and inclusion
  • Community organizing: Grassroots organizations building power in underrepresented communities
  • Conservation: Global land conservation efforts
  • Education: Educational initiatives related to civic participation
  • Global health: Health-related charitable work
  • Poverty alleviation: Programs addressing economic inequality
  • Scientific research: Research initiatives in various fields
  • Arts: Arts and cultural programs
  • Disaster recovery: Emergency relief and recovery efforts

Telescope Fund has demonstrated particular emphasis on progressive civic engagement, with significant funding directed toward state-based organizing groups working on voter engagement, community empowerment, and social justice issues.

What They Don't Fund

Information about explicit exclusions is not publicly available. As a donor-advised fund, funding priorities are determined by individual donors working with the fund.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team:

  • Leslie Payne, President - Previously served as senior director at Arabella Advisors
  • Andrew Schulz, General Counsel - Previously managed Arabella Advisors' legal affairs and served as general counsel of the Hopewell Fund, helping manage New Venture Fund
  • Ben Mangan, Secretary - Concurrently serves as a member of Arabella's executive team

Governance Structure:

Telescope Fund maintains close ties with Arabella Advisors through its leadership and governance structure. According to organizational documents, while the Telescope Fund's board of directors retains "final authority for all decisions," the fund has committed to working collaboratively with Arabella Advisors to reach consensus on matters. Arabella Advisors has the right to veto any prospective donor that poses a "risk" to the consulting firm. In 2022, Telescope Fund paid Arabella Advisors $462,500 for administrative operations and support services.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Telescope Fund does not have a public application process. The organization operates as a donor-advised fund (DAF), meaning that grants are made at the advice of donors who have established accounts with the fund, with the consent of the organization.

Organizations do not apply directly to Telescope Fund for grants. Instead, grants are distributed to organizations based on recommendations from donors who have established donor-advised fund accounts with Telescope Fund. The fund's primary service is to donors seeking to expand their philanthropic giving, rather than to grant-seeking organizations.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through donor-advised fund structure rather than competitive application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since Telescope Fund operates through a donor-advised fund model rather than accepting unsolicited applications, organizations typically receive funding through:

Donor Relationships: Grants are made based on recommendations from donors who have established accounts with Telescope Fund. Organizations funded tend to align with donor priorities around civic engagement, social justice, and progressive causes.

Recent Grant Patterns (2022-2023 examples):

Large Grants ($1M+):

  • One Arizona: $1,700,000
  • Tides Center: $1,650,000
  • New Florida Majority: $1,265,000
  • Alliance for Youth Organizing: $1,250,000
  • ProGeorgia: $1,200,000
  • Blueprint North Carolina: $1,150,000
  • Alabama Forward: $1,150,000

Medium Grants ($300K-$400K range in 2023):

  • Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
  • Forward Justice
  • Galeo Latino Community Development Fund
  • Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights
  • Law Forward
  • Make the Road States
  • Mississippi Votes
  • Mothering Justice
  • A. Phillip Randolph Institute
  • New Virginia Majority Education Fund
  • North Carolina Asian Americans Together
  • North Carolina Black Alliance
  • Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
  • State Voices
  • TakeAction Minnesota
  • Voces de la Frontera
  • We Are Down Home
  • We the People Michigan
  • Women With a Vision

Common Characteristics of Funded Organizations:

  • State-based civic engagement and organizing
  • Work on voter registration, education, and mobilization
  • Focus on communities of color and underrepresented populations
  • Progressive policy advocacy
  • Grassroots community organizing infrastructure

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: Telescope Fund operates exclusively through donor-advised funds, meaning grants flow from donor recommendations rather than competitive applications
  • Donor-driven model: Organizations are funded based on donor priorities and relationships, not through responses to RFPs or open calls for proposals
  • Civic engagement focus: The majority of visible grant activity supports state-based civic engagement organizations, particularly those working on voter participation and community organizing in progressive movements
  • Significant grant sizes: Recent grants have ranged from $300,000 to over $1.7 million, indicating substantial funding capacity for aligned organizations
  • Arabella network affiliation: As part of the Arabella Advisors network, Telescope Fund is connected to a broader ecosystem of progressive philanthropy and may share donor bases with sister organizations
  • DAF structure allows anonymity: The donor-advised fund model allows donors to route contributions through Telescope Fund while maintaining privacy about their giving
  • Relationship-based funding: Success depends on building relationships with donors who use Telescope Fund's services, not on crafting competitive grant proposals

References

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