Chrysanta Foundation

The Chrysanta Foundation is a family-driven private grantmaker headquartered in Lafayette Hill, PA, with a Brooklyn, NY mailing address (P.O. Box 170438, Brooklyn, NY 11217) that reflects the geographic heart of its grantmaking. Founded in May 2019, the foundation is led by trustees Mario Giannini, Kyera M. Giannini, and Nicole Giannini — a family unit — joined by Ann Laughlin. All four trustees serve without compensation, confirming this is a lean, values-led family philanthropy rather than an institutional funder with staff-driven program strategy.

The foundation operates on a dual mandate: empowering women and protecting the environment, with a stated commitment to compassion, collaboration, and innovation. Within women's programming, the highest-priority sub-themes are reproductive health and family planning, responses to gender-based violence, and direct support for mothers and infants. Environmental priorities center on watershed and land conservation, biodiversity, and food waste reduction.

Chrysanta is unusually accessible for a foundation of its size ($42.5M in assets). It accepts open applications during a defined annual window — June 1 to August 1 — and uses a straightforward email-based submission process with no letter of inquiry (LOI) requirement and no grant portal. This stands in contrast to many peer foundations of comparable asset size that rely on invitation-only or trustee-selected giving.

Grantee data reveals a strong preference for repeat relationships. Among the 67 recorded grants totaling $1,890,055, more than 20 organizations have received multiple awards: WomenRising (5 grants), Warriors and Quiet Waters (5), Warrior Canine Connection (5), Brooklyn Book Bodega (4), Wissahickon Trails (4), and Gowanus Canal Conservancy (4) represent the most sustained partnerships. First-time applicants should treat an initial $10,000–$30,000 grant as a relationship-building investment, with the expectation that strong performance reporting and mission alignment can lead to larger grants over multiple cycles.

General operating support is explicitly available and does not require a program budget, lowering the barrier for smaller or newer organizations. The October awards announcement gives applicants a clear timeline for budget planning.

Chrysanta Foundation's grantmaking has grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 83% since its founding, scaling from $60,139 in total giving in 2019 to $1,229,251 in estimated charitable disbursements for 2024. Annual grants paid by fiscal year: $52,000 (2019) → $200,000 (2020) → $215,025 (2021) → $455,010 (2022) → $565,010 (2023) → $1,229,251 (2024). This trajectory indicates a funder still in a growth phase, with meaningful budget increases likely through 2026 and beyond.

Across 67 recorded grants totaling $1,890,055, the average grant is $28,210. The DB-recorded typical grant range is $5,000–$30,000 with a median of $10,000, reflecting the foundation's earlier, smaller grant cycles. More recent individual grants — consistent with 2022–2023 data — reach $45,000–$80,000 for established grantees. First-time applicants should calibrate requests in the $15,000–$50,000 range.

Women's empowerment commands the largest cumulative dollars. Top recipients include: Holler Health Justice (WV, $175,000 across 3 grants), Brigid Alliance (national abortion logistics, $160,000 across 2 grants), Moms for Moms NYC ($130,000 across 3 grants), WomenRising (NJ, $80,000 across 5 grants), Ronald McDonald House Charities ($80,000 across 2 grants), Sheffield Place (MO, homeless mothers, $80,000 across 2 grants), Blue Ridge Abortion Fund ($45,000), and Yellowhammer Fund (AL, $25,000+). Reproductive health access — including abortion funds and practical navigation support — is the single largest sub-category.

Environmental conservation is the second-largest stream. Wissahickon Trails (PA) is the top cumulative grantee at $240,045 across 4 grants. Gowanus Canal Conservancy (NY, $95,000 across 4 grants), Charles River Watershed Association (MA, $80,000 single grant), Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association ($30,000), and Alford Land Trust (MA, $10,000) represent the environmental portfolio.

Veterans wellness constitutes an unexpected but consistent third theme: Warriors and Quiet Waters (MT, $77,000 across 5 grants) and Warrior Canine Connection (MD, $77,000 across 5 grants) rank among the most sustained grantee relationships in the entire portfolio.

Geographic distribution by grant count: New York 27%, Pennsylvania 18%, New Jersey 10%, Massachusetts 7%, Montana 7%, Maryland 7%, Virginia 4%, West Virginia 4%, Missouri 3%, Alabama 3%. Actual reach substantially exceeds the stated geographic focus of NJ/NY/VA.

The following table compares Chrysanta Foundation to the four closest asset-sized peers identified in the foundation database, all classified under NTEE code T (Philanthropy & Grantmaking) with assets in the $42.4M–$42.6M range:

Chrysanta stands apart from its asset-sized peers in two critical respects. First, its open application process — accepting emailed submissions during a defined annual window — makes it far more accessible than most private foundations of comparable size, which typically give on a trustee-selected or invitation-only basis. Second, its explicit dual mandate (women's empowerment plus environmental conservation) with a pronounced emphasis on reproductive healthcare access represents a focused, values-aligned grantmaking identity uncommon among generalist foundations in this asset tier. Organizations already in relationship with peer foundations such as Morgenthaler (NY) or Gordon Family (NY) should note that Chrysanta's Brooklyn-centered networks and reproductive health priorities create a meaningfully different applicant profile than typical New York philanthropy.

The most current public financial data is the fiscal year 2024 Form 990-PF, filed September 24, 2025. Key 2024 figures: total assets $42,517,309 (up from $27,828,232 in 2023), total revenue $16,783,721 (primarily $15,000,000 in contributions received), and charitable disbursements $1,229,251 — a 71% increase over the $717,808 disbursed in fiscal year 2023. The foundation's assets have grown approximately 10x from $3.97M at founding (2019) to $42.5M, driven by consistent large contributions from the Giannini family.

No public press releases, new named programs, or leadership changes were identified through web research for 2025–2026. The trustee composition — Mario Giannini, Kyera M. Giannini, Nicole Giannini, and Ann Laughlin — has remained stable since founding. All trustees continue to serve without compensation.

The 2025 grant cycle closed August 1, 2025, with awards expected to have been announced in October 2025. The 2026 grant cycle is confirmed open June 1, 2026, with a deadline of August 1, 2026, and October 2026 award notification. Organizations that applied in the 2025 cycle but were not selected are explicitly encouraged to reapply. The foundation's rapid asset growth and year-over-year giving increases suggest the 2026 cycle may include higher individual grant ceilings than prior years.

Submit early in the window. The application window opens June 1 and closes August 1 — exactly two months. Organizations that submit in the first two weeks of June signal operational readiness and give foundation staff maximum review time. Do not wait until late July.

Use the foundation's own language. Mirror the mission statement in your proposal narrative: 'empower women and aid the environment through compassion, collaboration and innovation.' Strong alignment phrases include 'reproductive health and family planning,' 'gender-based violence prevention,' 'mother and infant support,' 'air, land and water conservation,' 'biodiversity and species preservation,' and 'community-rooted.' Avoid abstract national-policy framing — the foundation funds direct service and community-based action.

Identify which pillar you fit. Chrysanta's two pillars (women's empowerment and environment) each have distinct sub-themes. Reproductive healthcare access — abortion funds, practical support networks, postpartum and maternal health — has received the largest cumulative grants. Environmental applicants should emphasize watershed conservation, local ecosystem restoration, or food systems work. A proposal that credibly bridges both pillars (e.g., an environmental justice organization serving women of color) is well positioned.

Consider a general operating request. The foundation explicitly states that general operating support applications do not require a program budget. This reduces documentation burden and may increase your flexibility in how you deploy funds — a meaningful advantage for organizations without a project in active development.

Right-size your ask. The foundation's median recorded grant is $10,000, but grants to established grantees range $45,000–$80,000. For a first application, $15,000–$40,000 is realistic and defensible. Requesting $100,000 (the stated maximum) without a prior relationship is inadvisable.

Know what disqualifies you. The foundation explicitly excludes: fiscal sponsorship arrangements, international organizations, primarily religious programs, endowment campaigns, and any political or lobbying activities. Do not attempt to work around these exclusions — they are hard disqualifiers.

Build toward a multi-year relationship. Five grantees hold 5-grant relationships with Chrysanta. Plan your initial application as a relationship opener: submit a realistic ask, execute the funded work with transparency, and reapply the following cycle with concrete impact data.