Revada Foundation

The Revada Foundation operates as an intimate, relationship-driven private foundation created by Daniel J. Logan in 2016 and named for his parents Reva and David Logan. The foundation's giving philosophy prizes sustained partnerships over transactional grantmaking: among the top 50 grantees, the average organization has received funding across 4-5 separate grant cycles. Some — like The Codex Foundation (10 grants totaling $3.4M) and Fractured Atlas (13 grants totaling $387K) — have become near-permanent portfolio members. This long-term orientation is the single most important thing first-time applicants must understand.

Revada is technically a preselected grantmaker, meaning it does not conduct open cycles with published deadlines. The viable entry point is an unsolicited letter of inquiry (LOI) submitted to Grants Manager Logan Zinman Gerber (logan.gerber@revada.org). If the team finds alignment, the organization will be invited to submit a formal application on the foundation's own form. This makes the LOI the highest-leverage document in the entire process — a poorly targeted LOI ends the conversation before it begins.

Geographic alignment is critical. Washington DC receives 136 of 337 tracked grants (40% of the portfolio), followed by Virginia (50 grants), Illinois (45 grants), New York (31 grants), and Maryland (16 grants). DC-based arts and social justice organizations face the shortest path to funding. Organizations without meaningful presence in the DC metro, Chicagoland, or Northern Virginia regions face substantially longer odds regardless of mission quality.

The foundation's giving reflects the Logan family's personal passions profoundly. The $7M to the National Museum of Women in the Arts included naming the Gloria and Dan Logan Learning Commons. The $2.25M to the University of Chicago supported the Logan Center for the Arts — a direct family legacy institution. Capital projects with community permanence resonate strongly. For first-time applicants, the LOI should be 1-2 pages, built around a specific named initiative with a defined dollar ask, and should demonstrate direct organizational roots in DC, IL, or VA. If possible, arrive through a warm introduction from an existing Revada grantee — a reference from Mosaic Theater, Signature Theatre, or the National Building Museum carries significant weight with this family-led foundation.

The Revada Foundation exhibits a two-tier grant structure: a small number of flagship multi-million-dollar institutional relationships and a broad middle tier of $25,000-$200,000 multi-year grants.

Based on 337 total tracked grants totaling $36.3M, the portfolio-wide average grant is $107,610. However, a 55-grant analytical sample shows a median of $33,903, reflecting how heavily a few outlier relationships skew the average upward. The true grant range runs from $2,000 (minimum) to over $1M in single-year gifts, with multi-year cumulative totals reaching $7M (National Museum of Women in the Arts, 6 grants), $5M (Building Bridges Across the River, 3 grants), $3.4M (The Codex Foundation, 10 grants), $2.25M (University of Chicago, 2 grants), and $2M (Burgundy Farm, 4 grants).

Annual disbursement has been extraordinarily high relative to the asset base: - FY2018: $6.3M paid ($52.8M assets, ~12% payout rate) - FY2019: $3.9M paid ($53.2M assets, ~7%) - FY2020: $4.0M paid ($50.2M assets, ~8%) - FY2021: $8.5M paid ($51.6M assets, ~16.5%) - FY2022: $11.2M paid ($43.3M assets, ~25.9%) - FY2024: $8.7M paid ($42.8M assets, ~20.3%)

These payout rates — 4-5x the 5% legal minimum — indicate a foundation operating in intentional spend-down mode or one choosing to maximize near-term impact. Assets have eroded from $53.2M (FY2019) to $42.8M (FY2024) as a direct consequence.

By sector, arts and culture commands the clear majority of dollars — conservatively 65-70% of total funding based on the top 50 grantees. Theater is the dominant sub-category, with at least 11 separate theater companies funded (Mosaic Theater, Signature Theatre, 1st Stage, Theater Alliance, Studio Acting Conservatory, Bushwick Starr, Metro Stage, Northlight Theatre, In Series, Theater J at EJCC, Theatre Washington). Jazz programming appears in at least 6 relationships. Social justice grantees — Equal Justice Initiative ($150K), Southern Environmental Law Center ($150K), Critical Exposure ($150K), The Praxis Project ($395K) — account for roughly 10-15% of portfolio dollars. Capital grants (building renovations, endowments, headquarters acquisitions) are a significant and recurring category across both sectors.

Revada shares its $42-43M asset tier with five peer private foundations all classified under Philanthropy & Grantmaking (NTEE T22). Public financial disclosure varies considerably across the group:

Revada stands apart from this cohort in several measurable ways. Its 20%+ annual payout rate is approximately four times the legal minimum — most $40-50M private foundations disburse $2-3M annually at the standard 5-6% rate. Revada's $8.7M FY2024 disbursement is likely 3-4x what most asset-matched peers give annually, making it a more active and consequential funder than its asset size alone suggests. Its geographic and thematic concentration — DC arts and theater — is unusually tight, reflecting the Logan family's deep personal ties to the DC civic and cultural ecosystem rather than broad diversification. Of the five peers, Tomkat Foundation is the most comparable in terms of mission specificity (clean energy focus, CA-centric), but its giving is directed toward environmental work rather than cultural institutions. The other four peers operate with minimal public disclosure, making Revada's rich trackable grantee history an unusual research advantage for applicants seeking pattern data.

No press releases, grant announcements, or leadership changes from 2025 or 2026 were findable through public web searches. The Revada Foundation does not maintain an active media presence, social media accounts, or public newsroom. Its most significant media coverage remains the October 2022 Inside Philanthropy feature on the Logan family's philanthropic legacy, which profiled Daniel Logan's approach as building on his parents' arts, social justice, and jazz legacy while carving an independent path.

The most recent publicly available financial data is from FY2024. That 990 filing shows $8.7M in charitable disbursements — a moderation from the FY2022 peak of $11.2M — with total assets of $42.8M. A notable change: Daniel J. Logan's compensation shifted to $0 in the FY2024 filing compared to $137,500-$150,000 in FY2018-FY2021 filings, while Elizabeth J. Logan began receiving $75,150. This compensation restructuring may signal an evolution in the foundation's operational model.

The most recent high-profile milestones identifiable through IRS grantee disclosures include: the naming of the Gloria and Dan Logan Learning Commons at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (funded through $7M across 6 grants); completion of multiple rounds of support for the 11th Street Bridge Park ($5M total), which opened to the public in Washington DC; and ongoing multi-year backing of Mosaic Theater Company of DC (exceeding $1.7M across 10+ grants). Planet Word ($698K for renovation and gallery support) was identified as a newer grantee in available FY2021-FY2022 data, suggesting the foundation continues to identify DC cultural institutions at pivotal moments in their development.

The Revada Foundation's process is relationship-driven and non-public, requiring applicants to navigate an LOI-first pathway with precision.

Optimal timing: There are no published application deadlines or review cycles. The foundation appears to make grants on a rolling basis throughout the year. Avoid submitting LOIs in November-December (year-end review periods). March through October is the most productive window for initial outreach.

LOI structure and length: Keep the LOI to 1-2 pages maximum. Open with a one-paragraph organizational summary including annual budget, founding year, and primary geography. Dedicate the bulk of the letter to one specific, named project with a defined dollar ask and clear 12-18 month timeline. Close with 2-3 sentences of explicit Revada portfolio alignment — name parallel grantees to demonstrate you have done research (e.g., "like your multi-year investment in Mosaic Theater Company of DC, our work...").

Language that resonates: The foundation's funded grant purposes use specific, concrete project language: "Support the 11th Street Bridge Park Project," "Support Wolf Trap Opera's Young Artist Showcase and Untrapped Performances," "Fund 19: The Musical." Mirror this directness. Avoid academic framing, systems-change jargon, or vague impact language.

Avoid these mistakes: Do not request general operating support in a first LOI — that signals lack of strategic clarity and is language reserved for established grantees. Do not overprice an initial ask; first-time requests most likely land in the $25,000-$100,000 range given the median grant profile of $33,903. Do not represent work in geographies (rural Midwest, international) with no precedent in the portfolio.

Capital asks are welcome: Multiple major capital campaigns received significant investment (Studio Acting Conservatory's building renovation at $1.5M, Burgundy Farm's campus update at $2M, NMWA's renovations at $698K+). If your organization has an active capital campaign, make it the centerpiece of your LOI rather than a secondary ask.

Relationship-building: The Logan family is embedded in DC's arts and civic community. If your organization can create a genuine touchpoint at a relevant DC cultural event before submitting an LOI — a theater opening, museum gala, or jazz performance — do so. An introduction from a current Revada grantee leader (Mosaic Theater, Signature Theatre, National Building Museum) is the highest-value credentialing available.