Telescope Fund

Analysis

Telescope Fund is a registered charity in United States, based in Washington, DC. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in May 2023, 3 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, Telescope Fund reported income of $69.4m and spending of $37.2m, leaving 46% of income unspent that year. Across the 3 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2023, income grew from $150k to $69.4m (+46198%), an average of +2052% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 20217%. Over the whole period it spent 67% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, Telescope Fund sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile, and in the 98th percentile within DC. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include South Dakota Community Foundation ($69.2m), Greater Horizons Trust ($69.6m) and Ufcw Charity Foundation ($69.2m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 98% of the total. At year end it held assets of $38.1m against liabilities of $5.3m, net assets of $32.8m.