Washington, D.C. · Nonprofit
The Bhutan Foundation
The Bhutan Foundation (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 72 organizations whose IRS filings report $14,810,534 to it, the largest being KARUNA FOUNDATION ($4,295,850). 48 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $6.2M
- Funders on record
- 72
- Grants received
- $15M
- Net assets
- $6.4M
What The Bhutan Foundation does
Mission
To support the people of Bhutan to reach their full potential by developing local capacity and facilitating global support.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Good Governance - The Bhutan Foundations Good Governance program, particularly through Project Mikhung (Project Citizenship), addresses the ongoing transition from monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy. Recognizing the vital need for strategic interventions in fostering active citizenship, this project encompasses a three-year plan that employs a whole school approach. By involving faculty, parents, students, and community members, it aims to develop news literacy and enhance participation within a democratic framework.
$1,996,929 spentof which $1,560,073 as grants44% of program spendingConservation of the Environment - This area focuses on protecting Bhutans biodiversity through various initiatives. Key projects include Snow Leopard Conservation aimed at safeguarding this endangered species and promoting eco-tourism with events like the Jomolhari Mountain Festival and community homestays. Additionally, ventures such as the River Guides in Pangbang and the Katsho Eco-Camp in Haa create sustainable tourism opportunities that support local economies while fostering environmental stewardship. These efforts reflect the Foundations commitment to balancing ecological preservation with community engagement.
$1,582,477 spentof which $296,202 as grants35% of program spendingSustainable & Equitable Socio-Economic Development - This area aims to ensure that services and opportunities are accessible to all individuals in Bhutan. Key initiatives include STEM development, which fosters education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as programs in special education and public health that cater to diverse community needs. The Foundation also focuses on Emergency Medicine programs, food security projects and small grants that empower local businesses. Through these comprehensive efforts, the Foundation promotes inclusive growth and equitable development, ensuring that all Bhutanese can participate in and benefit from the countrys progress.
$580,202 spentof which $440,652 as grants13% of program spendingPreservation of Culture - The Bhutan Foundations Preservation of Culture program is dedicated to safeguarding Bhutans rich cultural heritage through significant initiatives. Notably, the Wangduechhoeling Palace Restoration project aims to restore this historical landmark, fostering community pride and cultural identity. The Traditional Medicine program integrates Bhutanese healing practices into health education, ensuring their accessibility for future generations. Additionally, the documentation of heritage sites helps catalog and protect Bhutans unique traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation. Through these efforts, the Foundation actively strengthens Bhutans cultural identity while contributing to sustainable community development and resilience.
$375,070 spentof which $1,722,750 as grants8% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $4,534,678.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $2.1M to $4.9M (+133%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 6% · 2018 11% · 2019 10% · 2020 3% · 2021 45% · 2022 11% · 2023 13% · 2024 4% · 2025 7%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 2 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Tshewang Wangchuk
Executive Director
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 13 funders to 28 funders, grant income rose $550k → $1.9M.
16 of 72 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 29% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of The Bhutan Foundation’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 72 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
The Bhutan Foundation has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 29% of grant income, and it takes 4 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 4 funders to its left
34% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund The Bhutan Foundation.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 36% · 2018 80% · 2019 41% · 2020 32% · 2021 31% · 2022 19% · 2023 30% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
45% of The Bhutan Foundation's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 67% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
The Bhutan Foundation draws 93% of its grant income from funders outside Washington, D.C., across 17 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $4.3M arriving through sponsors registered in 10 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Government funding The Bhutan Foundation receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $8.8M on record.
- Department of State$4.8M
- Agency for International Development$4.0M
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like The Bhutan Foundation
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Washington, D.C.
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
84% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
86%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for The Bhutan Foundation: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds The Bhutan Foundation?
- The Bhutan Foundation (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 72 organizations whose IRS filings report $14,810,534 to it, the largest being KARUNA FOUNDATION ($4,295,850). 48 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does The Bhutan Foundation have?
- IRS filings report 72 organizations giving $14,810,534 in grants to The Bhutan Foundation, 48 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of The Bhutan Foundation?
- KARUNA FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $4,295,850 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like The Bhutan Foundation find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Washington, D.C.. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 72 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing