Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation
The Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations that qualify under Section 501(c)(3).
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation gave $302K across 82 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Massachusetts. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $302,300
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 82
- -7.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,687
- +5.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $2,504,272
- +13.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (12 of 82, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (70% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing directs applicants to contact Trustee Donald M. Kaplan and submit a written application describing the organization’s function and the purpose for which the grant would be used. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Donald M Kaplan Trustee
Mailing address: 89 Front St, Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: (617) 633-5115
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Museum of Science ($66K). Together the top 10 received $223K.
Grant Size Distribution
333 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 323 grants of 333 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts organizations received 70% of grant dollars, followed by organizations in Connecticut (10%), Rhode Island (9%), California (5%), and New York (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 82 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 82 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $242K (2020) to $312K (2024). In 2025 it made 82 grants totaling $302K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Science Boston, MA | Charitable | $66,000 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | Charitable | $53,000 |
| Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Charitable | $37,000 |
| WGBH Educational Foundation Boston, MA | Charitable | $23,000 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Fed of Jewish Philanthropy Bridgeport, CT | Charitable | $7,000 |
| Bridgeport Hospital Bridgeport, CT | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Woods Hole Oceaniographic Institute Falmouth, MA | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Temple Israel Boston, MA | Charitable | $5,400 |
| Block Island Medical Center Block Island, RI | Charitable | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,504,272 | $731,921 | $433,499 | $302,300 | 82 | $308,861 | $607,283 | $312,514 |
| 2024 | $2,212,150 | $523,243 | $452,492 | $311,950 | 89 | $317,897 | $388,648 | $293,235 |
| 2023 | $2,154,123 | $441,991 | $378,838 | $260,300 | 55 | $265,522 | $328,675 | $268,501 |
| 2022 | $2,095,470 | $450,038 | $367,231 | $254,800 | 50 | $259,508 | $342,315 | $261,841 |
| 2021 | $2,015,659 | $496,260 | $379,819 | $260,650 | 57 | $265,108 | $381,549 | $264,452 |
| 2020 | $1,903,218 | $321,169 | $352,427 | $242,250 | 59 | — | $225,954 | $240,466 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $313K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its charitable activity as making grants to organizations that qualify under Section 501(c)(3). Its 2025 grants included organizations whose missions span science education, higher education, public media, health care, schools, and advocacy. For example, the Museum of Science says its mission is to inspire a lifelong love of science, and WGBH Educational Foundation says it enriches people’s lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 82 grants totaling $302,300. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $66,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants included $66,000 to the Museum of Science, $53,000 to Boston University, $37,000 to Brandeis University, $23,000 to WGBH Educational Foundation, and $15,000 to Brown University. In 2024, it made 89 grants totaling $311,950; in 2023, it made 55 grants totaling $260,300.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald M. Kaplan as Trustee/Manager and Shelley Driesman and Jonathan Kaplan as trustees.
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald M. Kaplan
Trustee & Manager
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
$14K (2020) → $19K (2025)
Jonathan Kaplan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Shelley Driesman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $19K, to Donald M Kaplan (Trustee/Manager).
Frequently asked questions about Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation
How much does Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation give each year?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation gave $302K across 82 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $312K across 89 grants.
What is Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,687, across 82 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation give grants?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (10%) and Rhode Island (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (13 grants), Boston, MA (12 grants), San Francisco, CA (7 grants) and Block Island, RI (4 grants).
Does Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 82 grants with a stated purpose on Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (81 grants).
Who are Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Museum of Science ($66,000), Boston University ($53,000) and Brandeis University ($37,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $309K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $313K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its charitable activity as making grants to organizations that qualify under Section 501(c)(3). Its 2025 grants included organizations whose missions span science education, higher education, public media, health care, schools, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation?
The filing directs applicants to contact Trustee Donald M. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6067737. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/abraham-kaplan-charitable-foundation-morg_be3a632ee5b24cd7943914138e2f44e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046067737_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/abraham-kaplan-charitable-foundation-morg_be3a632ee5b24cd7943914138e2f44e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Abraham Kaplan Charitable Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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