Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund
The Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund is a private foundation based in Needham, Massachusetts. It reports making contributions to charitable, educational, medical, and religious organizations.
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund at a glance
In short: Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund gave $184K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $184,100
- -39.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,273
- -27.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,958,276
- -1.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 32 Kearney Road, Needham, MA 02494
Phone: (781) 455-6900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Combined Jewish Philanthropies ($60K). Together the top 10 received $174K.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 86 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 11% to New York, 5% to Washington, and 5% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 54% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $179K (2022) to $322K (2021). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $184K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Jewish Philanthropies Boston, MA | Charitable | $60,000 |
| Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Educational | $53,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Brothers for Life Seattle, WA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Yad Chessed North Waltham, MA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Hillel International Washington, DC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Gann Academy Waltham, MA | Educational | $5,500 |
| Hebrew Senior Life Roslindale, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Itrek New York, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Birthright Israel Foundation New York, NY | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,958,276 | $170,275 | $211,479 | $184,100 | 15 | $184,100 | $142,896 | $338,039 |
| 2023 | $3,999,480 | $1,360,929 | $329,899 | $306,435 | 18 | $301,435 | $1,332,465 | $282,576 |
| 2022 | $2,968,450 | $154,823 | $221,020 | $179,100 | 14 | $179,100 | $112,903 | $335,352 |
| 2021 | $3,034,647 | $180,809 | $365,854 | $322,100 | 17 | $322,100 | $137,055 | $354,645 |
| 2020 | $3,219,692 | $172,945 | $331,313 | $290,100 | 22 | — | $131,732 | $305,216 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund reported a distributable amount of $338K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The funder states that it contributes to charitable, educational, medical, and religious organizations. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions illustrate some of the work supported. Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston says it works to sustain and enrich Jewish life in the Greater Boston community and coordinate Jewish communal services. Brandeis University describes its work as advancing the humanities, arts, and sciences and providing a broad liberal arts education. Yad Chessed Fund says it provides emergency financial assistance and guidance to Jewish individuals experiencing financial distress and food insecurity. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not stated missions of the funder.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the funder reported 15 grants totaling $184,100. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the listed grants, the largest were $60,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston and $53,000 to Brandeis University in Waltham. Other listed grants included $10,000 each to the Anti-Defamation League, Brothers for Life, Yad Chessed, and Hillel International; and $5,500 to Gann Academy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Bram Shapiro, Joseph Michelson, and Aron Ain as trustees.
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Aron Ain
Trustee As Req.
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bram Shapiro
Trustee As Req.
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Joseph Michelson
Trustee As Req.
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund
How much does Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund give each year?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund gave $184K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $306K across 18 grants.
What is Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's typical grant size?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,273, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund give grants?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund gives mostly in Massachusetts: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (11%) and Washington (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Waltham, MA (2 grants).
Does Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants).
Who are Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's largest grantees?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Combined Jewish Philanthropies ($60,000), Brandeis University ($53,000) and Anti-Defamation League ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $184K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $338K (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 Shapiro Charity Fund fund?
The funder states that it contributes to charitable, educational, medical, and religious organizations. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions illustrate some of the work supported. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's EIN?
Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6043588. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/abraham-shapiro-charity-fund-morg_1e366b510115411a89eba0ad4862a176
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046043588_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Abraham Shapiro Charity Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/abraham-shapiro-charity-fund-morg_1e366b510115411a89eba0ad4862a176},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Shapiro Charity Fund'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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