Algar Foundation
Algar Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing reports 42 grants totaling $857,750 to charitable organizations, including recipients in Maine, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts.
Algar Foundation at a glance
In short: Algar Foundation gave $858K across 42 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), mostly in Maine. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $857,750
- +84.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 42
- -6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,423
- +98.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,158,866
- -2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (6 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Maine (63% 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 Algar Foundation
- 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: 2 Liberty Square, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 426-7080
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Algar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Maine College of Art and Design ($425K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $659K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
194 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 194 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Maine accounted for 63% of grant dollars, followed by Washington, D.C. (10%), Massachusetts (9%), Virginia (6%), and Florida (5%). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Algar Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 39 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $464K (2023) to $870K (2020). In 2024 it made 42 grants totaling $858K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maine College of Art and Design Portland, ME | 2024 Meca Pledge Payment | $400,000 |
| Breakwater Learning Portland, ME | Unrestricted | $52,750 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $50,000 |
| Gunsdown Inc Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Utec Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| Issue One Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Maine College of Art and Design Portland, ME | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Make a Change World Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted | $16,000 |
| Brookline Arts Center Brookline, MA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Caridad Center Boynton Beach, FL | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Algar Foundation?
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 | $12,158,866 | $641,831 | $955,116 | $857,750 | 42 | $887,218 | $578,933 | $718,794 |
| 2023 | $12,468,000 | $474,651 | $565,191 | $463,900 | 45 | $487,712 | $409,172 | $680,300 |
| 2022 | $12,549,289 | $767,737 | $775,907 | $662,000 | 33 | $684,741 | $690,010 | $703,902 |
| 2021 | $12,481,226 | $983,786 | $762,959 | $705,334 | 38 | $726,449 | $954,105 | $778,390 |
| 2020 | $12,230,805 | $352,394 | $911,042 | $870,333 | 36 | — | $364,170 | $695,827 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Algar Foundation reported a distributable amount of $719K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated missions span fine arts education, reducing gun violence, youth opportunity, political reform, ocean and waterway protection, and community sailing. For example, Maine College of Art and Design describes its mission as providing fine arts education, while GunsDown Inc. says it focuses on reducing the number of guns in circulation to minimize gun violence. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 42 grants totaling $857,750. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $400,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grant was $400,000 to Maine College of Art and Design for a “2024 MECA PLEDGE PAYMENT.” Other notable grants included $52,750 to Breakwater Learning, $50,000 each to an individual recipient FBO Fund for a Safer Future and GunsDown Inc., and $40,000 to UTEC. The filing lists the purposes for these other grants as unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Diane Garthwaite as president, A Alexander Ridley as treasurer, and Colin Brennan and Darcy Brennan Poor as trustees.
Algar Foundation is led by Diane Garthwaite, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Diane Garthwaite
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colin Brennan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darcy Brennan Poor
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
A. Alexander Ridley
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
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 Algar Foundation
How much does Algar Foundation give each year?
Algar Foundation gave $858K across 42 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $464K across 45 grants.
What is Algar Foundation's typical grant size?
Algar Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $20,423, across 42 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Algar Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Algar Foundation give grants?
Algar Foundation gives mostly in Maine: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (10%) and Massachusetts (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (11 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Algar Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 76% of Algar Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Algar Foundation's largest grantees?
Algar Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Maine College of Art and Design ($425,000 across 2 grants), Breakwater Learning ($52,750) and Gunsdown Inc ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Algar Foundation?
Algar Foundation reported $12.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $887K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $719K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Algar Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated missions span fine arts education, reducing gun violence, youth opportunity, political reform, ocean and waterway protection, and community sailing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Algar Foundation?
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 Algar Foundation's EIN?
Algar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3859833. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Algar Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Algar Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Algar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Algar Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/algar-foundation-morg_84b85f3abe0741749106676e77675218
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823859833_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Algar Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/algar-foundation-morg_84b85f3abe0741749106676e77675218},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Algar 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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