Alvord Family Foundation
The Alvord Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2025, it made 41 grants totaling $361,750, supporting organizations including a local journalism nonprofit, schools, youth programs, colleges, and arts organizations.
Alvord Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Alvord Family Foundation gave $362K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $361,750
- -4.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- -19.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,823
- +18.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $434,207
- -58.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (11 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (83% 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 Alvord Family 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: 75 Federal Street 21St Fl, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 368-4901
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Alvord Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New Bedford Light ($100K). Together the top 10 received $338K.
Grant Size Distribution
208 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 198 grants of 208 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 8% to New Hampshire, and 7% to Connecticut. The filing also reports 0% for Maryland and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Alvord Family Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 41 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $886; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $775 repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 657% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $208K (2019) to $379K (2024). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $362K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Bedford Light New Bedford, MA | General Contribution | $100,000 |
| Our Sister's School New Bedford, MA | General Contribution | $100,000 |
| Rehearsal for Life Jamaica Plain, MA | General Contribution | $40,000 |
| Connecticut College New London, CT | General Contribution | $25,000 |
| New Bedford Whaling Museum New Bedford, MA | General Contribution | $25,000 |
| Friends of Dartmouth Football Hanover, NH | General Contribution | $20,000 |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston, MA | General Contribution | $15,000 |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | General Contribution | $5,000 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | General Contribution | $4,500 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston Boston, MA | General Contribution | $3,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
EIN: 046820195. Filing type: Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $434,207 | $-234,674 | $379,325 | $361,750 | 41 | $376,364 | $17,175 | $57,298 |
| 2024 | $1,048,206 | $1,270,048 | $395,170 | $379,250 | 51 | $394,897 | $658,436 | $36,085 |
| 2023 | $655,174 | $-78,691 | $365,651 | $351,525 | 49 | $365,355 | $9,981 | $46,384 |
| 2022 | $1,099,516 | $53,549 | $331,980 | $309,450 | 37 | $319,320 | $11,180 | $70,498 |
| 2021 | $1,419,971 | $1,299,410 | $223,945 | $215,900 | 30 | — | $466,943 | $79,059 |
| 2020 | $1,048,665 | $224,469 | $242,424 | $235,100 | 23 | — | $58,586 | $52,626 |
| 2019 | $1,222,030 | $11,550 | $214,987 | $207,650 | 25 | — | $4,369 | $63,485 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alvord Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $57K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. New Bedford Light describes its work as providing fact-based journalism and a platform for community voices. Our Sister’s School says it educates and inspires economically disadvantaged girls in the New Bedford area. Rehearsal for Life says its programs strengthen young people’s social and emotional skills through dialogue, creativity, and performance.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in liberal arts education (Connecticut College), music and educational programs (Boston Symphony Orchestra), community arts education and low-cost concerts (New Bedford Symphony Orchestra), agricultural and sustainability education (Arethusa Farm Foundation), and restorative justice (Communities for Restorative Justice).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 41 grants totaling $361,750. Grants ranged from $200 to $100,000, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest awards were $100,000 each to New Bedford Light and Our Sister’s School, and $40,000 to Rehearsal for Life. Other notable grants included $25,000 to Connecticut College, $25,000 to New Bedford Whaling Museum, and $20,000 to Friends of Dartmouth Football. The listed grants had a stated purpose of “general contribution.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joel B. Alvord, Seth W. Alvord, and Sarah H. Alvord as trustees.
Alvord Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joel B. Alvord
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sarah H. Alvord
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Seth W. Alvord
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Alvord Family Foundation
How much does Alvord Family Foundation give each year?
Alvord Family Foundation gave $362K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $379K across 51 grants.
What is Alvord Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Alvord Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $8,823, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Alvord Family Foundation that year got $886 on average.
Where does Alvord Family Foundation give grants?
Alvord Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Hampshire (8%) and Connecticut (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Bedford, MA (10 grants), Boston, MA (6 grants), Hanover, NH (3 grants) and Nantucket, MA (3 grants).
Does Alvord Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Alvord Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (41 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Alvord Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Alvord Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New Bedford Light ($100,000), Our Sister's School ($100,000) and Rehearsal for Life ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Alvord Family Foundation?
Alvord Family Foundation reported $434K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $376K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $57K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Alvord Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. New Bedford Light describes its work as providing fact-based journalism and a platform for community voices. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alvord Family 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 Alvord Family Foundation's EIN?
Alvord Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6820195. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Alvord Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Alvord Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/alvord-family-foundation-morg_e2701b75412a4589a42539ff7a9fb823
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046820195_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Alvord Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/alvord-family-foundation-morg_e2701b75412a4589a42539ff7a9fb823},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Alvord Family 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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