Beard Family Charitable Trust

WAYLAND MA, MA EIN: 04-6133161

The Beard Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation established in 1966 and located in Wayland, Massachusetts. The trust operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees, distributing investment income to preselected charitable organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.2M

+3.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$150K

-7.6% YoY

Grant Count

89

-8.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

+0.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Beard Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $219K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The trust receives investment income which it distributes to preselected charitable organizations qualifying under IRC 501(c)(3). The foundation supports general purpose charitable giving across various sectors including environmental conservation, healthcare, and community service organizations.

Grantmaking

The trust made 98 grants in 2023. Recent grants include:

How to Apply

.

Ready to take the next step with Beard Family Charitable Trust?

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

17states
+9 more states

Cities

ActonAndoverArlingtonAtlantaBar HarborBar HarorBoothbayBostonBoylstonBridgeportBrightonCambridgeChicagoColumbusConcordCorcordDenverDorchesterDurhamFramingham

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

  • Total Assets: $1,121,524
  • Total Revenues: $110,844
  • Total Expenses: $167,370
  • Number of Employees: 0
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$115K$229K$344K$458K20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$1,163,865$1,121,524$1,178,050
Revenue$198,986$110,844$136,354
Expenses$156,645$167,370$196,193
Qualifying Distributions$149,650$162,025$185,500
Net Investment Income$191,978$106,793$123,789
Distributable Amount$219,248$189,080$181,802

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$67K$134K$201K$268K94 grants202098 grants202189 grants202297 grants202389 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

FIRST PARISH WAYLAND$23KAPPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB$10KCONSERVATION LAW FOUNDAT…$10KMAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST$10KNO KID HUNGRY$5KNEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY…$4KBOSTON YOUTH SYMPHONY OR…$3KCAMDEN CONFERENCE$3KHOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS$3KISABELLA STEWART GARDNER…$2K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

250<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include First Parish Wayland ($22,750), Appalachian Mountain Club ($10,000), Conservation Law Foundation ($10,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000
BOSTON LYRIC OPERA BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$1,200
BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$1,000
BOSTON YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$3,000
CAMDEN CONFERENCE ORONO, MEGENERAL PURPOSE$3,000
CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$300
CHARLES RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION WESTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$300
CLARK MUSEUM WILLIAMSTOWN, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$500
COAST GUARD FOUNDATION STONINGTON, CTGENERAL PURPOSES$200
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION BOSTON, MAGENERAL PURPOSE$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

John E. Beard is listed as trustee of the organization.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
JOHN E BEARDTRUSTEE
MARY S BEARDTRUSTEE
SARAH H BEARDDIRECTOR
ANDREW D BEARDDIRECTOR
SUSAN S BEARDDIRECTOR
DANIEL P BEARDDIRECTOR
ROSANNE O BEARDDIRECTOR
THOMAS S BEARDDIRECTOR
CHRISTINE S BEARDDIRECTOR
JAMES H STEGGALLDIRECTOR
MARY E STEGGALLDIRECTOR

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Beard family legacy has extended to healthcare education, with support for a Healthcare Communication Training Endowment at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Medicine, reflecting the family's commitment to compassion and care in healthcare settings.

Beard Family Extends Legacy of Compassion and Care with Healthcare Communication

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Beard Family Charitable Trust fund?

The trust receives investment income which it distributes to preselected charitable organizations qualifying under IRC 501(c)(3). The foundation supports general purpose charitable giving across various sectors including environmental conservation, healthcare, and community service organizations.

How do I apply for a grant from Beard Family Charitable Trust?

The trust made 98 grants in 2023. Recent grants include: • Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC): $10,000 (General Purpose, 2023) • Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT): General Purpose grant (2023) • U.U. Urban Ministry: General Purpose grant (2023) The foundation distributes funds to a broad range of preselected charitable organizations rather than through a competitive application process.

What size grants does Beard Family Charitable Trust award?

In 2024, Beard Family Charitable Trust awarded 89 grants totaling $150K — an average of about $2K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Beard Family Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Beard Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $219K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Beard Family Charitable Trust's EIN?

Beard Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6133161. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Beard Family Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

What could you do with Beard Family Charitable Trust on Grantable?

  • Assess strategic fit with your organization
  • Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
  • Find open RFPs from this funder
  • Monitor for new funding opportunities

Go from researching Beard Family Charitable Trust to a real strategy.

Plan your approach