Berger Family Foundation
Berger Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It made 12 grants totaling $24,551 in 2025, supporting charitable organizations including cultural, community, health, and education-related organizations.
Berger Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Berger Family Foundation gave $25K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $24,551
- +3.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,046
- +3.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $240,457
- -6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (90% 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 Berger Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 220 Boylston Street 1618, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 267-5284
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Berger Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston Book Festival ($5K). Together the top 10 received $23K.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 57 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 6% to Idaho, and 4% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Berger Family Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 137% 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 $20K (2023) to $43K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $25K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Book Festival Cambridge, MA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Other Under 1000 Boston, MA | Other Charitable Interests | $3,950 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA | Support Fine Arts | $3,000 |
| Chilmark Town Affairs Council Chilmark, MA | Support Organization's Purpose. | $2,500 |
| Harbor Homes Martha's Vineyard Vineyard Haven, MA | Support Organization's Purpose. | $2,000 |
| YMCA of Marthas Vineyard Oak Bluffs, MA | Support Youth Activities | $1,500 |
| Peregrine Fund Boise, ID | Support Organization's Purpose. | $1,500 |
| Martha's Vineyard Community Foundat West Tisbury, MA | Support Organization's Purpose. | $1,101 |
| Hospice of Martha's Vineyard Vineyard Haven, MA | Support Organization's Purpose. | $1,000 |
| Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA | Support Organization's Purpose. | $1,000 |
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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 | $240,457 | $15,060 | $30,428 | $24,551 | 12 | $24,551 | $11,218 | $17,985 |
| 2024 | $255,825 | $10,964 | $30,847 | $23,675 | 12 | $23,675 | $5,727 | $17,320 |
| 2023 | $275,708 | $10,778 | $24,666 | $19,535 | 9 | $19,535 | $7,482 | $15,976 |
| 2022 | $289,596 | $9,781 | $31,446 | $24,950 | 13 | $24,950 | $5,055 | $16,804 |
| 2021 | $311,273 | $42,710 | $49,031 | $42,950 | 11 | $42,950 | $38,164 | $19,664 |
| 2020 | $317,594 | $22,956 | $35,291 | $29,700 | 9 | — | $18,800 | $18,650 |
| 2019 | $329,929 | $12,287 | $46,092 | $40,300 | 14 | — | $10,548 | $19,032 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Berger Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18K 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 included support for organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, community activities, health care, and preschool education. For example, the Boston Book Festival describes its mission as promoting reading and ideas through year-round events and an annual free festival. Friends of Chilmark Pre-School says it supports preschool education in West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $24,551. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,500. Among the listed recipients, the Boston Book Festival received $5,000, the Chilmark Town Affairs Council received $2,500, and the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard received $1,500. Plan A Health and Friends of Chilmark Pre-School each received $1,000.
The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bonnie L. Berger and Merle J. Berger as directors.
Berger Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bonnie L. Berger
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Merle J. Berger
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
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 Berger Family Foundation
How much does Berger Family Foundation give each year?
Berger Family Foundation gave $25K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24K across 12 grants.
What is Berger Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Berger Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,046, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Berger Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Berger Family Foundation give grants?
Berger Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants), Chilmark, MA (2 grants) and Vineyard Haven, MA (2 grants).
Does Berger Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of Berger Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Support Organization's Purpose." (8 grants).
Who are Berger Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Berger Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boston Book Festival ($5,000), Other Under 1000 ($3,950) and Museum of Fine Arts ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Berger Family Foundation?
Berger Family Foundation reported $240K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $25K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Berger Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, community activities, health care, and preschool education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Berger Family Foundation?
Berger Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Berger Family Foundation's EIN?
Berger Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6784586. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Berger 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 2, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Berger Family Foundation funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Berger Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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