Brace Cove Foundation Inc
Brace Cove Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $148,500 through 17 grants, with nearly all grant dollars going to recipients in Massachusetts and a small share going to New Hampshire.
Brace Cove Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Brace Cove Foundation Inc gave $149K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 71% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $148,500
- -22.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,735
- -27.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $3,857,640
- +60.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 71% first-time grantees (12 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (99% 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 Brace Cove Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 186 Hesperus Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930-3944
Phone: (978) 337-2678
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Brace Cove Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Gloucester Music Works ($126K). Together the top 10 received $143K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 71 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 1% to recipients in New Hampshire. Listed recipients include organizations in Gloucester and other Massachusetts communities, as well as Portsmouth Music and Arts Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Brace Cove Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
71%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 17 grantees (71%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 18% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 75% 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 (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 $118K (2021) to $227K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $149K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gloucester Music Works Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $126,000 |
| Lifebridge North Shore (Grace Center) Salem, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Three Sisters Garden Project Inc Ipswich, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Backyard Growers Inc Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Better Together for Cape Ann Inc Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Cape Ann Plein Air Inc Essex, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Gloucester Fraternity Club Inc Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Kinship Farm Corporation Hamilton, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Lanes Coven Theater Company Inc Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Magnolia Library Center Inc Gloucester, MA | For Donee's Exempt 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 | $3,857,640 | $1,698,049 | $242,538 | $148,500 | 17 | $193,052 | $1,641,251 | $257,893 |
| 2024 | $2,397,429 | $113,086 | $243,096 | $192,000 | 16 | $235,561 | $113,701 | $242,386 |
| 2023 | $2,385,673 | $255,159 | $239,605 | $191,000 | 12 | $236,654 | $255,159 | $203,176 |
| 2022 | $2,363,600 | $113,686 | $264,979 | $227,015 | 18 | $210,034 | $113,686 | $202,569 |
| 2021 | $2,582,228 | $95,553 | $160,332 | $117,825 | 8 | $213,497 | $95,553 | $213,336 |
| 2020 | $2,646,818 | $20,993 | $160,196 | $119,000 | 15 | — | $88,868 | $173,626 |
| 2019 | $2,786,021 | $30,309 | $230,169 | $186,675 | 27 | — | $93,938 | $178,272 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brace Cove Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $258K 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 went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Three Sisters Garden Project describes its mission as promoting a sustainable community through land stewardship, food and farm-based engagement, and education. Backyard Growers says it works to build resilient communities and food sovereignty by helping people grow their own food. Winchester Community Music School describes its mission as providing accessible musical education and performance.
Other 2025 recipients include Gloucester Fraternity Club, which describes itself as a neighborhood social club providing recreational activities and dining to members, and Rocky Neck Art Colony, whose stated mission is to nurture excellence in the visual arts and celebrate Rocky Neck’s artistic culture.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $148,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $126,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest award was $126,000 to Gloucester Music Works. Other notable grants were $5,000 each to LifeBridge North Shore (Grace Center) and Three Sisters Garden Project. Backyard Growers, Gloucester Fraternity Club, and several other listed recipients received $1,000 each; Rocky Neck Art Colony received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Walter Herlihy and Nancy Legendre as directors, and Lianna Sours as manager of operations.
Brace Cove Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy Legendre
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walter Herlihy
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lianna Sours
Manager of Operations
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$25K (2019) → $38K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $38K, to Lianna Sours (Manager of Operations).
Frequently asked questions about Brace Cove Foundation Inc
How much does Brace Cove Foundation Inc give each year?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc gave $149K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $192K across 16 grants.
What is Brace Cove Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $8,735, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brace Cove Foundation Inc that year got $12K on average.
Where does Brace Cove Foundation Inc give grants?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gloucester, MA (10 grants).
Who are Brace Cove Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Gloucester Music Works ($126,000), Lifebridge North Shore (Grace Center) ($5,000) and Three Sisters Garden Project Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brace Cove Foundation Inc?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $193K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $258K (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 Brace Cove Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Three Sisters Garden Project describes its mission as promoting a sustainable community through land stewardship, food and farm-based engagement, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brace Cove Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brace Cove Foundation Inc's EIN?
Brace Cove Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0865242. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Brace Cove Foundation Inc 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 July 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Brace Cove Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Brace Cove Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brace-cove-foundation-inc-morg_ea5175ff044b419089f8ad02cca86706
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810865242_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Brace Cove Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/brace-cove-foundation-inc-morg_ea5175ff044b419089f8ad02cca86706},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Brace Cove Foundation Inc'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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