Brown Charitable Foundation
Brown Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Newton, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing lists 11 grants totaling $172,000, all to organizations in Massachusetts; the listed recipients include medical, homelessness, youth, and community-serving organizations.
Brown Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Brown Charitable Foundation gave $172K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $172,000
- +12.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,636
- +12.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,000
- Total assets
- $2,933,124
- +10.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% 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 Brown Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 228 Kenrick Street, Newton, MA 02458
Phone: (617) 332-2691
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Brown Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ($25K). Together the top 10 received $169K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 55 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Brown Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 11 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2020) to $172K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $172K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA | General Support | $25,000 |
| The Children's Room-Center for Grieving Children & Teenagers Inc Arlington, MA | General Support | $20,000 |
| The Pine Street Inn Boston, MA | General Support | $18,000 |
| Birthday Wishes Inc Natick, MA | General Support | $17,000 |
| Rosie's Place Boston, MA | General Support | $17,000 |
| Saint Francis House Boston, MA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Waters Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $13,000 |
| The Women's Lunch Place Boston, MA | General Support | $13,000 |
| Project Smile Hopedale, MA | General Support | $5,500 |
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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 | $2,933,124 | $279,653 | $205,257 | $172,000 | 11 | $190,606 | $265,253 | $134,294 |
| 2024 | $2,651,705 | $111,671 | $182,359 | $153,000 | 11 | $170,134 | $99,305 | $127,383 |
| 2023 | $2,396,540 | $79,984 | $162,322 | $137,000 | 11 | $150,563 | $69,455 | $110,772 |
| 2022 | $2,060,962 | $107,047 | $157,522 | $129,000 | 11 | $144,186 | $95,879 | $114,068 |
| 2021 | $2,793,232 | $117,238 | $159,949 | $132,000 | 11 | $147,169 | $104,461 | $131,633 |
| 2020 | $2,465,570 | $25,543 | $140,017 | $116,000 | 11 | — | $24,809 | $107,411 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brown Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $134K 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 organizations whose work includes medical research and public health, services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty, support for children in homeless shelters, services for homeless and at-risk youth, and wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The grantees describe these missions in their own terms. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Foundation says it supports medical research, instruction, and activities intended to improve public health. Saint Francis House says it provides refuge and pathways to stability for adults experiencing homelessness and poverty. Bridge Over Troubled Waters says it serves homeless, at-risk, and runaway youth and helps them move toward self-sufficiency. Birthday Wishes says it provides birthday parties to children living in homeless shelters and transitional housing, and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts says it creates wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $172,000. Grants ranged from $3,500 to $25,000, with a median of $17,000. All listed grants were for general support.
Largest grants included $25,000 each to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; $20,000 to The Children’s Room; $18,000 to Pine Street Inn; and $17,000 each to Birthday Wishes and Rosie’s Place. Other grants included $15,000 to Saint Francis House, $13,000 each to Bridge Over Troubled Waters and The Women’s Lunch Place, $5,500 to Project Smile, and $3,500 to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kenneth A. Alperin as trustee.
Brown Charitable Foundation is led by Kenneth A. Alperin, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kenneth A. Alperin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $17K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $17K, to Kenneth a Alperin (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Brown Charitable Foundation
How much does Brown Charitable Foundation give each year?
Brown Charitable Foundation gave $172K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $153K across 11 grants.
What is Brown Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Brown Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $17,000, and its average grant was $15,636, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Brown Charitable Foundation give grants?
Brown Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (8 grants).
Does Brown Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Brown Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Brown Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Brown Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ($25,000), Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($25,000) and The Children's Room-Center for Grieving Children & Teenagers Inc ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brown Charitable Foundation?
Brown Charitable Foundation reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $191K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $134K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Brown Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brown Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it 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 Brown Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Brown Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6914538. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Brown Charitable 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Brown Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Brown Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brown-charitable-foundation-morg_b814ea07f3f64e2b9eb3873c2903da35
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046914538_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Brown Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/brown-charitable-foundation-morg_b814ea07f3f64e2b9eb3873c2903da35},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Brown Charitable 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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