Burnham Family Foundation
The Burnham Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including public education, environmental protection, public-interest litigation, housing, and the built environment.
Burnham Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Burnham Family Foundation gave $2.3M across 45 grants in 2024 (avg $52K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,322,108
- -23.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 45
- +181.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $51,602
- -72.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $29,662
- Total assets
- $75,077,835
- +44.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (75% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Burnham Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Burnham Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lighthouse Works Inc ($276K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 68 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, New York recipients received 75% of grant dollars, California recipients 11%, Georgia recipients 4%, District of Columbia recipients 4%, and Massachusetts recipients 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
Cities
How Burnham Family Foundation gives
- 28% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 10922% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 80% 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 (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2021) to $3.0M (2023). In 2024 it made 45 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New City Parks Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $200,000 |
| Billion Oyster Project New York, NY | Mitigation Bank Development Fund (see general explanation) | $155,499 |
| Lighthouse Works Inc Fishers Island, NY | Hoffort House Maintenance Reserve Fund (see general explanation) | $155,499 |
| Lighthouse Works Inc Fishers Island, NY | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) | $120,804 |
| Architectural League of New York New York, NY | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) | $100,907 |
| Trust for Public Land New York, NY | NYC Community Schoolyards | $100,000 |
| Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation Fishers Isle, NY | Maintenance Fund | $100,000 |
| Teaching Matters Inc New York, NY | Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation) | $98,996 |
| New Story Inc Atlanta, GA | General & Unrestricted (see general explanation) | $98,697 |
| Teaching Lab Washington, DC | Teacher Professional Development in connection with NYC Reads (see general explanation) | $98,697 |
Ready to take the next step with Burnham Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $75,077,835 | $25,147,421 | $2,864,198 | $2,322,108 | 45 | $2,623,331 | $15,546,367 | $3,262,155 |
| 2023 | $51,803,484 | $8,328,263 | $3,484,420 | $3,048,879 | 16 | $3,288,926 | $3,121,771 | $2,670,063 |
| 2022 | $44,801,735 | $4,515,048 | $3,589,438 | $2,795,744 | 5 | $2,875,789 | $4,107,979 | $2,546,327 |
| 2021 | $43,937,932 | $26,838,926 | $317,265 | $21,068 | 1 | $152,373 | $16,646,827 | $2,522,610 |
| 2020 | $17,416,271 | $322,057 | $1,194,448 | $1,020,603 | 1 | — | $174,226 | $1,103,019 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burnham Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Among its 2024 grantees, Billion Oyster Project says its mission is to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education. Teaching Matters describes itself as a professional learning organization working to increase teacher effectiveness, while Teaching Lab says it focuses on teacher professional learning and coaching. Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. Other grantees describe work in public-interest litigation, housing, and the built environment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 45 grants totaling $2,322,108. Grants ranged from $8,157 to $200,000, with a median of $29,662. Notable grants included $200,000 to New City Parks, Inc.; $155,499 to Billion Oyster Project; $155,499 and $120,804 to Lighthouse Works, Inc.; and $100,907 to the Architectural League of New York. Teaching Matters received $98,996 for teacher professional development in connection with NYC Reads, and Teaching Lab received $98,697 for the same stated purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary Buttrick Burnham and R Bradford Burnham III as trustees.
Burnham Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Buttrick Burnham
Trustee
Secretary, Treasurer & Trustee → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
R Bradford Burnham III
Trustee
President & Trustee → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sofia Garcelon (2021–2022) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Burnham Family Foundation
How much does Burnham Family Foundation give each year?
Burnham Family Foundation gave $2.3M across 45 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.0M across 16 grants.
What is Burnham Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Burnham Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $29,662, and its average grant was $51,602, across 45 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Burnham Family Foundation give grants?
Burnham Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (20 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Fishers Island, NY (3 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Burnham Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 78% of Burnham Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Burnham Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Burnham Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lighthouse Works Inc ($276,303 across 2 grants), New City Parks Inc ($200,000) and Billion Oyster Project ($196,004 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Burnham Family Foundation?
Burnham Family Foundation reported $75.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.3M (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 Burnham Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Among its 2024 grantees, Billion Oyster Project says its mission is to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Burnham Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Burnham Family Foundation's EIN?
Burnham Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6951044. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Burnham 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Burnham Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/burnham-family-foundation-morg_24248a6fb608413c9b0fa9a90ebee2e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356951044_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Burnham Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/burnham-family-foundation-morg_24248a6fb608413c9b0fa9a90ebee2e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Burnham 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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