The Burpee Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2002 and based in Lenox, Massachusetts. The foundation was created by George Ball when he became the sole owner of W. Atlee Burpee Company, the historic American horticultural company known for its mail-order seed catalogues. The foundation is committed to reducing hunger and promoting well-being through investment in horticultural and agricultural projects.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.0M
+7.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$998K
+230.5% YoY
Grant Count
25
+78.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$40K
+85.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Burpee Foundation's mission is to reduce hunger and promoting well-being through horticultural and agricultural means in the US and worldwide. The foundation supports:
- School-age and adult educational programs in horticulture
- Horticultural programs serving incarcerated and released prisoner populations
- Public botanical gardens and museums enhancing services to senior citizens and those with disabilities
- Horticultural job training and vocational skills development
- Healthy eating through community gardens and urban farms
- Horticultural therapy
- Community building through gardening initiatives
- Programs serving formerly homeless populations and those suffering from mental illness in underserved communities
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s & Activity:**
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds organizations primarily in the United States, with recent grants awarded to organizations in New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Initial Endowment: $5 million at establishment in 2002
- Additional Contributions: George Ball contributed an additional $1.5 million to the endowment
- Current Assets: Approximately $8.5 million (as stated in foundation materials); $10,971,423 (per most recent IRS filing for 2024)
- Total Annual Giving: $997,547 (based on 2024 IRS filing)
- Tax-Exempt Status: Since July 2002
- EIN: 74-3047509
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,971,423 | $10,207,734 | $9,245,299 |
| Revenue | $521,940 | $1,214,991 | $620,301 |
| Expenses | $1,129,116 | $490,494 | $456,695 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,098,446 | $413,744 | $390,431 |
| Net Investment Income | $501,348 | $638,241 | $554,037 |
| Distributable Amount | $511,535 | $610,126 | $469,072 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
George Ball is the founder and primary contributor to the foundation. He became the sole owner of W. Atlee Burpee Company in 2002, which prompted the establishment of the foundation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEL P BARKAN | EXECUTIVE DI | 10 | $72,000 |
| GEORGE C BALL JR | PRESIDENT AN | 5 | $20,000 |
| DAVID A BRAUNER | SECRETARY | 5 | $12,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In June 2024, Bard College received a $1 million grant from the Burpee Foundation to support the creation of the Burpee Trial Garden at the Montgomery Place Campus. This represents one of the foundation's significant recent grants and demonstrates its continued commitment to horticultural education at the college level.
Bard College gets $1 million for trial garden at Montgomery ...The foundation has also supported the Smithsonian Institution in releasing a free e-book titled "The Burpee Seed Company: Planting U.S. History since the Nineteenth Century," based on company and family archives donated to the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens by the Burpee family in 2016.
Bard College Receives $1 Million Grant from Burpee Foundation to SupportContact Information
Mailing Address: The Burpee Foundation PO Box 1763 Lenox, MA 01240
Phone: 212-237-1000
Email: info@theburpeefoundation.org
Website: theburpeefoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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