Burpee Foundation
The Burpee Foundation is a private foundation based in Lenox, Massachusetts. Established in 2003 by George Ball, it supports horticultural and agricultural projects intended to reduce hunger and promote well-being in the US and around the world.
Burpee Foundation at a glance
In short: Burpee Foundation gave $998K across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in New York. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $997,547
- +230.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- +78.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,902
- +85.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $8,517,718
- -12.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (15 of 25, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (80% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Burpee Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: The Burpee Foundation The Westingho
Mailing address: 4 Foxhollow Drive A-202, Lenox, MA 01240
Phone: (212) 237-1000
Website: https://theburpeefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Burpee Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Horticultural Society of New Yo ($275K). Together the top 10 received $818K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 84 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing describes the foundation’s focus as primarily New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York; other leading recipient states were Missouri (4%), Washington, DC (4%), Connecticut (3%), and California (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Burpee Foundation open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 25 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $53K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $19K repeat.
- 24% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 170% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 175% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $294K (2022) to $998K (2024). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $998K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Horticultural Society of New Yo New York, NY | Restricted Grants | $275,000 |
| Bard College Hudson Valley, NY | Restricted Grants | $250,000 |
| The Bridge Inc New York, NY | Restricted Grants | $100,000 |
| Smithsonian Libraries Washington, DC | Preparation of Archival History | $41,667 |
| The Fortune Society Long Island, NY | Restricted Grants | $36,000 |
| Bartlett Arboretum Association Stamford, CT | Restricted Grants | $25,000 |
| Garden Time Inc Queensbury, NY | Restricted Grants | $25,000 |
| The Giving Grove Kansas, MO | Restricted Grants | $25,000 |
| Environmental Volunteers Org Palo Alto, CA | Restricted Grants | $20,000 |
| Queens Botanical Garden Society Flushing, NY | Restricted to Horticultural Programs | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Burpee 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 | $8,517,718 | $-75,960 | $1,176,395 | $997,547 | 25 | $1,098,446 | $260,305 | $627,779 |
| 2023 | $9,764,665 | $1,005,424 | $479,794 | $301,800 | 14 | $393,929 | $429,974 | $468,451 |
| 2022 | $9,245,299 | $620,301 | $456,695 | $293,567 | 15 | $390,431 | $554,037 | $469,072 |
| 2021 | $9,081,693 | $1,685,403 | $514,716 | $369,850 | 13 | $451,858 | $622,545 | $409,563 |
| 2020 | $7,901,702 | $218,956 | $513,744 | $375,167 | 17 | — | $163,214 | $337,704 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burpee Foundation reported a distributable amount of $628K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated commitment is to reducing hunger and promoting well-being through investment in horticultural and agricultural projects. Its materials describe support for school-age and adult educational programs, community gardens and urban farms, horticultural job training, and horticultural programs for incarcerated and released people, among other activities.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Bridge says it provides rehabilitative services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, vocational assistance, and healthcare, to vulnerable New Yorkers. Garden Time describes prison-based garden education and community-based green-industry job training for formerly incarcerated people. The Giving Grove says it works to increase access to healthy food through a network of sustainable orchards, while Queens Botanical Garden describes its work as combining gardens, educational programs, and environmental stewardship.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $997,547. Grant amounts ranged from $4,380 to $275,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest 2024 grants included $275,000 to the Horticultural Society of New York, $250,000 to Bard College, and $100,000 to The Bridge Inc. Other grants included $41,667 to Smithsonian Libraries for preparation of an archival history and $36,000 to The Fortune Society.
The foundation’s website says it is not taking grant applications until further notice. Its application information describes a New York/New Jersey Area Common Application submitted online, with an IRS 501(c)(3) approval letter, financial statements, a board list, and any supplemental documents. It states that applications are considered only from US charities. The 2024 filing says there are no deadlines and identifies a focus on horticultural, environmental, and educational work, primarily in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mel P. Barkan as executive director, George C. Ball Jr. as president, and David A. Brauner as secretary. The foundation’s board information identifies George Ball as its founder and chairman of W. Atlee Burpee Company.
Burpee Foundation is led by George C. Ball Jr., President An since 2022 (on filings since 2020); all 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
George C. Ball Jr.
President An
President & Treasurer → President An, 2022
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $20K (2024)
David A. Brauner
Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Mel P. Barkan
Executive Di
Executive Director & Board Member → Executive Di, 2022
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $72K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $72K, to Mel P Barkan (Executive Di). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Burpee Foundation
How much does Burpee Foundation give each year?
Burpee Foundation gave $998K across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $302K across 14 grants.
What is Burpee Foundation's typical grant size?
Burpee Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $39,902, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Burpee Foundation that year got $31K on average.
Where does Burpee Foundation give grants?
Burpee Foundation gives mostly in New York: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Does Burpee Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Burpee Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Restricted Grants" (18 grants).
Who are Burpee Foundation's largest grantees?
Burpee Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Horticultural Society of New Yo ($275,000), Bard College ($250,000) and The Bridge Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Burpee Foundation?
Burpee Foundation reported $8.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $628K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Burpee Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated commitment is to reducing hunger and promoting well-being through investment in horticultural and agricultural projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Burpee Foundation?
Burpee Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check theburpeefoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Burpee Foundation's EIN?
Burpee Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-3047509. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Burpee Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/burpee-foundation-morg_5fb270cf7c0f47fe86f2f60535f689ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_743047509_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Burpee Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/burpee-foundation-morg_5fb270cf7c0f47fe86f2f60535f689ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Burpee 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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