Cecile Higginson Murphy
Cecile Higginson Murphy is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported 30 grants totaling $2,412,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in arts and culture, human services, health, education, food access, and military-family support.
Cecile Higginson Murphy at a glance
In short: Cecile Higginson Murphy gave $2.4M across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $80K), mostly in Massachusetts. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,412,000
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $80,400
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $58,433,272
- +5.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (6 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (90% 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 Cecile Higginson Murphy
- 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: Choate Llp PO Box 961019, Boston, MA 02196
Phone: (617) 248-4760
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cecile Higginson Murphy funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston Symphony Orchestra ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 127 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 5% to California, 4% to Virginia, and 1% to Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cecile Higginson Murphy open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 30 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $92K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 568% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $312K (2021) to $2.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | General Purpose | $500,000 |
| Women's Lunch Place Boston, MA | General Purpose | $250,000 |
| Cradles To Crayons Inc Newton, MA | General Purpose | $225,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | The Aspire Program | $200,000 |
| TargetCancer Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $200,000 |
| Fisher House of Boston South Walpole, MA | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Merrifield, VA | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Vital CxNs Boston, MA | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Community Harvest Project North Grafton, MA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Literations Corp Boston, MA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
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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 | $58,433,272 | $3,880,625 | $2,795,037 | $2,412,000 | 30 | $2,674,683 | $3,483,234 | $2,801,806 |
| 2024 | $55,277,073 | $2,164,811 | $2,551,820 | $2,227,000 | 29 | $2,471,062 | $2,094,171 | $2,662,280 |
| 2023 | $50,228,851 | $630,151 | $2,907,949 | $2,508,000 | 29 | $2,742,540 | $796,573 | $2,471,701 |
| 2022 | $48,007,033 | $51,953,847 | $695,885 | $361,000 | 25 | $440,024 | $3,601,381 | $2,568,374 |
| 2021 | $10,036,063 | $958,443 | $399,480 | $312,000 | 14 | — | $893,038 | $431,970 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cecile Higginson Murphy reported a distributable amount of $2.8M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span several areas. The Boston Symphony Orchestra says it aims to present music and provide educational and training programs at a high level of excellence. Women’s Lunch Place describes its work as supporting women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty through a day-shelter community and services focused on nutrition, health, housing, and economic empowerment. Cradles to Crayons provides essential items to children in low-income or homeless situations.
Other 2025 grantees describe missions that include community health infrastructure (Vital CxNs), lodging for military families receiving hospital care (Fisher House of Boston), literacy and student well-being (Read to a Child and Literations), and growing fresh produce for hunger relief (Community Harvest Project).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $2,412,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest awards included $500,000 to Boston Symphony Orchestra, $250,000 to Women’s Lunch Place, $225,000 to Cradles to Crayons, and $200,000 each to Massachusetts General Hospital for The Aspire Program and TargetCancer. Other notable awards were $100,000 each to Fisher House of Boston, Gary Sinise Foundation, and Vital CxNs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles A Cheever and Kristin T Abati as trustees.
Cecile Higginson Murphy's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles A Cheever
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristin T Abati
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Cecile Higginson Murphy (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Cecile Higginson Murphy
How much does Cecile Higginson Murphy give each year?
Cecile Higginson Murphy gave $2.4M across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.2M across 29 grants.
What is Cecile Higginson Murphy's typical grant size?
Cecile Higginson Murphy's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $80,400, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cecile Higginson Murphy that year got $35K on average.
Where does Cecile Higginson Murphy give grants?
Cecile Higginson Murphy gives mostly in Massachusetts: 90% 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) and Newton, MA (3 grants).
Does Cecile Higginson Murphy give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of Cecile Higginson Murphy's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cecile Higginson Murphy's largest grantees?
Cecile Higginson Murphy's largest 2025 grantees include Boston Symphony Orchestra ($500,000), Women's Lunch Place ($250,000) and Cradles To Crayons Inc ($225,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cecile Higginson Murphy?
Cecile Higginson Murphy reported $58.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.8M (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 Cecile Higginson Murphy fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions span several areas. The Boston Symphony Orchestra says it aims to present music and provide educational and training programs at a high level of excellence. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cecile Higginson Murphy?
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 Cecile Higginson Murphy's EIN?
Cecile Higginson Murphy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3447397. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Cecile Higginson Murphy 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cecile Higginson Murphy funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cecile-higginson-murphy-morg_ed7e0ace9dec44f0a71e8a9faf4def4f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043447397_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cecile Higginson Murphy funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cecile-higginson-murphy-morg_ed7e0ace9dec44f0a71e8a9faf4def4f},
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 Cecile Higginson Murphy'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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