Chestnut Fund

BOSTON, MA EIN: 47-7017184

Chestnut Fund is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 2015. The organization operates as a grantmaking foundation with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$54.9M

+8.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.9M

-16.3% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$978K

-16.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Chestnut Fund 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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not provide a public mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities include:

Human Rights
Social Justice
Local Government
Community & Civic Engagement
Child Welfare
Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$290,000–$2,815,000

Ready to take the next step with Chestnut Fund?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports grantmaking across multiple U.S. locations and states, including:

Cities: Albuquerque, Augusta, Boston, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Decatur, Des Moines, Dorchester, Durham, Montpelier, New Haven, New York, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Seattle, St. Paul, Washington, and Youngstown

States: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington

Primary funding focus areas include Ohio, Georgia, and the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

Ohio $9.1M (41%)

District of Columbia $4.0M (18%)

Illinois $2.5M (11%)

Georgia $1.3M (6%)

Washington $1.2M (5%)

New Mexico $900K (4%)

Maine $775K (3%)

Connecticut $350K (2%)

+11 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Iowa Illinois Massachusetts Maine Michigan Minnesota North Carolina New Mexico New York Ohio Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin

Cities

AlbuquerqueAtlantaAugustaBostonBrooklynCincinnatiDecaturDes MoinesDevaturDorchesterDurhamHighland ParkIowa CityKentLansingMilwaukeeMontpelierNew HavenNew YorkPortland

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2023):

Total assets: $50.8–$54.9 million
Total annual giving: $2.7–$3.5 million
Total revenues: $2.7 million
Total expenses: $4.6 million
Number of employees: 0

Revenue Composition (2023):

Investment income and dividends: $1,190,419
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $1,352,235
Miscellaneous revenues: $188,229

Giving Rate: Approximately 6.9% of assets

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$54,884,454	$50,821,793	$52,696,026
Revenue	$8,055,965	$2,730,883	$3,505,414
Expenses	$3,991,509	$4,604,665	$6,089,755
Qualifying Distributions	$3,243,754	$3,808,877	$5,289,794
Net Investment Income	$7,301,114	$1,971,940	$2,806,539
Distributable Amount	$3,348,532	$3,266,377	$3,451,684

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 3 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

97 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Lupine Fund Co Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($2,465,000), Emmas Fund ($350,000), Center on Budget and Policy Priorities ($120,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES WASHINGTON, DC	GREENSTEIN FUND FOR A JUST FUTURE	$120,000
EMMAS FUND DECATUR, GA	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$350,000
LUPINE FUND CO FIDELITY CHARITABLE GIFT FUND CINCINNATI, OH	GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT	$2,465,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by unpaid trustees:

Jane Stein
Adam Stein
Gerda Stein
Alan Rottenberg

The foundation is also known as "Jane Stein Ttee."

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JANE STEIN	TRUSTEE	2	—
ADAM STEIN	TRUSTEE	2	—
GERDA STEIN	TRUSTEE	2	—
ALAN ROTTENBERG	TRUSTEE	2	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Chestnut Fund fund?

The foundation does not provide a public mission statement. However, its grantmaking priorities include: • Human Rights • Social Justice • Local Government • Community & Civic Engagement • Child Welfare • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Chestnut Fund?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: approximately $2.7–$3.5 million • Grant range: $290,000–$2,815,000 • Median grant size: $400,000 • Application policy: Invite-only; does not accept unsolicited applications **Recent Grants:** • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: $290,000 (General Operating Support, 2023)

Where does Chestnut Fund make grants?

The foundation supports grantmaking across multiple U.S. locations and states, including: **Cities:** Albuquerque, Augusta, Boston, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, Decatur, Des Moines, Dorchester, Durham, Montpelier, New Haven, New York, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Seattle, St. Paul, Washington, and Youngstown **States:** Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington Primary funding focus ar…

What size grants does Chestnut Fund award?

In 2024, Chestnut Fund awarded 3 grants totaling $2.9M — an average of about $978K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Chestnut Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Chestnut Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.