Deshpande Foundation Inc
Deshpande Foundation Inc is a Boston, Massachusetts–based public charity, formed in 2007. Founded by Jaishree and Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande, it supports the use of entrepreneurship and innovation to promote societal change and improve quality of life.
Deshpande Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Deshpande Foundation Inc gave $7.7M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $551K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,716,000
- +7616.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +1300.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $551,143
- +451.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $7,115,024
- -49.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (65% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Deshpande Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 75 Arlington Street Fl 3, Boston, MA 02116-3936
Phone: (617) 338-1700
Website: https://deshpandefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Deshpande Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $7.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 18 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its impact work in the United States, Canada, and India. Its 2025 grants included recipients in Ohio, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2022) to $7.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $7.7M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Cincinnati, OH | Operating Support | $5,000,000 |
| Entrepreneurship for All Inc Lowell, MA | Operating Support | $2,000,000 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Boston Foundation Inc Boston, MA | Operating Support | $70,000 |
| Hindu American Foundation Washington, DC | Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Humane Society International Washington, DC | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Museum of Science Boston, MA | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| VentureWell Hadley, MA | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Chinmaya Mission of Boston Andover, MA | Operating Support | $11,000 |
| Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization Watertown, MA | Operating Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,115,024 | $121,436 | $8,115,565 | $7,716,000 | 14 | $121,436 |
| 2024 | $14,172,855 | $110,055 | $681,277 | $100,000 | 1 | $110,055 |
| 2023 | $13,506,530 | $-226,805 | $842,802 | $20,000 | 1 | $-232,813 |
| 2022 | $14,002,342 | $126,792 | $711,056 | $5,000 | Total only | $126,792 |
| 2021 | $15,245,011 | $113,626 | $1,331,277 | $822,100 | 2 | $113,626 |
| 2020 | $12,443,760 | $123,612 | $1,191,518 | $865,000 | 6 | $123,612 |
| 2019 | $13,627,358 | $138,452 | $524,624 | $115,000 | 4 | $138,452 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to encourage the use of entrepreneurship and innovation as catalysts for societal change and improved quality of life. Its filing describes grantmaking and education to promote geographically relevant process, technological, and social innovation and entrepreneurship.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Entrepreneurship for All says it accelerates economic and social impact through inclusive entrepreneurship. MIT describes its mission as advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship. The Boston Foundation describes its work as expanding opportunities, improving lives, and strengthening communities. The Museum of Science says it aims to inspire lifelong interest in science and make scientific thinking accessible. Project Prakash Foundation says it provides surgeries to children with curable blindness.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $7,716,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $5,000,000, with a median grant of $20,000.
The largest reported grants included $5,000,000 to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund for operating support, $2,000,000 to Entrepreneurship for All Inc for operating support, and $500,000 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for operating support. Other reported awards included $70,000 to the Boston Foundation; $25,000 to the Hindu American Foundation; $20,000 each to Humane Society International, the Museum of Science, and VentureWell; and $10,000 to Project Prakash Foundation.
The filing says grantees provide periodic reports on grant expenditures and use, and staff monitor progress toward grant goals. New funds are not granted until reporting receives a satisfactory review.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gururaj Deshpande as president and director; Kate R. Guedj as treasurer and director; Orlando Watkins as clerk and director; and Hemang Dave, Jaishree Deshpande, and Sushil Vachani as directors. Servjeet Bhachu is listed as CFO.
Deshpande Foundation Inc is led by Gururaj Deshpande, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gururaj Deshpande
President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hemang Dave
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jaishree Deshpande
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate R Guedj
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sushil Vachani
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Orlando Watkins
Clerk & Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Servjeet Bhachu
CFO
Clerk & CFO → CFO, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Paul S Grogan (2019–2024) — Clerk & Director
- Former: Serge Bhachu (2019–2022) — Chief Financial Officer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Deshpande Foundation Inc
How much does Deshpande Foundation Inc give each year?
Deshpande Foundation Inc gave $7.7M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $100K across 1 grant.
What is Deshpande Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Deshpande Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $551,143, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Deshpande Foundation Inc give grants?
Deshpande Foundation Inc gives mostly in Ohio: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (35%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants), Lowell, MA (2 grants), Cambridge, MA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Deshpande Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Deshpande Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Deshpande Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Deshpande Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($5,000,000), Entrepreneurship for All Inc ($2,000,000) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Deshpande Foundation Inc?
Deshpande Foundation Inc reported $7.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $121K.
What does Deshpande Foundation Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to encourage the use of entrepreneurship and innovation as catalysts for societal change and improved quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Deshpande Foundation Inc?
Deshpande Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check deshpandefoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Deshpande Foundation Inc's EIN?
Deshpande Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8520739. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 18, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Deshpande Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/deshpande-foundation-inc-morg_4f0e8bde70fd4de1aaf5f7ee62b3413e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208520739_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Deshpande Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/deshpande-foundation-inc-morg_4f0e8bde70fd4de1aaf5f7ee62b3413e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Deshpande Foundation Inc'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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