Dornam Foundation
Dornam Foundation is a private foundation based in Needham, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $173,000, supporting organizations in Connecticut, Ohio, and Massachusetts.
Dornam Foundation at a glance
In short: Dornam Foundation gave $173K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Connecticut. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $173,000
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,533
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $1,842,455
- -4.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (54% 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 Dornam Foundation
- 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: 149 Paul Revere Road, Needham, MA 02494
Phone: (781) 444-0650
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dornam Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Seniors Job Bank ($50K). Together the top 10 received $156K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 83 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut (54%), Ohio (41%), and Massachusetts (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Dornam Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $500; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $7K repeat.
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% 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 $125K (2021) to $174K (2023). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $173K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seniors Job Bank West Hartford, CT | Job assistance for seniors, challenge grant matches, and "birdies for charity" sponsorship | $50,000 |
| John Carroll University University Heights, OH | James M. Doran '55 Scholarship for MBA Students | $25,000 |
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | Charitable Support | $18,000 |
| Steubenville Catholic Schools Steubenville, OH | Catholic Central High School Scholarship Fund | $15,000 |
| St Francisst Joseph Catholic Churches Toronto, OH | Financial Assistance for Families | $12,000 |
| Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford West Hartford, CT | Counseling, Education and Community Support | $10,000 |
| Read to a Child Wellesley, MA | $2,500.00 for hartford programming and $5,500 for read aloud mentoring program | $8,000 |
| Archdiocese of Hartford Bloomfield, CT | Archbishop's Annual Appeal | $6,000 |
| Church of St Peter Claver West Hartford, CT | Parish Annual Collection | $6,000 |
| Connecticut College New London, CT | Funding for Two Scholarships of $3,000 Each | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Dornam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,842,455 | $105,170 | $189,347 | $173,000 | 15 | $176,933 | $101,236 | $186,692 |
| 2024 | $1,926,631 | $273,933 | $176,825 | $170,000 | 15 | $173,412 | $270,520 | $178,639 |
| 2023 | $1,826,388 | $-46,616 | $188,103 | $174,000 | 17 | $177,019 | $73,736 | $172,232 |
| 2022 | $2,061,107 | $374,226 | $152,631 | $142,174 | 19 | $144,799 | $371,569 | $177,049 |
| 2021 | $1,839,512 | $313,293 | $128,548 | $125,000 | 17 | — | $211,519 | $145,450 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dornam Foundation reported a distributable amount of $187K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for senior job assistance, scholarships and schools, family assistance, counseling and community support, literacy mentoring, and a tumor genomics fund.
Among its grantees, John Carroll University describes its mission as inspiring people to learn, lead, and serve through a Jesuit Catholic education. Read to a Child says it fosters reading, literacy, and socio-emotional well-being among students from under-resourced communities. Kingswood Oxford School says it helps students excel and lead lives of integrity and involvement. Connecticut College says it educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens of a global society.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $173,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $6,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $50,000 to Seniors Job Bank for senior job assistance, challenge grant matches, and a “Birdies for Charity” sponsorship; $25,000 to John Carroll University for an MBA scholarship; $18,000 to Fidelity Charitable for charitable support; and $15,000 to Steubenville Catholic Schools for its an individual recipient High School scholarship fund. Other grants included $12,000 to St Francis St Joseph Catholic Churches for family financial assistance, $10,000 to Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford for counseling, education, and community support, and $8,000 to Read to a Child for Hartford programming and its Read Aloud Mentoring Program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James M Doran, Beth Putnam, and Wendy Doran-Paley as trustees.
Dornam Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Beth Putnam
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James M. Doran
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Doran-Paley
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Dornam Foundation
How much does Dornam Foundation give each year?
Dornam Foundation gave $173K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $170K across 15 grants.
What is Dornam Foundation's typical grant size?
Dornam Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $11,533, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dornam Foundation that year got $500 on average.
Where does Dornam Foundation give grants?
Dornam Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (41%). The most frequent recipient cities were West Hartford, CT (4 grants) and Toronto, OH (3 grants).
Does Dornam Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Dornam Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Dornam Foundation's largest grantees?
Dornam Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Seniors Job Bank ($50,000), John Carroll University ($25,000) and Fidelity Charitable ($18,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Dornam Foundation?
Dornam Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $177K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $187K (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 Dornam Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for senior job assistance, scholarships and schools, family assistance, counseling and community support, literacy mentoring, and a tumor genomics fund. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dornam Foundation?
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 Dornam Foundation's EIN?
Dornam Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6454348. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Dornam Foundation 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). Dornam Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dornam-foundation-morg_7961107a722847fc8579d10e32dcbac7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066454348_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dornam Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dornam-foundation-morg_7961107a722847fc8579d10e32dcbac7},
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 Dornam 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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