Elfers Foundation Inc
Elfers Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 1970. The foundation holds tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status and operates as a corporate foundation affiliated with Brown Advisory. The organization maintains a small, volunteer-driven board structure with limited paid staffing.
Key facts about Elfers Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 23-7090080
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $640,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $33,684
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Elfers Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Elfers Foundation Inc's 19 itemized 2025 grants were Connecticut (47%), Massachusetts (38%) and Maine (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (3 grants), Newark, OH (3 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and Columbus, OH (2 grants). 89% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
How Elfers Foundation Inc gives
- 37% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Elfers Foundation Inc
- How to evaluate Elfers Foundation Inc as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
- Draft an LOI to Elfers Foundation Inc with AI
AI grant writing that drafts from your organization’s own materials, in your voice.
- Track this opportunity in a free grant tracker
A free Google Sheets or Excel template for deadlines, award terms, and reports due.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$640K
-3.0% YoY
Grant Count
19
+46.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
-33.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable areas including:
- Education (41% of recent giving)
- Arts & Culture (24% of recent giving)
- Health (19% of recent giving)
- Environment
- Religion
- Human Services
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$2,500–$300,000
Review Cycle
.
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Elfers Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Approximately 70% of grants remain in Massachusetts. The foundation also provides significant support to Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, and Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 19 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Most Recent Filing (2024):
- Total Assets: $15,400,000
- Total Giving: $677,758
- Total Revenue: $684,552
- Total Expenses: $814,937
- Giving Rate: 4.3%–4.6% of assets
- Total Liabilities: $0
Revenue Composition (2024):
- Grants and contributions: $159,669
- Investment income and dividends: $203,413
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $276,284
- Miscellaneous revenues: $45,186
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 19, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include The Hotchkiss School ($300,000), The Fessenden School ($190,000), Brooks School ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Hotchkiss School Lakeville, CT | General Purpose | $300,000 |
| The Fessenden School West Newton, MA | General Purpose | $190,000 |
| Brooks School North Andover, MA | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Woodwell Climate Research Center Falmouth, ME | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Boston Athenaeum Boston, MA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| LISTEN Community Services Lebanon, NH | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Maine Island Trail Association Portland, ME | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Old Dartmouth Historical Society New Bedford, MA | New Bedford Whaling Museum | $10,000 |
| Prostate Cancer Foundation Santa Monica, CA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | The Nature Conservancy of Maine chapter | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Deborah B Elfers – President/Director (5 hours/week)
- Jane Elfers Muther – Treasurer/Vice President/Director (1 hour/week)
- Henry Dormitzer – Secretary/Clerk/Director (1 hour/week)
- Amelia R Elfers – Director (started February 2024, 1 hour/week)
- William Alexander Haughton – Director (1 hour/week)
- Eric Muther – Director (1 hour/week)
All board members serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia R Elfers | Director | 1 | — |
| William Alexander Haughton | Director | 1 | — |
| Eric Muther | Director | 1 | — |
| Deborah Elfers Haffenreffer | President/Director | 5 | — |
| Jane Elfers Muther | Treasurer/Vice President/Director | 1 | — |
| Henry Dormitzer | Secretary/Clerk/Director | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Elfers Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable areas including: • **Education** (41% of recent giving) • **Arts & Culture** (24% of recent giving) • **Health** (19% of recent giving) • Environment • Religion • Human Services
How do I apply for a grant from Elfers Foundation Inc?
The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Elfers Foundation Inc make grants?
Approximately 70% of grants remain in Massachusetts. The foundation also provides significant support to Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, and Vermont.
What size grants does Elfers Foundation Inc award?
In 2025, Elfers Foundation Inc awarded 19 grants totaling $640K — an average of about $34K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Elfers Foundation Inc's EIN?
Elfers Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7090080. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Elfers Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Elfers Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Boston Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
2,046
Total Given
$169.9M
Ge Aerospace Foundation
Norwalk, CT
Assets
$22.5M
Grants
2,467
Total Given
$15.3M
Fidelity Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$5.0B
Grants
4,430
Total Given
$156.2M
Analog Devices Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
—
Grants
1,177
Total Given
$1.9M
Barr Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
903
Total Given
$123.2M
Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$46.1M
Grants
706
Total Given
$50.6M
Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (Fka Oneworld Boston Inc)
Woburn, MA
Assets
$258.2M
Grants
658
Total Given
$38.2M
American Tower Corporation Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$15.4M
Grants
632
Total Given
$1.7M
The Stephen Phillips Memorial
Boston, MA
Assets
$41.6M
Grants
520
Total Given
$5.1M
Berkshire Bank Foundation Inc
Pittsfield, MA
Assets
$17.1M
Grants
478
Total Given
$2.0M
The Pfizer Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$255.3M
Grants
9,306
Total Given
$23.2M
Verizon Foundation
Basking Ridge, NJ
Assets
$23.8M
Grants
5,464
Total Given
$7.0M
More Funders in Massachusetts
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.