Fels Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including schools, health and human-services organizations, food programs, churches, and animal-welfare groups.
Key facts about Fels Family Foundation
In short: Fels Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Massachusetts. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-0477156
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,157,830
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- Average grant
- $25,170
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (6 of 46, 2025)
- Total assets
- $24,667,563
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.7M
+0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
-1.5% YoY
Grant Count
46
-8.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
+7.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fels Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Fels Family Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 46 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in education, community services, hunger relief, religious activities, and animal rescue. For example, Our Bright Future describes its mission as empowering youth and developing leaders through robotics, sports training, and academic guidance. Worcester County Food Bank describes its mission as creating a hunger-free community, while Community Cat Connection describes its work as operating a no-kill cat rescue and shelter and educating the public about animal care.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 46 grants totaling $1,157,830. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $500,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest listed grants included $500,000 to Town of Webster, $116,000 to All Saints Academy, and $100,000 each to St Joseph School and UMass Memorial Health. Other notable grants included $60,000 to United Way and $40,700 to Our Bright Future Inc.
The foundation states that requests should be made by letter. It reports no specific restrictions on awards, while noting that its grantmaking is concentrated in Central Massachusetts.
Review Cycle
None.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Requests for grants should be made by letter.
Ready to take the next step with Fels Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its grantmaking is concentrated in the Central Massachusetts area. In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 2% to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2020) to $1.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Town of Webster ($500K). Together the top 10 received $999K.
Grant Size Distribution
314 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 290 grants of 314 (92%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Webster Webster, MA | General | $500,000 |
| All Saints Academy Webster, MA | General | $116,000 |
| St Joseph School Webster, MA | General | $100,000 |
| Umass Memorial Health Worcester, MA | General | $100,000 |
| United Way Southbridge, MA | General | $60,000 |
| Our Bright Future Inc Southbridge, MA | General | $40,700 |
| American Red Cross Worcester, MA | General | $25,000 |
| United Church of Christ Webster, MA | General | $21,000 |
| Webster Dudley Food Share Webster, MA | General | $20,000 |
| St Andrew Bobola Church Dudley, MA | General | $16,300 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants awarded | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,157,830 | 46 |
| 2024 | $1,175,890 | 50 |
| 2023 | $1,181,845 | 44 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,667,563 | $24,547,296 | $23,789,838 |
| Revenue | $1,316,747 | $1,961,998 | $1,745,315 |
| Expenses | $1,196,480 | $1,204,540 | $1,215,495 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,157,830 | $1,175,890 | $1,181,845 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,281,597 | $1,936,848 | $1,715,165 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,106,301 | $1,034,295 | $996,974 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gerald Fels, Marilyn Fels, and Laura Green as trustees.
Fels Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gerald Fels
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura K. Green
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Fels
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Application contact: David R Ojerholm
Mailing address: 333 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA 01604
Phone: (508) 791-9502
Frequently asked questions about Fels Family Foundation
How much does Fels Family Foundation give each year?
Fels Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 50 grants.
What is Fels Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Fels Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $25,170, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fels Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Fels Family Foundation give grants?
Fels Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Webster, MA (12 grants), Worcester, MA (11 grants), Dudley, MA (7 grants) and Southbridge, MA (3 grants).
Does Fels Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Fels Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (46 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Fels Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Fels Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Town of Webster ($500,000), All Saints Academy ($116,000) and St Joseph School ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fels Family Foundation?
Fels Family Foundation reported $24.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fels Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in education, community services, hunger relief, religious activities, and animal rescue. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fels Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fels Family Foundation's EIN?
Fels Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0477156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Fels Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Fels Family Foundation by hand.
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