Foundations & Grantmakers in Massachusetts
5,428 grantmakers in Massachusetts reported grants on their latest 990s. The 2,606 that made at least 5 grants gave $7.8B. The largest by giving are Mass General Brigham Incorporated, BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund and Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Massachusetts grants
Foundation giving in Massachusetts at a glance
Active grantmakers
5,428
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$7.8B
from the 2,606 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$18K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$90K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Massachusetts by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mass General Brigham Incorporated | Somerville | $1.4B | 164 |
| 2 | BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | Boston | $720.2M | 1,503 |
| 3 | Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc | Boston | $273.6M | 1,121 |
| 4 | President and Fellows of Harvard College | Cambridge | $273.3M | 352 |
| 5 | The US Charitable Gift Trust | Boston | $231.4M | 6,518 |
| 6 | Boston Foundation Inc | Boston | $228.4M | 2,375 |
| 7 | Fidelity Foundation | Boston | $156.2M | 4,430 |
| 8 | Fidelity Non-Profit Management | Boston | $135.2M | 108 |
| 9 | Barr Foundation | Boston | $123.2M | 903 |
| 10 | Trustees of Boston University | Boston | $109.8M | 268 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 3 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 300 · 28%
- Human Services 114 · 11%
- Health 98 · 9%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 77 · 7%
- Environment & Animals 66 · 6%
- Medical Research 50 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Massachusetts
- Community Foundation of Western $22.4M · 392 grants
- Essex County Community Foundation Inc $13.0M · 302 grants
- Greater Worcester Community Foundation $8.6M · 286 grants
- Community Foundation of North Central MA $4.7M · 115 grants
- Community Foundation for Nantucket $4.1M · 82 grants
- Greater Lowell Community Foundation $3.9M · 110 grants
- Community Foundation for MetroWest Inc $3.6M · 158 grants
- Cambridge Community Foundation $3.4M · 162 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 17 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Massachusetts
Foundations based in Massachusetts whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barr Foundation | >99% (897) | 903 in 2024 | $136K |
| 2 | New Bedford Economic Development | 97% (28) | 29 in 2025 | $13K |
| 3 | Invest in Others Charitable Foundation | 94% (30) | 32 in 2025 | $46K |
| 4 | Foundation for Theological Education in Asia and the Pacific | 93% (39) | 42 in 2024 | $13K |
| 5 | Florence Evans Bushee Foundation Inc | 88% (52) | 59 in 2025 | $6K |
| 6 | Sincere Foundation Inc | 82% (27) | 33 in 2025 | $11K |
| 7 | The Mentor Network Charitable Foundation | 81% (17) | 21 in 2025 | $5K |
| 8 | National Collegiate Inventors | 78% (54) | 69 in 2025 | $677K |
| 9 | Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund Trust | 77% (41) | 53 in 2024 | $231K |
| 10 | Massachusetts Foundation | 75% (39) | 52 in 2024 | $19K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing all 6,345 foundations and grantmakers in Massachusetts
Mass General Brigham Incorporated
Somerville, MA
Assets
$32.2B
Grants
164
Total Given
$1.4B
Bank of America Charitable Gift FD
Boston, MA
Assets
$5.1B
Grants
1
Total Given
$969.5M
BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.0M
Grants
1,503
Total Given
$720.2M
MGB Pooled Holdings LLC
Somerville, MA
Assets
$18.2B
Grants
1
Total Given
$484.0M
Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.6B
Grants
1,121
Total Given
$273.6M
President and Fellows of Harvard College
Cambridge, MA
Assets
$79.9B
Grants
352
Total Given
$273.3M
The US Charitable Gift Trust
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
6,518
Total Given
$231.4M
Boston Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.1B
Grants
2,375
Total Given
$228.4M
The Rare Disease Charitable Foundation
Lexington, MA
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$171.3M
Fidelity Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$5.0B
Grants
4,430
Total Given
$156.2M
Fidelity Non-Profit Management
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.6B
Grants
108
Total Given
$135.2M
Barr Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
903
Total Given
$123.2M
Trustees of Boston University
Boston, MA
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
268
Total Given
$109.8M
Lahey Clinic Hospital Inc
Charlestown, MA
Assets
$616.3M
Grants
17
Total Given
$106.0M
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Charlestown, MA
Assets
$4.8B
Grants
148
Total Given
$91.2M
The Broad Institute Inc
Cambridge, MA
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
77
Total Given
$86.0M
The Klarman Family Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$713.2M
Grants
260
Total Given
$82.2M
Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Inc
Needham, MA
Assets
$4.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$75.0M
Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp
Boston, MA
Assets
$24.2M
Grants
21
Total Given
$72.6M
Grantham Foundation for the Protection
Boston, MA
Assets
$613.2M
Grants
83
Total Given
$67.0M
Adelson Family Foundation
Needham, MA
Assets
$21.0M
Grants
55
Total Given
$66.9M
The Patrick J McGovern Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
165
Total Given
$66.2M
Popplestone Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$27.6M
Grants
24
Total Given
$51.3M
Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$46.1M
Grants
706
Total Given
$50.6M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Massachusetts
What are the largest foundations in Massachusetts?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Mass General Brigham Incorporated ($1.4B across 164 grants), BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund ($720.2M) and Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc ($273.6M). Together the top 10 account for 47% of the $7.8B given by the 2,606 grantmakers in Massachusetts that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Massachusetts?
The typical grant is about $18K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $90K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Massachusetts?
Yes. We found 17 community foundations in Massachusetts with grant activity. The largest by giving are Community Foundation of Western, Essex County Community Foundation Inc and Greater Worcester Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Massachusetts foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Massachusetts from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.