George B Henderson Foundation JH5090
The George B. Henderson Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It supports projects that enhance the physical appearance of Boston, including preservation and improvements to public-facing parks, streets, buildings, monuments, and architectural and sculptural works.
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 at a glance
In short: George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 gave $457K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Massachusetts. 75% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $457,000
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,083
- +34.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $39,000
- Total assets
- $5,956,661
- +2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 75% first-time grantees (9 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% 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 George B Henderson Foundation JH5090
- How to Apply
-
The website describes an online application process and virtual applicant forums before each grant round. The 2025 filing lists the Foundation’s standard grant application and states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. The filing also states that grants are solely for enhancing Boston’s physical appearance and are not made to individuals, endowment funds, or operating expenses.
- Review Cycle
- The website listed February 13 and September 4, 2026, as proposal deadlines. Both dates have passed.
- Deadline
- The website listed February 13 and September 4, 2026, as proposal deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Gioia Perugini
Mailing address: C/O Hemenway Barnes 75 State Str, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 227-7940
Website: https://thehendersonfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from George B Henderson Foundation JH5090
Who George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conserv ($50K). Together the top 10 received $407K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 67 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website says grants are for projects within Boston city limits and encourages applications from all Boston neighborhoods. Its 2026 priorities specifically include neighborhoods it says have been less represented in previous grants, including East Boston, South Boston, Mission Hill, Allston/Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Mattapan, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, and Roslindale.
In filing year 2025, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 open to new grantees?
75%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 12 grantees (75%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $40K repeat.
- 0% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $358K (2019) to $457K (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $457K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conserv Boston, MA | General Support | $50,000 |
| League of Women for Community Service Boston, MA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Associat Boston, MA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Boston, MA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Church of the Covenant Boston, MA | General Support | $40,000 |
| Boston Architectural College Boston, MA | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Boston Harbor Now Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $38,000 |
| Society of King's Chapel Boston, MA | Charitable | $34,000 |
| Second Church in Dorchester Dorchester, MA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Church of the Nazarene Dorchester, MA | Charitable | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with George B Henderson Foundation JH5090?
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 | $5,956,661 | $671,952 | $568,302 | $457,000 | 12 | $499,405 | $616,450 | $496,250 |
| 2024 | $5,836,954 | $736,655 | $518,568 | $425,036 | 15 | $457,509 | $680,021 | $498,516 |
| 2023 | $5,629,078 | $453,626 | $514,048 | $423,191 | 13 | $459,659 | $392,026 | $455,469 |
| 2022 | $5,701,894 | $536,312 | $549,432 | $439,019 | 13 | $480,698 | $466,790 | $456,463 |
| 2021 | $5,723,422 | $824,490 | $512,901 | $396,164 | 14 | $442,886 | $756,329 | $487,837 |
| 2020 | $5,422,871 | $661,554 | $496,909 | $375,218 | 13 | — | $576,219 | $438,237 |
| 2019 | $5,259,758 | $368,369 | $478,791 | $357,971 | 10 | — | $296,902 | $434,137 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 reported a distributable amount of $496K 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
The Foundation’s stated mission is to enhance the physical appearance of the City of Boston. Its website describes support for capital projects such as historic-building restoration, public sculpture and gardens, and restoration of historic monuments. It prioritizes projects that are permanent, demonstrate design excellence, and enhance the city’s quality of life and sense of place. Funded projects must have provisions for long-term maintenance; routine care and maintenance are not supported.
The Foundation’s 2026 priorities include permanent public art and outdoor-space projects, with particular interest in proposals from Boston neighborhoods that have been less represented in previous grants. Its 2025 filing states that grants are not made to individuals, endowment funds, or for operating expenses.
The 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, Boston Architectural College describes its work as providing design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities. Boston Harbor Now describes its mission as promoting an accessible, equitable, and resilient waterfront, harbor, and islands. Revolutionary Spaces says it stewards Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House as gathering spaces for public exchange and civic engagement.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $457,000. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $50,000, with a median of $39,000. Notable awards included $50,000 each to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conserv, League of Women for Community Service, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood; $40,000 to Boston Architectural College; and $38,000 to Boston Harbor Now Inc.
The Foundation’s website describes regular grants as generally ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. It also describes a mini-grant program for smaller public outdoor-space and public-art projects, with a 2024 pilot offering grants of up to $7,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John K Herbert III, Thomas E Bator, Eric U Henderson, and Barclay C S Henderson as trustees. The Foundation’s website identifies Deneen Crosby as its chair.
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barclay C. S. Henderson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$11K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Eric U. Henderson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$11K (2019) → $10K (2025)
John K. Herbert III
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$23K (2019) → $19K (2025)
Thomas E. Bator
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$23K (2019) → $19K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $19K, to John K Herbert III (Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about George B Henderson Foundation JH5090
How much does George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 give each year?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 gave $457K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $425K across 15 grants.
What is George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's typical grant size?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's median grant in 2025 was $39,000, and its average grant was $38,083, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 that year got $37K on average.
Where does George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 give grants?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (9 grants) and Dorchester, MA (2 grants).
Does George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (9 grants).
Who are George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's largest grantees?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's largest 2025 grantees include Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conserv ($50,000), League of Women for Community Service ($50,000) and Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Associat ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is George B Henderson Foundation JH5090?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $499K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $496K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to enhance the physical appearance of the City of Boston. Its website describes support for capital projects such as historic-building restoration, public sculpture and gardens, and restoration of historic monuments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George B Henderson Foundation JH5090?
The website describes an online application process and virtual applicant forums before each grant round. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's EIN?
George B Henderson Foundation JH5090's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6089310. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-b-henderson-foundation-jh5090-morg_5a9bf3dbb5c043e5838c49966643fecb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046089310_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George B Henderson Foundation JH5090 funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-b-henderson-foundation-jh5090-morg_5a9bf3dbb5c043e5838c49966643fecb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 George B Henderson Foundation JH5090'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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