Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Founded in 1997, it distributes grants to local nonprofit organizations and scholarships to area students, and works with donors and other funders to address community needs.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc gave $3.9M across 110 grants in 2025 (avg $35K), mostly in Massachusetts. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,867,270
- +40.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 110
- +23.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $35,157
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,796
- Total assets
- $75,199,784
- +7.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (34 of 110, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 Discretionary Grants Cycle deadline was March 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.; this cycle has passed.
- Deadline
- The 2026 Discretionary Grants Cycle deadline was March 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.; this cycle has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 100 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: (978) 970-1600
Website: https://glcfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
Discretionary Grant: Children’s Services
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Discretionary Grant: Leclair Elder Services
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Discretionary Grant: LGBTQ+
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Merrimack Valley Food Bank Inc ($277K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
472 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 382 grants of 472 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its service area as Greater Lowell and Merrimack Valley. Its 2026 Discretionary Grants Cycle listed 21 communities: Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Lowell, Pepperell, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsboro, Westford, and Wilmington. In filing year 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 110 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 34 of 110 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $1.3M (2019) to $3.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 110 grants totaling $3.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Merrimack Valley Food Bank Inc Lowell, MA | Agriculture, Fishing, & Forestry - K31 Food Banks, Pantries | $277,348 |
| Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership Lowell, MA | HUMAN SERVICES - L00 Housing General | $275,086 |
| UMass Lowell Lowell, MA | EDUCATION - B00 General | $212,900 |
| Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell Inc Lowell, MA | Human Services - O20 Youth Centers and Clubs | $188,749 |
| New England Quilt Museum Lowell, MA | ARTS & CULTURE - A00 General | $182,116 |
| Merrimack Repertory Theatre Inc (MRT) Lowell, MA | ARTS & CULTURE - A00 General | $171,940 |
| Hidden Battles Foundation Dracut, MA | Public Affairs - W30 Veteran's Affairs | $146,214 |
| Lowell Cemetery Lowell, MA | ENVIRONMENT - C00 General | $100,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell Inc Lowell, MA | Human Services - O20 Youth Centers and Clubs | $92,341 |
| Coalition for a Better Acre Inc Lowell, MA | Human Services - P85 Homeless Services | $91,679 |
Ready to take the next step with Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $75,199,784 | $8,814,269 | $7,354,074 | $3,867,270 | 110 | $2,616,338 |
| 2024 | $69,957,157 | $7,589,018 | $6,474,219 | $2,761,257 | 89 | $2,938,341 |
| 2023 | $61,872,454 | $8,510,011 | $7,200,108 | $3,335,905 | 94 | $1,982,949 |
| 2022 | $53,462,931 | $9,411,237 | $5,650,735 | $2,181,687 | 79 | $1,462,078 |
| 2021 | $59,223,650 | $8,473,367 | $6,202,854 | $3,488,925 | 100 | $1,918,652 |
| 2020 | $50,953,660 | $8,402,571 | $6,003,528 | $3,820,696 | 105 | $1,818,284 |
| 2019 | $43,138,462 | $3,987,115 | $2,954,460 | $1,268,830 | 59 | $996,325 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to foster community growth and development through funding, leadership, and collaboration. Its website says it carries this out through grants to nonprofits, scholarships, special funding initiatives, partnerships with donors and funders, and convening to share ideas and resources.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support across areas including food access, housing, education, youth services, arts and culture, veterans’ affairs, the environment, and homelessness. For example, Merrimack Valley Food Bank says its mission is to help meet people’s need for adequate nutrition and freedom from hunger. Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership describes its work as promoting sustainable homeownership for low- and moderate-income earners through training, counseling, and assistance programs. Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell says it inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold, while the New England Quilt Museum says it uses quilts and quiltmaking stories to inspire and educate the public.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 110 grants totaling $3,867,270. Grant amounts ranged from $5,200 to $277,348, with a median grant of $17,796. The largest awards included $277,348 to Merrimack Valley Food Bank, $275,086 to Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership, $212,900 to UMass Lowell, $188,749 to Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell, and $182,116 to the New England Quilt Museum.
The Foundation’s 2026 Discretionary Grants Cycle offered requests of up to $10,000 in three categories: Leclair Elder Services, Children’s Services, and LGBTQ+ Services. Its Children’s Services guidelines describe support for projects serving children and young adults from birth through age 22. Eligible applicants included registered 501(c)(3) organizations, organizations with eligible fiscal sponsors, and congregations, government, or education organizations based in or serving one or more of the listed Greater Lowell communities. Applicants were also required not to limit service on specified protected grounds. The Foundation said applications were online and that it continued to use a common grant application. A nonprofit could apply as lead applicant in one category and as a partner on other proposals; agencies with multiple service locations were to submit one application covering all sites.
A separate 2025 Arts Elevate: Arts Equity Grants program offered nine grants of $5,000 for Greater Lowell nonprofits collaborating with local artists on projects supporting youth development, cultural expression, and community wellness. The 2026 Women Working Wonders Fund cycle was listed as closed and offered five grants of up to $15,000 for programs or projects affecting women and girls.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chester Szablak as Board Chair, Karen Frederick as Vice Chair, Michael R King as Treasurer, Charles H Comtois CPA as Assistant Treasurer, and Dorothy Chen-Courtin PhD as Clerk. It also lists Atty Andrea S Batchelder, Susanne Beaton, Yun-Ju Choi, Stepanie Cronin, and David Daley as directors.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc is led by James F. Linnehan Jr. Esq., President & CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James F. Linnehan Jr. Esq.
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$144K (2019) → $202K (2025)
Chester Szablak
Board Chair
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew S. Macey
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Atty Andrea S Batchelder
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ben K James
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian J Stafford
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric P Healy
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Glen Mello
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay Stephens
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
JuanCarlos Rivera
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patti Mason
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susanne Beaton
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yun-Ju Choi
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diana Nguyen
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stepanie Cronin
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Daley
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shiela Och
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cherrice Lattimore
Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Howard H. Amidon
Vice President of Philanthropy
Vice President for Phila → Vice President of Philan, 2024
Vice President of Philan → Vice President of Philanthropy, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$103K (2019) → $129K (2025)
Jennifer Aradhya
Vice President for Marketing
Vice President of Market → Vice President for Marke, 2024
Vice President for Marke → Vice President for Marketing, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$105K (2020) → $149K (2025)
Janinne Nocco
Controller
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$107K (2024) → $121K (2025)
Charles H Comtois CPA
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Tr → Assistant Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dorothy Chen-Courtin PhD
Clerk
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Frederick
Vice Chair
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael R King
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Brian L. Chapman (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: John P. Chemaly (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Daniel J. Donahue (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Atty Matthew C. Donahue (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: James C. Shannon III (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Lianna Kushi (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Niki Tsongas (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Sheila Och (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Steven Joncas (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ryan Swartz (2020–2023) — Director
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 $202K, to James F Linnehan (President/CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc
How much does Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc give each year?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc gave $3.9M across 110 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.8M across 89 grants.
What is Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $17,796, and its average grant was $35,157, across 110 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc that year got $25K on average.
Where does Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc give grants?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lowell, MA (49 grants), Boston, MA (9 grants), Concord, MA (5 grants) and Dracut, MA (4 grants).
Does Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 60% of Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (66 of 110) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Agriculture, Fishing, & Forestry - K31 Food Banks, Pantries" (5 grants), "Agriculture, Fishing, & Forestry - K10 Food Security" (4 grants) and "Human Services - O50 Youth Development" (4 grants).
Who are Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Merrimack Valley Food Bank Inc ($277,348), Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership ($275,086) and UMass Lowell ($212,900), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc reported $75.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.8M.
What does Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to foster community growth and development through funding, leadership, and collaboration. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check glcfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's EIN?
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3401997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
Live grants for the work Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/greater-lowell-community-foundation-inc-morg_0cd0c86d97894708831aec5d52cc1bcb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043401997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/greater-lowell-community-foundation-inc-morg_0cd0c86d97894708831aec5d52cc1bcb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc'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.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?