Henderson Foundation
Henderson Foundation is a private foundation based in Sudbury, Massachusetts. In 2024, it reported 73 grants totaling $586,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, health care, food assistance, media, and other areas.
Henderson Foundation at a glance
In short: Henderson Foundation gave $586K across 73 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), top state Massachusetts. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $586,000
- +0.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 73
- -6.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,027
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $6,948,737
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (17 of 73, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (28% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Henderson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing lists a letter describing the reason for need and the organization’s IRS exemption as the application materials, with Roberta Henderson as the contact. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Roberta Henderson
Mailing address: PO Box 420, Sudbury, MA 01776
Phone: (978) 443-4646
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Henderson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lionheart Classical Academy ($100K). Together the top 10 received $357K.
Grant Size Distribution
443 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 436 grants of 443 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Massachusetts accounted for 28% of grant dollars, New Hampshire 19%, Washington 13%, and Colorado and the District of Columbia 7% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 73 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Henderson Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 73 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $532K (2020) to $700K (2021). In 2024 it made 73 grants totaling $586K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lionheart Classical Academy Peterboro, NH | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Mt Auburn Hospital Cambridge, MA | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $70,000 |
| Silent Bridge Vancouver, WA | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $51,000 |
| The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States NYC, NY | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $24,000 |
| Food Bank of the Rockies Denver, CO | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $23,000 |
| SD USA Redmond, WA | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $23,000 |
| Salisbury School Educational Foundation Salisbury, MD | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $22,500 |
| American Agri-Women Resource Center Colchester, VT | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $15,000 |
| Salvation Army Canton, MA | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $15,000 |
| Saco River Theatre Bar Mills, ME | To Further the Organization's Tax Exempt Purpose | $13,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,948,737 | $1,211,287 | $1,032,764 | $586,000 | 73 | $696,834 | $911,684 | $732,062 |
| 2023 | $6,758,887 | $669,213 | $936,138 | $584,500 | 78 | $632,139 | $425,911 | $593,805 |
| 2022 | $6,804,054 | $501,979 | $834,894 | $570,000 | 84 | $641,170 | $243,022 | $620,881 |
| 2021 | $7,215,656 | $796,060 | $1,077,539 | $700,000 | 107 | $782,063 | $504,235 | $777,505 |
| 2020 | $7,527,556 | $372,234 | $878,476 | $532,000 | 101 | — | $114,899 | $655,630 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Henderson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $732K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose own missions include classical education, preventing cruelty to children and women, addressing food insecurity, providing service dogs to people with disabilities, protecting rainforest wildlife, and promoting accuracy in news reporting. Other recipients included a hospital, a college, and organizations focused on security policy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 73 grants totaling $586,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $4,000.
The largest listed grants went to Lionheart Classical Academy ($100,000), Mt Auburn Hospital ($70,000), Silent Bridge ($51,000), the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States ($24,000), Food Bank of the Rockies ($23,000), and SD USA ($23,000). Other listed grants included $22,500 to Salisbury School Educational Foundation and $15,000 each to American Agri-Women Resource Center and the Salvation Army.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Roberta Henderson, Carlos Ayala, and Kevin Henderson as trustees.
Henderson Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Roberta Henderson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$22K (2020) → $37K (2024)
Carlos Ayala
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$24K (2023) → $37K (2024)
Kevin Henderson
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$18K (2023) → $35K (2024)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Barclay Henderson (2020–2023) — Trustee · Filing note: Thru 33123
- Former: Augusta Petrone (2020–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $37K, to Roberta Henderson (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Henderson Foundation
How much does Henderson Foundation give each year?
Henderson Foundation gave $586K across 73 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $585K across 78 grants.
What is Henderson Foundation's typical grant size?
Henderson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,000, and its average grant was $8,027, across 73 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Henderson Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Henderson Foundation give grants?
Henderson Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Hampshire (19%) and Washington (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Fort Collins, CO (4 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Who are Henderson Foundation's largest grantees?
Henderson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lionheart Classical Academy ($100,000), Mt Auburn Hospital ($70,000) and Silent Bridge ($51,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Henderson Foundation?
Henderson Foundation reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $697K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $732K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Henderson Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Henderson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Henderson Foundation's EIN?
Henderson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6051095. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Henderson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Henderson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/henderson-foundation-morg_eb9374dd7c124ad8ac40007cbc96d5e2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046051095_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Henderson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/henderson-foundation-morg_eb9374dd7c124ad8ac40007cbc96d5e2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Henderson Foundation'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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