Highland Street Connection
Highland Street Connection, which operates as the Highland Street Foundation, is a private foundation based in Newton, Massachusetts. Its stated mission is to address pressing needs and concerns for children and families in Massachusetts and California, providing access and opportunities in areas including education, housing, mentorship, health care, the environment, and the arts.
Highland Street Connection at a glance
In short: Highland Street Connection gave $4.4M across 410 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in Massachusetts. 22% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,400,675
- +11.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 410
- +51.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,733
- -26.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $60,381,854
- -9.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (66 of 303, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (79% 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 Highland Street Connection
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Organizations can take an online eligibility quiz and, if eligible, submit a brief letter of inquiry describing their organization and mission and making a condensed funding request. It accepts one letter of inquiry per organization per year; organizations are asked to submit information on one program or request general operating support. Additional materials should not be submitted unless requested. After formal review, the foundation says it will notify applicants of the inquiry’s status; the process may take up to 12 weeks.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2223 Washington Street 104, Newton, MA 02462
Phone: (617) 969-8900
Website: https://www.highlandstreet.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Highland Street Connection
Who Highland Street Connection funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Camp Harbor View ($187K across 6 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,449 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,344 grants of 1,449 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it primarily funds programs within Massachusetts and also supports a limited number of organizations outside the state at trustees’ request. It does not fund organizations based outside the United States. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 16% to California, 2% to Nevada, and 1% each to Maine and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 410 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Highland Street Connection open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 66 of 303 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 190% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $3.5M (2021) to $4.9M (2020). In 2024 it made 410 grants totaling $4.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | For Arts and Culture. | $100,000 |
| BPS Foundation Las Vegas, NV | For Educational Programs. | $100,000 |
| Camp Harbor View Boston, MA | For Youth Programming. | $100,000 |
| City of Boston Scholarship Fund City of Boston Boston, MA | For Arts and Culture. | $100,000 |
| Eisenhower Health Foundation Rancho Mirage, CA | For Healthcare. | $100,000 |
| Living Desert Palm Desert, CA | For Arts and Culture. | $100,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Boston Boston, MA | For Community. | $100,000 |
| Palm Springs International Film Society Palm Springs, CA | For Arts and Culture. | $75,000 |
| Xavier College Preparatory High School Palm Desert, CA | For Educational Programs. | $60,000 |
| Be Like Brit Foundation Worcester, MA | For Empowerment. | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Highland Street Connection?
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 | $60,381,854 | $6,706,408 | $8,160,981 | $4,400,675 | 410 | $6,745,145 | $5,417,546 | $3,547,048 |
| 2023 | $66,830,483 | $6,029,075 | $7,928,618 | $3,959,100 | 271 | $6,584,697 | $4,756,192 | $1,199,349 |
| 2022 | $72,739,346 | $2,828,124 | $7,425,387 | $3,918,739 | 242 | $6,092,167 | $1,576,261 | $3,812,678 |
| 2021 | $75,919,466 | $6,267,657 | $6,811,164 | $3,511,005 | 220 | $5,447,878 | $4,998,187 | $3,913,196 |
| 2020 | $74,050,006 | $4,748,542 | $8,142,169 | $4,854,217 | 306 | — | $3,544,893 | $3,497,153 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Highland Street Connection reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2024 — 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 mission is to address the most pressing needs and concerns for children and families in Massachusetts and California. Its stated areas of interest include education, youth programming and mentoring, housing and homelessness prevention, the environment, health care, and the arts.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees. The Boston Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as making music and providing educational and training programs. The Boston Public Library Fund says it supports the Boston Public Library so it can remain viable, engaging, accessible, and free. English for New Bostonians describes its work as ensuring access to high-quality English classes for adult immigrants. Crossroads says it provides people with disabilities training and experience in employment, residential, and community involvement.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 410 grants totaling $4,400,675. Awards ranged from $400 to $100,000, with a median of $5,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $100,000 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for arts and culture; $100,000 to Camp Harbor View for youth programming; $100,000 to the Eisenhower Health Foundation for health care; and $100,000 to the YMCA of Greater Boston for community. Other notable awards included $75,000 to the Palm Springs International Film Society, $60,000 to Xavier College Preparatory High School, and $50,000 each to the Boston Public Library Fund, English for New Bostonians, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and Crossroads.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists JoAnn McGrath, David J. McGrath III, Sean P. McGrath, and Michael Keating as trustees, and Blake Jordan as executive director.
Highland Street Connection is led by Blake Jordan, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Blake Jordan
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$416K (2020) → $494K (2024)
David J. McGrath III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joann McGrath
Trustee
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Keating
Trustee
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sean P. McGrath
Trustee
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 $494K, to Blake Jordan (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Highland Street Connection
How much does Highland Street Connection give each year?
Highland Street Connection gave $4.4M across 410 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.0M across 271 grants.
What is Highland Street Connection's typical grant size?
Highland Street Connection's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,733, across 410 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Highland Street Connection that year got $9K on average.
Where does Highland Street Connection give grants?
Highland Street Connection gives mostly in Massachusetts: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (151 grants), Palm Desert, CA (26 grants), New Bedford, MA (19 grants) and Worcester, MA (14 grants).
Does Highland Street Connection give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 410 grants with a stated purpose on Highland Street Connection's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Community." (131 grants), "For Arts and Culture." (102 grants) and "For Educational Programs." (53 grants).
Who are Highland Street Connection's largest grantees?
Highland Street Connection's largest 2024 grantees include Camp Harbor View ($186,500 across 6 grants), YMCA of Greater Boston ($183,500 across 7 grants) and Living Desert ($156,500 across 5 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Highland Street Connection?
Highland Street Connection reported $60.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Highland Street Connection fund?
The foundation’s mission is to address the most pressing needs and concerns for children and families in Massachusetts and California. Its stated areas of interest include education, youth programming and mentoring, housing and homelessness prevention, the environment, health care, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Highland Street Connection?
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 Highland Street Connection's EIN?
Highland Street Connection's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3048298. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Highland Street Connection 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 September 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). Highland Street Connection funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/highland-street-connection-morg_50c126c225b0479f8a375502ecbb2ab6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043048298_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Highland Street Connection funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/highland-street-connection-morg_50c126c225b0479f8a375502ecbb2ab6},
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 Highland Street Connection'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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