John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation
The John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2025, it gave $126,250 through 29 grants to charitable organizations working in areas including disability advocacy, health, humanitarian aid, food access, housing, and wildlife conservation.
Key facts about John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation
In short: John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation gave $126K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Massachusetts. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 04-6896202
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $126,250
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- Average grant
- $4,353
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (18 of 29, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,172,095
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2M
-7.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$126K
+31.5% YoY
Grant Count
29
+93.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
-32.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $58K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 29 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 28% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 218% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress says it works to support the inclusion and opportunities of people with Down syndrome and their families. Wildlife Conservation Network says it connects conservationists and supporters and deploys resources to conservation work. Belknap House says it provides shelter and resources to homeless families in Belknap County. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes cancer research and care (Pledge the Pink Foundation), support for Heifer Project International (Heifer International Foundation), cheetah conservation and education (Cheetah Conservation Fund), and efforts to end hunger in western North Carolina (MANNA FoodBank).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $126,250. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $20,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest awards included $20,000 each to Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and The Small World, and $15,000 to Lahey Clinic. Other notable grants included $11,250 to Wildlife Conservation Network, $10,000 to Belknap House, $7,500 to Doctors Without Borders, and $6,500 to the International Rescue Committee. The listed 2025 grants state “general purpose” as their purpose.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts organizations received 45% of grant dollars, followed by organizations in New York (14%), New Hampshire (10%), California (10%), and the District of Columbia (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2019) to $135K (2022). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $126K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress ($20K). Together the top 10 received $101K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 82 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress Burlington, MA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| The Small World Jamaica Plain, MA | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Lahey Clinic Burlington, MA | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Network San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $11,250 |
| Belknap House Laconia, NH | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Purpose | $7,500 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | General Purpose | $6,500 |
| Pledge the Pink Foundation Bluffton, SC | General Purpose | $4,000 |
| Heifer International Foundation Little Rock, AR | General Purpose | $3,750 |
| Cheetah Conservation Fund Alexandria, VA | General Purpose | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $126,250 | 29 |
| 2024 | $96,000 | 15 |
| 2023 | $113,000 | 18 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,172,095 | $1,267,876 | $1,371,926 |
| Revenue | $38,303 | $-384 | $16,602 |
| Expenses | $134,409 | $104,148 | $123,538 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $126,250 | $96,000 | $113,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $51,330 | $43,761 | $41,315 |
| Distributable Amount | $57,873 | $60,701 | $63,466 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 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 May 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher Nelson, Scott Nelson, and Michael Nelson as trustees.
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John Nelson (2019) — Trustee
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 201 Washington St 11Th Fl, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 723-8200
Frequently asked questions about John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation
How much does John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation give each year?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation gave $126K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $96K across 15 grants.
What is John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,353, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation give grants?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (14%) and New Hampshire (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Burlington, MA (2 grants).
Does John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress ($20,000), The Small World ($20,000) and Lahey Clinic ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $126K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $58K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations with varied missions. For example, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress says it works to support the inclusion and opportunities of people with Down syndrome and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's EIN?
John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6896202. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does John and Judith Nelson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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