John B Gray Charitable Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 04-6559143

The John B Gray Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and, according to its 2025 filing, contributes only to preselected organizations.

John B Gray Charitable Trust at a glance

In short: John B Gray Charitable Trust gave $61K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Massachusetts. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$60,948
+11.7% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
10
+42.9% vs 2024
Average grant
$6,095
-21.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$835,093
+1.7% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Massachusetts (39% 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 John B Gray Charitable Trust

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The trust does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 55806, Boston, MA 02205-5806
Phone: (617) 482-5270

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who John B Gray Charitable Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Jamestown Art Center: $20KJamestown Art Center$20KUnited Way of Central Maryland: $10KUnited Way of Central Maryland$10KNew Bedford Light: $7KNew Bedford Light$7KOur Sister's School of New: $5KOur Sister's School of New$5KYMCA Southcoast: $5KYMCA Southcoast$5KOpen Doors Inc: $5KOpen Doors Inc$5KNew Bedford Whaling Museum: $3KNew Bedford Whaling Museum$3KRotch Jones Duff House: $3KRotch Jones Duff House$3KMichael J Fox Foundation: $2KMichael J Fox Foundation$2KRosie's Place: $1KRosie's Place$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Jamestown Art Center ($20K). Together the top 10 received $61K.

Grant Size Distribution

50 grants across all recorded years

50<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (39%), Rhode Island (33%), Maryland (16%), California (8%), and New York (3%). Recipients included organizations in New Bedford and Boston, Massachusetts, and Jamestown, Rhode Island.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

Cities

New BedfordBaltimoreJamestownNew YorkBostonDartmouthS DartmouthNorwalkSouth DartmouthJamaica PlainNeedhamSanta AnaSouthborough

Is John B Gray Charitable Trust open to new grantees?

20%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.

  • 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2020–2025). 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

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K9 grants2020 10 grants2021 12 grants2022 11 grants2023 7 grants2024 10 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2020) to $64K (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $61K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Jamestown Art Center Jamestown, RIGeneral Purpose$20,316
United Way of Central Maryland Baltimore, MDGeneral Purpose$10,000
New Bedford Light S Dartmouth, MAGeneral Purpose$7,316
Our Sister's School of New New Bedford, MAGeneral Purpose$5,000
YMCA Southcoast New Bedford, MAGeneral Purpose$5,000
Open Doors Inc Santa Ana, CAGeneral Purpose$5,000
New Bedford Whaling Museum New Bedford, MAGeneral Purpose$2,816
Rotch Jones Duff House New Bedford, MAGeneral Purpose$2,500
Michael J Fox Foundation New York, NYParkinson's Research$2,000
Rosie's Place Boston, MAGeneral Purposes$1,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$835,093$88,055$74,428$60,94810$64,393$79,410$69,934
2024$821,466$108,900$66,964$54,5767$57,811$100,380$64,181
2023$779,530$101,305$68,736$55,92911$58,874$94,762$57,523
2022$746,961$114,319$75,196$64,25412$67,129$104,383$58,805
2021$707,852$29,738$63,285$52,04410$54,844$21,114$67,054
2020$741,670$1,193$59,999$50,4759—$8,883$54,843

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John B Gray Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $70K 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 available information does not state a mission for the trust. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including cultural, community, and charitable organizations, as well as a foundation supporting Parkinson’s research. New Bedford Light, which received a grant, describes its own mission as providing in-depth, fact-based journalism and a platform for diverse community voices in New Bedford and surrounding towns.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the trust gave $60,948 through 10 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $20,316, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants were $20,316 to Jamestown Art Center, $10,000 to United Way of Central Maryland, and $7,316 to New Bedford Light. Other recipients included Our Sister’s School of New Bedford and YMCA Southcoast ($5,000 each), Open Doors Inc. ($5,000), New Bedford Whaling Museum ($2,816), Rotch Jones Duff House ($2,500), Michael J Fox Foundation ($2,000), and Rosie’s Place ($1,000). The listed purposes were generally “GENERAL PURPOSE” or “GENERAL PURPOSES,” except for the Michael J Fox Foundation grant, designated for Parkinson’s research.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Lucinda Gray Carey and David M Gray as trustees.

John B Gray Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • David M. Gray

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Lucinda Gray Carey

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about John B Gray Charitable Trust

How much does John B Gray Charitable Trust give each year?

John B Gray Charitable Trust gave $61K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $55K across 7 grants.

What is John B Gray Charitable Trust's typical grant size?

John B Gray Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,095, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John B Gray Charitable Trust that year got $5K on average.

Where does John B Gray Charitable Trust give grants?

John B Gray Charitable Trust's top state is Massachusetts, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Rhode Island (33%) and Maryland (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Bedford, MA (4 grants).

Does John B Gray Charitable Trust give general operating support?

Yes: 90% of John B Gray Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are John B Gray Charitable Trust's largest grantees?

John B Gray Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Jamestown Art Center ($20,316), United Way of Central Maryland ($10,000) and New Bedford Light ($7,316), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is John B Gray Charitable Trust?

John B Gray Charitable Trust reported $835K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $64K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (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 John B Gray Charitable Trust fund?

The available information does not state a mission for the trust. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including cultural, community, and charitable organizations, as well as a foundation supporting Parkinson’s research. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from John B Gray Charitable Trust?

The trust does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is John B Gray Charitable Trust's EIN?

John B Gray Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6559143. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does John B Gray Charitable Trust 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

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 2, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). John B Gray Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-b-gray-charitable-trust-morg_e1b677912b7a4484804591e6ac8431e3

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046559143_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{John B Gray Charitable Trust funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-b-gray-charitable-trust-morg_e1b677912b7a4484804591e6ac8431e3},
  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 John B Gray Charitable Trust'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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