John Mirak Foundation
The John Mirak Foundation is a private foundation based in Arlington, Massachusetts. Its 2024 grants included support for Armenian cultural and relief organizations, as well as organizations working in areas such as food access, bereavement support, affordable housing, and historic preservation.
John Mirak Foundation at a glance
In short: John Mirak Foundation gave $644K across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), top state Massachusetts. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $644,140
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- Average grant
- $23,005
- Median grant
- $5,125
- Total assets
- $6,287,487
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (43% 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 John Mirak Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 438 Massachusetts Ave Apt 127, Arlington, MA 02476
Phone: (781) 641-6536
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John Mirak Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Armenian Cultural Foundation ($161K). Together the top 10 received $576K.
Grant Size Distribution
145 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 145 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant-dollar distribution by recipient state was Massachusetts (43%), New York (21%), California (8%), and New Jersey (1%); 26% is listed with the recipient state unspecified. Named 2024 grantees were based in Massachusetts, New York, and California, as well as in locations not specified in the grant listing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John Mirak Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 28 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $5K repeat.
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% 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 $574K (2020) to $644K (2024). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $644K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Armenian Cultural Foundation Arlington, MA | General purpose | $161,340 |
| Armenia Tree Project | General purpose | $104,500 |
| Fund for Armenian Relief New York, NY | General purpose | $70,000 |
| Paros Foundation Berkeley, CA | General purpose | $50,000 |
| AYG Foundation Lexington, MA | General purpose | $50,000 |
| Autism National Fund | General purpose | $40,000 |
| Children of Armenia Fund New York, NY | General purpose | $30,000 |
| Food Link Inc Arlington, MA | General purpose | $25,000 |
| Tumo | General purpose | $25,000 |
| Tufenkian Foundation New York, NY | General purpose | $20,000 |
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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 | $6,287,487 | $726,151 | $1,239,165 | $644,140 | 28 | $679,840 | $181,826 | $685,397 |
| 2022 | $6,644,754 | $976,956 | $940,503 | $625,000 | 40 | $664,773 | $709,455 | $628,246 |
| 2021 | $6,608,301 | $1,122,543 | $948,726 | $616,950 | 38 | $653,849 | $832,666 | $632,695 |
| 2020 | $6,484,484 | $861,843 | $911,850 | $573,750 | 39 | — | $572,432 | $587,863 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Mirak Foundation reported a distributable amount of $685K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations including the Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenia Tree Project, Fund for Armenian Relief, and Children of Armenia Fund. The grantee descriptions indicate a range of work: for example, Fund for Armenian Relief describes its mission as supporting people in Armenia and contributing to an equitable, sustainable, and resilient Armenian homeland; Children of Armenia Fund says it works to empower young people in rural Armenian villages, with an emphasis on education.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in Greater Boston food access and systems change (Food Link), creating supportive communities for grieving children and families (The Children’s Room), and providing food to Arlington residents experiencing food insecurity (Arlington EATS). The Housing Corporation of Arlington describes its work as developing and managing affordable housing and providing social and civic services, while the Schwamb Mill Preservation Trust focuses on preserving the Old Schwamb Mill.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $644,140. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $161,340, with a median of $5,125. The largest awards included $161,340 to the Armenian Cultural Foundation, $104,500 to Armenia Tree Project, $70,000 to Fund for Armenian Relief, $50,000 each to the Paros Foundation and AYG Foundation, and $40,000 to Autism National Fund. Other notable grants included $30,000 to Children of Armenia Fund, $25,000 each to Food Link and TUMO, and $20,000 to Tufenkian Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Mirak as Manager and Julia Mirak Kew and Jennifer Leach as Trustees.
John Mirak Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer Leach
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Julia Mirak Kew
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Robert Mirak
Manager
On filings since 2020
5 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 $24K, to Jennifer Leach (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about John Mirak Foundation
How much does John Mirak Foundation give each year?
John Mirak Foundation gave $644K across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is John Mirak Foundation's typical grant size?
John Mirak Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,125, and its average grant was $23,005, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John Mirak Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does John Mirak Foundation give grants?
John Mirak Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (21%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Arlington, MA (13 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Watertown, MA (2 grants).
Does John Mirak Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John Mirak Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John Mirak Foundation's largest grantees?
John Mirak Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Armenian Cultural Foundation ($161,340), Armenia Tree Project ($104,500) and Fund for Armenian Relief ($70,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John Mirak Foundation?
John Mirak Foundation reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $680K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $685K (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 Mirak Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations including the Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenia Tree Project, Fund for Armenian Relief, and Children of Armenia Fund. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John Mirak Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that 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 Mirak Foundation's EIN?
John Mirak Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7161662. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does John Mirak 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 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). John Mirak Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-mirak-foundation-morg_5db0a18f5f504304aaf109325db66c68
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237161662_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John Mirak Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-mirak-foundation-morg_5db0a18f5f504304aaf109325db66c68},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Mirak 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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