John Mirak Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Arlington, MA EIN: 23-7161662

The John Mirak Foundation is a private foundation based in Arlington, Massachusetts, established in 1972. It operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic giving across multiple subject areas including arts and culture, education, environment, religion, and human services.

Key facts about John Mirak Foundation

EIN: 23-7161662
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $644,140
Grants made (2024): 28
Average grant: $23,005
Median grant: $5,125
New grantees (estimate): 7% first-time grantees (2 of 28, 2024)
Total assets: $6,287,487
Primary geography: Massachusetts (43% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who John Mirak Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for John Mirak Foundation's 28 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (43%), 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). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is John Mirak Foundation open to new grantees?

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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.3M

Annual Giving

$644K

Grant Count

Avg Grant Size

$23K

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation gives primarily for Armenian cultural organizations and Armenian-related causes, with additional funding directed toward:

Arts and culture, with emphasis on cultural awareness
Education
Environment, including biodiversity and forest preservation
Religion, particularly Orthodox Christianity
Human services

Grantmaking

The foundation made 40 grants in 2023, with total giving of $637,000–$644,140 depending on the reporting period.

Grant Range

$5,100

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports initiatives across multiple U.S. locations, including:

Arlington, Massachusetts
Belmont, Massachusetts
Berkeley, California
New York
New Jersey
Washington, D.C.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $279K (43%)

New York $135K (21%)

California $50K (8%)

New Jersey $6K (1%)

District of Columbia $5K (1%)

All other $170K (26%)

Share of all 28 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California District of Columbia Massachusetts New Jersey New York Tennessee

Cities

ArlingtonWatertownNew YorkBelmontBerkeleyBrooklineFranklinLexingtonParamusWashingtonNewtonFraminghamNewport BeachSyracuseWellesleyBostonMemphisPeabodyRevere

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

$6.3–$14 million (figures vary across reporting sources and years)
2023 assets: $6,494,717

Annual Activity:

2023 total revenues: $787,390
2023 total expenses: $937,427
2024 total distributions: $680,000

Contact Information:

Address: 438 Massachusetts Avenue, Apt. 127, Arlington, MA 02474-5110
Telephone: 781-641-6536

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2022	2021
Total Assets	$6,287,487	$6,644,754	$6,608,301
Revenue	$726,151	$976,956	$1,122,543
Expenses	$1,239,165	$940,503	$948,726
Qualifying Distributions	$679,840	$664,773	$653,849
Net Investment Income	$181,826	$709,455	$832,666
Distributable Amount	$685,397	$628,246	$632,695

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

145 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Armenian Cultural Foundation ($161,340), Armenia Tree Project ($104,500), Fund for Armenian Relief ($70,000).

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

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Robert Mirak – Manager (5 hours per week, no compensation)
Julia Mirak Kew – Trustee (10 hours per week, $10,000 compensation)
Jennifer Leach – Trustee (10 hours per week, $24,000 compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Robert Mirak	Manager	5	—
Julia Mirak Kew	Trustee	10	$10,000
Jennifer Leach	Trustee	10	$24,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What does John Mirak Foundation fund?

The foundation gives primarily for Armenian cultural organizations and Armenian-related causes, with additional funding directed toward: • Arts and culture, with emphasis on cultural awareness • Education • Environment, including biodiversity and forest preservation • Religion, particularly Orthodox Christianity • Human services

How do I apply for a grant from John Mirak Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 28 grants in the most recent tax year (2024) • Total distributions: $680,000 (2024) • Median grant size: $5,100 • Maximum grant: $161,000 • Typical award range: $250–$220,000 **Recent Grantees:** • Armenian Cultural Foundation: $220,000 • Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR): $75,000 • The Paros Foundation: $50,000 The foundation made 40 grants in 2023, with total giving of $637,000–$644,140 depending on the reporting period.

Where does John Mirak Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports initiatives across multiple U.S. locations, including: • Arlington, Massachusetts • Belmont, Massachusetts • Berkeley, California • New York • New Jersey • Washington, D.C.

What size grants does John Mirak Foundation award?

In 2024, John Mirak Foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $644K — an average of about $23K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is John Mirak Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, John Mirak Foundation reported a distributable amount of $685K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.