Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati
The Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 grants supported projects related to American Revolution history, historical collections and sites, public programs, and teacher education.
Key facts about Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati
In short: Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati gave $195K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 04-6046761
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $194,920
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- Average grant
- $8,860
- Median grant
- $5,300
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $2,240,506
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it 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 October 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
$2.2M
-0.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$195K
+28.2% YoY
Grant Count
22
-26.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
+74.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati reported a distributable amount of $206K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available sources do not state a mission specifically for the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. Its 2025 grant purposes include commemorations of the American Revolution, museum and library activities, battlefield-related history, teacher training and resources, and historical-site interpretation.
Recipients’ own mission statements describe the kinds of organizations among its grantees. The Massachusetts Historical Society says it promotes understanding of Massachusetts and national history by collecting and communicating historical materials and resources. Old North Illuminated says it interprets and preserves the Old North Church and Historic Site and seeks to inspire active citizenship and leadership. Freedom’s Way Heritage Association describes its work as connecting communities through preservation, conservation, and educational initiatives.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $194,920. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $42,500, with a median of $5,300.
Among the largest reported grants were $42,500 to the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, D.C., for programs including public lectures, teacher development, library fellowships, and exhibition support; $25,000 to the General Henry Knox Museum for partial funding of its internship program; and $13,000 to the Boston Athenaeum for a new exhibit. Other notable awards included $12,000 to the Revolution 250 Coalition for the American Revolution’s 250th anniversary commemoration, $10,950 to Prescott Community Center for historical plaques and an audio tour, and $10,100 to Concord Museum for a Patriot Day celebration and related teacher training and resources.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (50%), the District of Columbia (31%), Maine (13%), Rhode Island (5%), and New York (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $122K (2020) to $204K (2022). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $195K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Society of the Cincinnati ($60K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $164K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 119 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Society of the Cincinnati Washington, DC | Public programs - evening lectures, lunch-time talks, battlefield tours, ah tours.master teachers - provides educators with high caliber professional development experience.library fellowships - support for the ellen mccallister and clark ma library fellowships.oliver read fund - ongoing ah staff development program.publicity - media buys to publicize ari activities.exhibition - funding support for 2026 exhibition: voices of revolution.teacher workshop - proposes having ari orchestrate a day long workshop in the boston-worcester corridor for the 26-27 school year for 20-25 teachers. | $42,500 |
| General Henry Knox Museum Thomaston, ME | Partial Funding of the Internship Program. | $25,000 |
| Boston Anthenaeum Boston, MA | Developing a new exhibit, "re-reading the revolution." a large portion of the exhibit is directly related to our mission. Other topics such as lewis & clark, identity and inclusion, womens education, world war ii propaganda are oustide of our focus. Only masoc has been solicited. | $13,000 |
| Revolution 250 Coalition Boston, MA | Commemorate the 250TH Anniversary of the Revolution. | $12,000 |
| Prescott Community Center Groton, MA | 15 plaques around groton and self guided audio tour showcasing the towns involvement in the revolution. Groton militia and soldiers played a significant role at bunker hill and beyond. | $10,950 |
| Concord Museum Concord, MA | Patriot day celebration, teacher training and resources tied to the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American revolution. | $10,100 |
| Society of the Cincinnati Washington, DC | Contribution for Purchase of Auctioned French Document. | $10,000 |
| Battle Rhode Island Association Portsmouth, RI | Fund Continued Development of Website | $9,800 |
| Massachusetts Historical Society Boston, MA | Support Teacher Outreach and Masoc Fellowship. | $8,000 |
| Society of the Cincinnati Washington, DC | Contribution for Purchase of Auctioned French Document. | $7,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,240,506 | $285,534 | $287,910 | $194,920 |
| 2024 | $2,242,882 | $247,712 | $260,379 | $152,065 |
| 2023 | $2,255,549 | $145,307 | $246,809 | $174,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,240,506 | $2,242,882 | $2,255,549 |
| Revenue | $285,534 | $247,712 | $145,307 |
| Expenses | $287,910 | $260,379 | $246,809 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $216,167 | $178,877 | $184,842 |
| Net Investment Income | $222,863 | $173,486 | $81,131 |
| Distributable Amount | $205,902 | $199,880 | $178,525 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Warren Thaler as president, Tom Hunter as vice president, Christopher John Porter as treasurer, Stephen John Kelleher Jr. as assistant treasurer, Paul Kinyon as secretary, and J Archer O’Reilly III as registrar.
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati is led by Thomas Warren Thaler, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas Warren Thaler
President
Assistant Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Archer O'Reilly III
Registrar
Secretary → Registrar, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$2K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Christopher John Porter
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen John Kelleher Jr.
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Kinyon
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Hunter
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Herbert J. Motley Jr. (2020–2024) — President
- Former: Paul Clemente Jr. (2020–2024) — Vice President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $2K, to J Archer O'Reilly III (Secretary).
Contact
Mailing address: Co Welch Forbes Llc 45 School S, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 523-1635
Website: https://societyofthecincinnati.org
Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati
How much does Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati give each year?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati gave $195K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $152K across 30 grants.
What is Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's typical grant size?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's median grant in 2025 was $5,300, and its average grant was $8,860, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati that year got $7K on average.
Where does Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati give grants?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati gives mostly in Massachusetts: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (31%) and Maine (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (8 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Concord, MA (3 grants) and Groton, MA (2 grants).
Does Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's largest grantees?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's largest 2025 grantees include Society of the Cincinnati ($59,500 across 3 grants), General Henry Knox Museum ($25,000) and Boston Anthenaeum ($13,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $216K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $206K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati fund?
The available sources do not state a mission specifically for the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati?
The foundation states that it 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 Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's EIN?
Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6046761. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati 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 October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati by hand.
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