Nancy Sayles Day Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 06-6071254

The Nancy Sayles Day Foundation is based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing lists 19 grants totaling $913,500, including support for organizations serving Nantucket and other Massachusetts communities.

Key facts about Nancy Sayles Day Foundation

In short: Nancy Sayles Day Foundation gave $914K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $48K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
06-6071254
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$913,500
Grants made (2024)
19
Average grant
$48,079
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$13,027,020
Primary geography
Massachusetts (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$13.0M

-1.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$914K

+25.4% YoY

Grant Count

19

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$48K

+25.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nancy Sayles Day Foundation reported a distributable amount of $867K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

How Nancy Sayles Day Foundation gives

  • 88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 120% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

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

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants support a range of organizations, including conservation, health, human services, community, and cultural organizations. For example, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation says it protects and stewards land and coastal shoreline and conducts ecological research; Addiction Solutions of Nantucket says it provides addiction services to Nantucket residents; and the Nantucket Historical Association says it preserves and interprets the island’s history.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $913,500. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $400,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest listed awards were $400,000 and $266,000 to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation for capital campaigns. Other notable grants included $50,000 to St. Paul’s Church for general support and $50,000 to Lahey Clinic for research and education administered by Dr. Bruce Campbell. The foundation also awarded $25,000 to Nantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation for general support.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts. The listed recipients include multiple Nantucket organizations, as well as organizations in Burlington and other Massachusetts locations. The filing also reports shares rounded to 0% for Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.

Cities

NantucketBedfordBurlingtonExeterFarmingtonPottstownSmithfieldAnn ArborBostonMorristonWalnutWashingtonWhitinsville

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M1 grant2020 22 grants2021 26 grants2022 19 grants2023 19 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $627K (2020) to $914K (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $914K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Nantucket Conservation Foundation: $691K across 3 grantsNantucket ConservationFoundation$691K · 3 grantsSt Paul's Church: $50KSt Paul's Church$50KLahey Clinic: $50KLahey Clinic$50KNantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation: $25KNantucket Cottage HospitalFoundation$25KNantucket Land Council: $15KNantucket Land Council$15KA Safe Place: $10KA Safe Place$10KAddiction Solutions of Nantucket Inc: $10KAddiction Solutions ofNantucket Inc$10KNantucket Food Fuel and Rental Assistance: $10KNantucket Food Fuel and RentalAssistance$10KNantucket Center for Elder Affairs: $10KNantucket Center for ElderAffairs$10KNantucket Community Sailing: $10KNantucket Community Sailing$10K

The largest 2024 recipient was Nantucket Conservation Foundation ($691K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $881K.

Grant Size Distribution

87 grants across all recorded years

75<$50K5$50–100K1$100–250K4$250–500K2$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 87 (86%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Nantucket Conservation Foundation Nantucket, MACapital Campaign$400,000
Nantucket Conservation Foundation Nantucket, MACapital Campaign$266,000
St Paul's Church Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$50,000
Lahey Clinic Burlington, MATo be administered by dr bruce campbell for research and education.$50,000
Nantucket Conservation Foundation Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$25,000
Nantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$25,000
Nantucket Land Council Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$15,000
A Safe Place Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$10,000
Addiction Solutions of Nantucket Inc Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$10,000
Nantucket Food Fuel and Rental Assistance Nantucket, MAGeneral Support$10,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2024 $13,027,020 $978,561 $1,079,972 $913,500 (19 grants)
2023 $13,166,821 $682,816 $880,078 $728,500 (19 grants)
2022 $13,431,615 $1,166,029 $911,804 $749,000 (26 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$13,027,020$13,166,821$13,431,615
Revenue$978,561$682,816$1,166,029
Expenses$1,079,972$880,078$911,804
Qualifying Distributions$1,037,005$831,008$862,272
Net Investment Income$956,165$644,642$1,119,684
Distributable Amount$867,063$809,801$839,411

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Mary G West and Nathaniel Jeppson as co-trustees.

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Mary G. West

    Co-Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nathaniel Jeppson

    Co-Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/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.

Contact

Mailing address: 50 Congress Street 800, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 624-0610

Frequently asked questions about Nancy Sayles Day Foundation

How much does Nancy Sayles Day Foundation give each year?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation gave $914K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $729K across 19 grants.

What is Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's typical grant size?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $48,079, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Nancy Sayles Day Foundation give grants?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (14 grants).

Does Nancy Sayles Day Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 68% of Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's largest grantees?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Nantucket Conservation Foundation ($691,000 across 3 grants), St Paul's Church ($50,000) and Lahey Clinic ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Nancy Sayles Day Foundation?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation reported $13.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $867K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Nancy Sayles Day Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants support a range of organizations, including conservation, health, human services, community, and cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Nancy Sayles Day Foundation?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's EIN?

Nancy Sayles Day Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6071254. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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