Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Quincy, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, it supports educational organizations and community-rooted efforts to advance student-centered public education for young people in New England.
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc gave $21.0M across 140 grants in 2024 (avg $150K), top state Massachusetts. 28% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $21,041,282
- +40.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 140
- -40.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $150,295
- +134.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $543,039,688
- +4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (34 of 122, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (21% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
- Next open deadline
- November 5, 2026 (Nellie Mae Event Sponsorship Fund Grant)
- Contact
Mailing address: 1250 Hancock Street 701N, Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: (781) 348-4200
Website: https://nmefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
Lawrence W. O'Toole Teacher Leadership Awards
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
Amount
$15,000 per award (up to 12 awards)
Deadline
Deadline not published
Nellie Mae Event Sponsorship Fund Grant
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
November 5, 2026
Listed date — confirm with the funder
Who Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Bridgespan Group ($3.7M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $10.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,283 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 749 grants of 1,283 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as regional, serving New England communities. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (21%), California (18%), Rhode Island (17%), New York (10%), and Connecticut (7%). The listed grants also include recipients elsewhere in the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 140 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 34 of 122 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $271K; repeat grants $135K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $100K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $15.0M (2023) to $34.8M (2020). In 2024 it made 140 grants totaling $21.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Bridgespan Group San Francisco, CA | Capacity Building Accelerator Provider | $2,995,000 |
| FSG Inc Boston, MA | Systems Transformation: Bridge Strategy | $1,323,915 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Education research infrastructure initiative: new knowledge, innovations, and training in new england | $850,000 |
| Fund for the City of New York New York, NY | Launch of the center for youth and the future of work and a national study | $600,000 |
| New Venture Fund Baltimore, MD | Operating Support - Communities for Just Schools Fund | $500,000 |
| Roger Williams University Providence, RI | RI Movement Building | $500,000 |
| National Network of State Teachers of the Year Inc Wichita, KS | Empowered Educator Voices Fellows | $460,000 |
| The Bridgespan Group San Francisco, CA | Convening Capacity Building Accelerator Participants | $455,000 |
| Foundation for Louisiana New Orleans, LA | Sponsoring Executive Leadership Experiences for BIPOC Leaders | $300,000 |
| New Venture Fund Baltimore, MD | Leading now - superintendent support to build public engagement skills | $300,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $543,039,688 | $40,949,471 | $29,994,105 | $21,041,282 | 140 | $40,949,471 |
| 2023 | $519,417,333 | $21,415,739 | $23,090,325 | $14,989,912 | 234 | $21,215,739 |
| 2022 | $483,194,914 | $23,248,571 | $26,327,764 | $18,398,199 | 257 | $22,548,571 |
| 2021 | $585,493,964 | $94,584,276 | $23,289,401 | $15,608,882 | 266 | $94,484,276 |
| 2020 | $533,194,184 | $28,672,878 | $43,160,448 | $34,772,633 | 386 | $28,662,878 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to champion efforts that prioritize community goals, challenge inequities, and advance excellent, student-centered public education for all New England youth. Its filing describes support for public-charity educational organizations through grants and services. Its four stated portfolios are Capacity Building Accelerator, Systems Transformation, Strengthening Coalitions, and Integrated Reinforcing Activities. It also describes rapid-response funding and event sponsorships.
The 2024 grants illustrate support for a range of organizations and activities. For example, FSG describes its work as providing strategy consulting, evaluation, research, and thought leadership to nonprofit and philanthropic communities. Education Resource Strategies says it partners with school-system leaders on resources, structures, and practices to help students learn and thrive. The National Network of State Teachers of the Year describes its goal as improving access to great teaching and learning for all students. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 140 grants totaling $21,041,282. Grant amounts ranged from $5,689 to $2,995,000, with a median of $100,000. Among the largest awards were $2,995,000 to The Bridgespan Group for a capacity-building accelerator provider; $1,323,915 to FSG Inc for a systems-transformation bridge strategy; $850,000 to Brown University for an education research infrastructure initiative; and $600,000 to the Fund for the City of New York for the launch of a center and a national study.
Other notable 2024 grants included $500,000 to New Venture Fund for operating support for the Communities for Just Schools Fund, $460,000 to the National Network of State Teachers of the Year for Empowered Educator Voices Fellows, and $300,000 to Foundation for Louisiana for executive leadership experiences for BIPOC leaders.
The foundation’s website lists event sponsorships of up to $5,000, with 2026 application deadlines of March 26, June 25, September 10, and November 5. As of October 2, 2026, the first three deadlines have passed; November 5 is upcoming. The website also lists Strengthening State Coalitions for Public Education in New England and links to related request-for-qualification materials.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists the following directors: Prudence Carter, Prabal Chakrabarti, Mishone Donelson, Betty Francisco, Elizabeth Hilpman, Debra Humphreys, John Jackson, Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Makeeba McCreary, and Elsa Nunez.
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc is led by Gisele Shorter, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; all 24 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gisele Shorter
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
60 hrs/week
$285K (2023) → $514K (2024)
Betty Francisco
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Colleen Quint
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$28K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Dania Vazquez
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Deborah Jewell-Sherman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Elizabeth Hilpman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Elsa Nunez
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $27K (2024)
Jessica Spohn
Director of Grantmaking
Director of Grantmaking → Interim President, 2023
Interim President → Director of Grantmaking, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$184K (2020) → $269K (2024)
John Jackson
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$20K (2020) → $24K (2024)
John Remondi
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $27K (2024)
Nicholas Warren
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$24K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Prabal Chakrabarti
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2023) → $24K (2024)
Warren Simmons
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $39K (2024)
Marcos Popovich
Program Director & Grantmaking
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$142K (2021) → $182K (2024)
Mishone Donelson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$20K (2022) → $20K (2024)
Debra Humphreys
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$15K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Makeeba McCreary
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Prudence Carter
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Michael Carey
Vice President of Finance
Vice President for Finance, Administrator & Treasurer → Interim CEO & Treasurer, 2023
Interim CEO & Treasurer → Vice President of Finance, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$296K (2020) → $347K (2024)
Pamela White
Clerk
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$109K (2020) → $8K (2024)
Paul Marsh
It Manager
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$151K (2021) → $172K (2024)
Alexis Harewood
Senior Program Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$129K (2024)
Erin Brouillette
Chief Financial Officer
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$135K (2024)
Stephanie Cheney
Senior Manager, Grants & Programs
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$148K (2024)
Former officers (13)
- Former: Delia Arellano-Weddleton (2020–2023) — Director of Engagement & Partnerhips
- Former: Gislaine Ngounou (2020–2023) — Interim President & CEO
- Former: Nicholas C. Donohue (2020–2023) — Former President & CEO
- Former: Christina Jimenez Moret (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Nina Culberston (2021–2023) — Program Director, Learning, Research & Eval
- Former: Ellen Wang (2023) — Senior Program & Equity Officer
- Former: Gregory Gunn (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Stephen Kossakoski (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Allen Boston (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Charles Toulmin (2020) — Director of Policy · Filing note: Until 13120
- Former: Eve Goldberg (2020) — Director of Research · Filing note: Until 33120
- Former: Janet Phlegar (2020) — Director
- Former: Sonia Gleason (2020) — Director of Strategic Learning & Eval. · Filing note: Until 41020
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 $514K, to Dr Gisele Shorter (President & CEO). 24 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc
How much does Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc give each year?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc gave $21.0M across 140 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $15.0M across 234 grants.
What is Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $150,295, across 140 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc that year got $271K on average.
Where does Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc give grants?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's top state is Massachusetts, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (18%) and Rhode Island (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (21 grants), Providence, RI (20 grants), New York, NY (11 grants) and Washington, DC (9 grants).
Does Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 11% of Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 140) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Building Accelerator" (28 grants), "Advocacy Cohort 2024-26" (5 grants) and "Educational Programming" (3 grants).
Who are Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include The Bridgespan Group ($3,725,000 across 3 grants), FSG Inc ($1,323,915) and Roger Williams University ($1,125,680 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc reported $543.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $40.9M.
What does Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to champion efforts that prioritize community goals, challenge inequities, and advance excellent, student-centered public education for all New England youth. Its filing describes support for public-charity educational organizations through grants and services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nmefoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's EIN?
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2755323. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nellie-mae-education-foundation-inc-morg_a656195f55944c07ab6684dfb4a98ce0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042755323_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nellie-mae-education-foundation-inc-morg_a656195f55944c07ab6684dfb4a98ce0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc'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.
Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?