New England Biolabs Foundation Inc
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Its mission is to foster community-based conservation of landscapes, seascapes, and biocultural diversity in selected countries and in coastal communities on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: New England Biolabs Foundation Inc gave $194K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $194,100
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- Average grant
- $8,823
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $9,923,936
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (17% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to New England Biolabs Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) first. The foundation invites aligned applicants to submit a full proposal; do not submit a full proposal unless invited. The filing directs applicants to the foundation’s website for complete instructions and award restrictions. The foundation says applications are reviewed twice a year. Its filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation states that its 2026 grant round is closed. Its listed 2027 LOI windows are November 15, 2026–January 8, 2027, with a proposal deadline of February 15, 2027, and July 30–August 27, 2027, with a proposal deadline of October 1, 2027. Listed funding decisions are due by April 30 and November 30, 2027, respectively.
- Deadline
- The foundation states that its 2026 grant round is closed.
- Contact
Application contact: Jessica L Brown
Mailing address: 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone: (978) 998-7990
Website: https://www.nebf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who New England Biolabs Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cace - Center for Amazon Comm Ecology ($13K). Together the top 10 received $110K.
Grant Size Distribution
22 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 22 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated areas of focus are Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras in Central America; Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador in Andean South America; Ghana and Cameroon in West Africa; and the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
How New England Biolabs Foundation Inc gives
- In 2024 it paid out 834% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $194K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cace - Center for Amazon Comm Ecology Lemoyne, PA | Sustainable harvest and marketing of value-added non-timber forest products (NTFPS) with native communities in the northern peruvian amazon (two-year grant) | $12,500 |
| Camino Verde Concord, MA | Oil polyculture agroforestry systems taken to full potential in amazonian indigenous communities (two-year grant) | $12,500 |
| Alianza Arkana | Profesores indigenas bilingues por la agroecologia, la soberania alimentaria y la conservacion ambiental/bilingual indigenous teachers for agroecology, food sovereignty and environmental conservation | $12,000 |
| Artists for Soup Millbrook, NY | Strengthening small enterprise opportunity and water/sanitation measures for women participating in agroecology projects in rural nicaragua (region of masaya) | $12,000 |
| Asociacion De Mujeres Unidas Para El Desarrollo Sostenible (Asmudes) | Aprovechamiento, procesamiento y comercializacion de productos secondarios de bosque e implementacion silvopastoril en dos comunidades del anmi el palmar/use, processing and marketing of secondary forest products and implementation of silvopastoralism in the anmi el palmar | $12,000 |
| Yunkawasi | Programa de fortalecimiento de liderazgos comunitarios para la conservacion de la biodiversidad en el peru | $12,000 |
| Accelerated Rural Development Organisation (Ardo) | Deepening environmental resilience of togo plateau landscape of the akwapim togo mountain ranges in the guan district of ghana | $10,400 |
| Cameroon Gender & Environment Watch (Camgew) | Transferring indigenous knowledge and practices that conserve kilum-ijim forest for children | $10,400 |
| Asociacion Cindes | Unificacion de areas de biodiversidad regional y reservas biologicas indigenas para la conservacion de la vida de especies silvestres en desaparicion en la amazonia peruana/ unification of regional biodiversity areas and indigenous biological reserves for the conservation of the life of disappearing wild species in the peruvian amazon | $8,000 |
| Heritage and Culture for Development | Our nature, our heritage, our identity project: indigenous communities leading nature-friendly practices to conserve the weto landscape | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with New England Biolabs Foundation Inc?
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 | $9,923,936 | $610,861 | $394,152 | $194,100 | 22 | $214,600 | $4,100 | $25,727 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, New England Biolabs Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $26K 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
The foundation supports community stewardship of landscapes and seascapes and the biocultural diversity found in them. Its stated priorities include conserving biological diversity; sustaining cultural and linguistic diversity and traditional knowledge; maintaining ecosystem services; supporting food sovereignty and local economic vitality; and sustaining healthy reefs and fisheries.
Supported approaches include community-led protected areas, ecological restoration using native species, alternative livelihoods such as agroecology and non-timber forest products, environmental education drawing on Indigenous and local traditions, and arts-based environmental communication. In North Shore Massachusetts coastal communities, it also supports artistic expression projects that raise awareness or catalyze action, promote environmental protection, or foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The foundation describes its grantees as grassroots organizations and other NGOs. Among its 2024 grantees, Camino Verde Inc describes its mission as forest landscape restoration of the Amazon Rainforest. Nourishing the North Shore Inc says its mission is to ensure equal access to healthy, local food for North Shore communities while building community and promoting dignity and self-reliance. The Ocean Foundation describes its mission as improving global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $194,100. Grants ranged from $6,400 to $12,500, with a median grant of $8,000. The foundation states that international grants range from $5,000 to $15,000 and local grants from $4,000 to $10,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $12,500 each to CACE – Center for Amazon Community Ecology for work on sustainable harvesting and marketing of non-timber forest products with Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon, and to Camino Verde for oil polyculture agroforestry in Amazonian Indigenous communities. Other grants included $12,000 to Artists for Soup for work with women participating in agroecology projects in rural Nicaragua, $8,000 to Nourishing the North Shore for its VegOut program, and $8,000 to The Ocean Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jessica L. Brown as executive director; Heidi Ellard as president and director; Henry P. Paulus, Dylan Comb, and Barbara Vallarino as directors; Jovial King as clerk and director; and Brian Tinger as treasurer and director.
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc is led by Jessica L. Brown, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jessica L. Brown
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$11K (2024)
Heidi Ellard
President & Director
President, Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dylan Comb
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry P. Paulus
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jovial King
Clerk & Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Vallarino
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Tinger
Treasurer & Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David C. Comb (2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "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 $11K, to Jessica L Brown (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about New England Biolabs Foundation Inc
How much does New England Biolabs Foundation Inc give each year?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc gave $194K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $8,000, and its average grant was $8,823, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does New England Biolabs Foundation Inc give grants?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's top state is Massachusetts, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (6%) and New York (6%).
Does New England Biolabs Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Cace - Center for Amazon Comm Ecology ($12,500), Camino Verde ($12,500) and Alianza Arkana ($12,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is New England Biolabs Foundation Inc?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc reported $9.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $215K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does New England Biolabs Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation supports community stewardship of landscapes and seascapes and the biocultural diversity found in them. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from New England Biolabs Foundation Inc?
Submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) first. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's EIN?
New England Biolabs Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1644428. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
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 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). New England Biolabs Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/new-england-biolabs-foundation-inc-morg_64c51a4444634c37bc80c713b21785a6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931644428_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{New England Biolabs Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/new-england-biolabs-foundation-inc-morg_64c51a4444634c37bc80c713b21785a6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 New England Biolabs 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.
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