New England Biolabs Foundation
The New England Biolabs Foundation is a private foundation based in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Its mission is to foster community-based conservation of landscapes and seascapes and the biocultural diversity found in them, supporting grassroots organizations and other NGOs in selected regions as well as community-based conservation and arts and cultural projects on Massachusetts’ North Shore.
New England Biolabs Foundation at a glance
In short: New England Biolabs Foundation gave $1.1M across 117 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,060,635
- -27.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 117
- -20.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,065
- -9.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (15 of 115, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (53% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to New England Biolabs Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Begin with a letter of inquiry (LOI) through the foundation’s online application system. Applicants may submit a full proposal only if invited after LOI review. The foundation reviews LOIs and proposals twice a year; application instructions and restrictions are provided on its website. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The listed 2027 LOI periods are November 15, 2026–January 8, 2027, and July 30–August 27, 2027. Corresponding proposal deadlines are February 15 and October 1, 2027.
- Deadline
- The listed 2027 LOI periods are November 15, 2026–January 8, 2027, and July 30–August 27, 2027.
- 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.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from New England Biolabs Foundation
Who New England Biolabs Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Creative Action Institute ($235K). Together the top 10 received $511K.
Grant Size Distribution
735 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 725 grants of 735 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies four areas of focus: Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras); Andean South America (Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador); West Africa (Ghana and Cameroon); and coastal communities on the North Shore of Massachusetts. It states that it cannot consider requests from outside its geographic focus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 117 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is New England Biolabs Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 115 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 586% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $754K (2020) to $1.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 117 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Action Institute Ipswich, MA | Core Operating Support and Capacity Building | $234,500 |
| Cultural Survival Cambridge, MA | Supporting Indigenous-Led Grantmaking | $100,000 |
| American Bird Conservancy The Plains, VA | Conserving la moskitia's wildlife and improving livelihoods through agroforestry cacao systems and capacity-building in honduras | $25,000 |
| Global Greengrants Fund Boulder, CO | The Agroecology Fund | $25,000 |
| Grassroots International Boston, MA | Territorial defense, food sovereignty, and peasant feminisms in honduras | $25,000 |
| Amazon Watch Oakland, CA | Women Defenders of the Amazon | $20,000 |
| Ecologic Development Fund Watertown, MA | Community organizations in northern honduras lead forest conservation and improve their livelihoods | $20,000 |
| Essex County Greenbelt Association Essex, MA | Land Conservation Technology and Planning Project | $20,000 |
| Fauna & Flora International | Strengthening the sustainability and resilience of livelihoods in agricultural landscapes and the biodiversity of the ometepe island biosphere reserve, nicaragua | $20,000 |
| Groundswell International Washington, DC | Youth storytellers in guatemala: enabling participation through local media in favor of agroecology | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with New England Biolabs Foundation?
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 | — | $4,148,279 | $1,584,096 | $1,060,635 | 117 | $1,603,459 | $271,571 | $273,695 |
| 2023 | $6,674,504 | $520,942 | $2,155,496 | $1,464,221 | 147 | $2,030,356 | $49,374 | $331,239 |
| 2022 | $7,476,120 | $1,785,749 | $1,602,010 | $1,154,657 | 168 | $1,614,617 | $202,848 | $411,924 |
| 2021 | $9,778,502 | $1,485,492 | $1,371,243 | $846,925 | 137 | $1,176,700 | $868,751 | $468,419 |
| 2020 | $9,507,084 | $949,667 | $1,171,010 | $754,050 | 166 | — | $418,804 | $413,212 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, New England Biolabs Foundation reported a distributable amount of $274K 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 associated with them. Its stated interests include conserving terrestrial and marine biodiversity; sustaining cultural and linguistic diversity and traditional knowledge; maintaining ecosystem services such as water, soil, and carbon sequestration; supporting food sovereignty and local economic vitality; and sustaining healthy reefs and fisheries.
Supported approaches include community-led stewardship and management of protected areas, ecological restoration with native species, alternative livelihoods such as agroecology, environmental education drawing on Indigenous and local traditions, and arts-based communication and community engagement. In coastal communities on Massachusetts’ North Shore, the foundation also supports artistic expression projects that raise awareness or catalyze action, promote environmental protection, or foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The foundation makes small project grants to grassroots organizations and NGOs. Examples of grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations it has supported: Cultural Survival says it advocates for Indigenous peoples’ rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination; Grassroots International says it connects people in the U.S. with global movements defending land, water, food, and other resources; and the Ipswich River Watershed Association says it conducts research and education related to protecting the watershed’s natural resources.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 117 grants totaling $1,060,635. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $234,500, with a median of $3,000. The foundation’s stated ranges are $5,000–$15,000 for international grants and $4,000–$10,000 for local grants; it notes that first-time applicants are unlikely to receive the maximum amount.
The largest 2024 grants included $234,500 to Creative Action Institute for core operating support and capacity building, and $100,000 to Cultural Survival for Indigenous-led grantmaking. Other reported grants included $25,000 to American Bird Conservancy for conservation and livelihood work in Honduras, $25,000 to Global Greengrants Fund for the Agroecology Fund, and $25,000 to Grassroots International for work in Honduras. Grants of $20,000 included awards to Amazon Watch, Groundswell International, and the Ipswich River Watershed Association, among others.
The foundation also conducts capacity-building activities for grantees. In 2024, in partnership with Creative Action Institute, it held three-day in-person workshops in Guatemala and Peru, alongside virtual training modules. It also provided coaching and mini-grants to 10 grantees to implement creative advocacy practicums.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jessica L. Brown as executive director. Trustees listed are Henry P. Paulus, Heidi Ellard (chair), Dylan Comb, Jovial King, Barbara Vallarino, and Brian Tinger.
New England Biolabs Foundation is led by Jessica L. Brown, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jessica L. Brown
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$89K (2020) → $140K (2024)
Heidi Ellard
Chair & Trustee
Trustee → Chair & Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dylan Comb
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry P. Paulus
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jovial King
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Vallarino
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Tinger
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David C. Comb (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 $140K, to Jessica L Brown (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about New England Biolabs Foundation
How much does New England Biolabs Foundation give each year?
New England Biolabs Foundation gave $1.1M across 117 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 147 grants.
What is New England Biolabs Foundation's typical grant size?
New England Biolabs Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $9,065, across 117 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from New England Biolabs Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does New England Biolabs Foundation give grants?
New England Biolabs Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (5 grants), Ipswich, MA (4 grants), Gloucester, MA (4 grants) and Salem, MA (3 grants).
Does New England Biolabs Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of New England Biolabs Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 117) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are New England Biolabs Foundation's largest grantees?
New England Biolabs Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Creative Action Institute ($234,500), Cultural Survival ($100,000) and American Bird Conservancy ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does New England Biolabs Foundation fund?
The foundation supports community stewardship of landscapes and seascapes and the biocultural diversity associated with them. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from New England Biolabs Foundation?
Begin with a letter of inquiry (LOI) through the foundation’s online application system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is New England Biolabs Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, New England Biolabs Foundation reported a distributable amount of $274K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is New England Biolabs Foundation's EIN?
New England Biolabs Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2776213. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in New England Biolabs Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). New England Biolabs Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/new-england-biolabs-foundation-morg_42604296bbc84ea1890d15bfdbcb9d8a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042776213_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{New England Biolabs Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/new-england-biolabs-foundation-morg_42604296bbc84ea1890d15bfdbcb9d8a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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'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.
New England Biolabs Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?