Obermayer Foundation Inc
Obermayer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Dedham, Massachusetts. It supports projects intended to foster respect, reconciliation, and understanding, with particular attention to confronting prejudice and preserving Jewish history and culture.
Obermayer Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Obermayer Foundation Inc gave $42K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $42,000
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,200
- +53.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $4,051,645
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Obermayer Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing names Judith H Obermayer as the contact for requests and describes a letter-request process with the materials listed above.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Judith H Obermayer
Mailing address: 15 Grey Stone Path, Dedham, MA 02026
Phone: (781) 234-2484
Website: https://www.obermayer.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Obermayer Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rebuild Congress Issue One ($25K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 49 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website describes the Obermayer Awards as taking place in Berlin and Widen the Circle’s work as extending to Germany, the United States, and beyond. In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC, 26% to California, and 14% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Obermayer Foundation Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12K (2023) to $88K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $42K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rebuild Congress Issue One Washington, DC | Community & Charitable | $25,000 |
| Chakana Media Inc DBA Reconsider Wawarsing, NY | Community & Charitable | $6,000 |
| Inquiring Systems Inc Santa Rosa, CA | Community & Charitable | $5,000 |
| Chochmat Halev Berkeley, CA | Community & Charitable | $1,000 |
| Erowid Center Grass Valley, CA | Community & Charitable | $1,000 |
| Limina Foundation Sebastopol, CA | Community & Charitable | $1,000 |
| Maps San Hose, CA | Community & Charitable | $1,000 |
| Occidental Arts & Ecology Center Occidental, CA | Community & Charitable | $1,000 |
| Circle of Sacred Nature Forest Knolls, CA | Community & Charitable | $500 |
| Northern California Land Trust Berkeley, CA | Community & Charitable | $500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,051,645 | $710,242 | $965,645 | $42,000 | 10 | $906,875 | $545,792 |
| 2024 | $4,314,391 | $517,206 | $992,591 | $41,000 | 15 | $924,601 | $380,784 |
| 2023 | $4,812,094 | $675,538 | $868,688 | $11,500 | 2 | $790,010 | $535,798 |
| 2022 | $4,975,647 | $9,399 | $642,726 | $20,500 | 5 | $624,849 | $41,993 |
| 2021 | $5,609,057 | $1,145,900 | $566,488 | $87,606 | 17 | — | $977,963 |
| 2019 | $5,118,311 | $1,287,250 | $336,626 | $13,500 | 3 | — | $1,129,438 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says it seeks projects where targeted contributions can make a major difference, drawing on its relationships, experience, and willingness to experiment. Its stated areas of activity include fighting hate and prejudice, preserving Jewish history and culture, promoting social justice and economic opportunity, and supporting historical and genealogical organizations. It also describes work related to economic self-sufficiency for disadvantaged people in Boston, opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses, community economic development investing, interfaith families, and access to alternative news media.
The foundation supports the Widen the Circle nonprofit, established in 2019, which works to promote respect, reconciliation, and understanding, particularly in places shaped by histories of persecution. Widen the Circle oversees the Obermayer Awards. The foundation describes those awards as recognizing non-Jewish Germans who have contributed to fighting hate and prejudice and preserving Jewish history, culture, cemeteries, and synagogues in their communities.
Among 2025 grantees, Inquiring Systems Inc describes its work as providing training, technical assistance, business and financial management, and fiscal sponsorship to nonprofits and socially responsible businesses. Chochmat HaLev describes itself as a spiritual community focused on renewing Judaism and providing opportunities for spiritual practice. Erowid Center says it provides access to objective, accurate information about psychoactive substances and related issues. Northern California Land Trust says it works to create and preserve affordable housing for people with low to moderate incomes.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $42,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants were $25,000 to Rebuild Congress Issue One in Washington, DC; $6,000 to Chakana Media Inc DBA Reconsider in Wawarsing, New York; and $5,000 to Inquiring Systems Inc in Santa Rosa, California. The other 2025 grants included $1,000 each to Chochmat HaLev, Erowid Center, Limina Foundation, MAPS, and Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, and $500 each to Circle of Sacred Nature and Northern California Land Trust. The stated purpose for these grants was “community & charitable.”
The foundation’s 2023 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It instructs applicants to submit a letter with detailed information about the project or organization’s goal, total project budget, request amount and proposed use, responsible people, and any independent measures of success. Applicants should include other relevant documentation, including board members where applicable. Requests must fit the foundation’s stated restriction: projects must foster and support relationships and understanding between individuals and societal groups with histories of conflict, oppression, or discrimination.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Judith H Obermayer as president, director, and treasurer; Joel B Obermayer, Marjorie H Raven, and Henry M Obermayer as directors.
Obermayer Foundation Inc is led by Judith H. Obermayer, President, Director & Treasurer since 2021 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Judith H. Obermayer
President, Director & Treasurer
President, Treasurer, Clerk & Director → President, Director & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joel B. Obermayer
Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$77K (2019) → $108K (2025)
Henry M. Obermayer
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marjorie H. Raven
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $108K, to Joel B Obermayer (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Obermayer Foundation Inc
How much does Obermayer Foundation Inc give each year?
Obermayer Foundation Inc gave $42K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $41K across 15 grants.
What is Obermayer Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Obermayer Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,200, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Obermayer Foundation Inc give grants?
Obermayer Foundation Inc gives mostly in District of Columbia: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (26%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berkeley, CA (2 grants).
Does Obermayer Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Obermayer Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community & Charitable" (10 grants).
Who are Obermayer Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Obermayer Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Rebuild Congress Issue One ($25,000), Chakana Media Inc DBA Reconsider ($6,000) and Inquiring Systems Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Obermayer Foundation Inc?
Obermayer Foundation Inc reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $710K.
What does Obermayer Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says it seeks projects where targeted contributions can make a major difference, drawing on its relationships, experience, and willingness to experiment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Obermayer Foundation Inc?
The filing names Judith H Obermayer as the contact for requests and describes a letter-request process with the materials listed above. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Obermayer Foundation Inc's EIN?
Obermayer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2711822. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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