Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn

Foundation · Grantmaker DALLAS, TX EIN: 04-3042476

The Ralph and Helen Kelley Foundation is a private foundation established in 1989 and based in Dallas, Texas. The foundation operates with a single staff member and focuses primarily on scholarship funding for educational institutions.

Key facts about Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn

EIN: 04-3042476
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $657,250
Grants made (2024): 39
Average grant: $16,853
Median grant: $6,000
New grantees (estimate): 32% first-time grantees (12 of 37, 2024)
Total assets: $13,765,513
Primary geography: Massachusetts (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn's 39 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (90%). The most frequent recipient cities were Worcester, MA (4 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and Salem, MA (2 grants). None of its 39 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (38 grants).

Is Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn open to new grantees?

32%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 12 of 37 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $23K. How we count

Medians: $6K first-time, $7K repeat.

65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$13.8M

+2.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$657K

+7.0% YoY

Grant Count

+11.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

-3.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn reported a distributable amount of $744K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary focus is providing scholarships to support students in higher education. The foundation categorizes itself under Private Foundations (NTEE code T20).

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with a scholarship-focused approach. In 2024, the foundation made 39 grants to educational institutions. Recent grant recipients include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports educational institutions in the Northeast, with documented grants to institutions in Massachusetts.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $594K (90%)

New Hampshire $8K (1%)

Rhode Island $6K (1%)

Michigan $6K (1%)

Texas $6K (1%)

All other $38K (6%)

Share of all 39 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Arizona Connecticut Florida Hawaii Louisiana Massachusetts Maine Michigan North Carolina New Hampshire New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont

Cities

BostonWorcesterBeverlyGardnerSalemAmherstBridgewaterDudleyFitchburgFraminghamLowellWestfieldKeeneManchesterMiddletownMiltonNorth DartmouthNorthamptonSmithfieldStorrs

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $13,765,513
Total Revenues: $1,228,118
Total Expenses: $894,974
Number of Employees: 1

The foundation maintains a diversified investment portfolio including equity funds, bond funds, and exchange-traded funds managed through Bank of America.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$13,765,513	$13,412,555	$13,865,046
Revenue	$1,228,118	$355,393	$-419,155
Expenses	$894,974	$816,459	$949,525
Qualifying Distributions	$754,720	$701,437	$774,441
Net Investment Income	$1,084,739	$205,896	$135,365
Distributable Amount	$743,951	$663,808	$691,699

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

February 28, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

202 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Umass - Amherst ($112,500), Worcester State University ($75,500), MWCC - Mount Wachusett Community College ($75,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
UMASS - AMHERST AMHERST, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$112,500
WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY WORCESTER, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$75,500
MWCC - MOUNT WACHUSETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE GARDNER, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$75,500
FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY FITCHBURG, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$73,000
FRAMINGHAM STATE UNIVERSITY FRAMINGHAM, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$34,500
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SALEM, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$32,500
UMASS - LOWELL LOWELL, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$29,000
WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY WESTFIELD, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$22,000
BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY BRIDGEWATER, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$17,000
UMASS - DARTMOUTH NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$16,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Bank of America N.A. serves as Managing Director of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Bank of America	Trustee	1	$114,274
John F Bohman	Co-Trustee	1	$34,062
Deborah Gustafson	Co- Trustee	1	$34,063

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn fund?

The foundation's primary focus is providing scholarships to support students in higher education. The foundation categorizes itself under Private Foundations (NTEE code T20).

How do I apply for a grant from Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn?

The foundation is an active grantmaker with a scholarship-focused approach. In 2024, the foundation made 39 grants to educational institutions. Recent grant recipients include: • Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute of Baystate Medical and UMass Amherst ($112,500 for scholarships) • Psi Chi - Worcester State University ($75,500 for scholarships) • Framingham State University Foundation ($34,500 for scholarships) • Mount Wachusett Community College

Where does Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn make grants?

The foundation supports educational institutions in the Northeast, with documented grants to institutions in Massachusetts.

What size grants does Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn award?

In 2024, Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn awarded 39 grants totaling $657K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Ralph & Helen Kelley Fdn reported a distributable amount of $744K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.