Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation
The Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation is a private foundation based in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported 12 grants totaling $52,250 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in research and policy, the arts, education, health, and community development.
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation at a glance
In short: Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation gave $52K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Massachusetts. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $52,250
- -3.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,354
- +12.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $537,012
- +3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (77% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 110 Cedar Street Suite 250, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Phone: (617) 247-0029
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Resources for the Future ($10K). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 79 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 19% to recipients in the District of Columbia. California and Iowa each received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 12 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 189% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2020) to $193K (2023). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $52K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Resources for the Future Washington, DC | Charitable-Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Massbay CC Foundation Wellesley Hills, MA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| MGH Genitourinary Cancer Research Fund Boston, MA | Charitable - Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Boston Ballet Boston, MA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts Eye & Ear Boston, MA | Charitable - Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Church of the Redeemer Chestnut Hill, MA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $3,500 |
| Pioneer Inst for Public Policy Research Boston, MA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | Charitable - Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Cambodian Village Fund San Diego, CA | Charitable - Unrestricted | $1,250 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Charitable-Unrestricted | $1,000 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $537,012 | $68,936 | $55,919 | $52,250 | 12 | $52,250 | $59,271 | $27,709 |
| 2024 | $520,770 | $81,820 | $56,896 | $54,000 | 14 | $54,000 | $74,334 | $26,298 |
| 2023 | $492,714 | $90,246 | $195,021 | $192,500 | 15 | $192,500 | $83,501 | $26,403 |
| 2022 | $594,884 | $48,091 | $44,025 | $41,500 | 19 | $41,500 | $41,068 | $35,144 |
| 2021 | $588,224 | $163,633 | $47,868 | $45,500 | 19 | $45,500 | $56,805 | $33,207 |
| 2020 | $469,419 | $14,926 | $32,494 | $30,000 | 15 | — | — | $30,140 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Resources for the Future describes its mission as improving environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. Boston Ballet describes its work as connecting people through dance. Cambodian Village Fund says it works to expand access to education and opportunity in Cambodia. MIT states that its mission is to advance knowledge and educate students, while Wellesley College describes its mission as providing an excellent liberal arts education for women.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 12 grants totaling $52,250. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $3,000. The largest listed awards were $10,000 each to Resources for the Future, MassBay Community College Foundation, and MGH Genitourinary Cancer Research Fund. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to Boston Ballet and Massachusetts Eye & Ear, and $2,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The listed grant purposes were unrestricted charitable contributions or donations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard L. Schmalensee, Diane H. Schmalensee, Alexander C. Schmalensee, and Nicholas H. Schmalensee as trustees.
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexander C. Schmalensee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Diane H. Schmalensee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nicholas H. Schmalensee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Richard L. Schmalensee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation
How much does Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation give each year?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation gave $52K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $54K across 14 grants.
What is Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's typical grant size?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,354, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation give grants?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants).
Does Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's largest grantees?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Resources for the Future ($10,000), Massbay CC Foundation ($10,000) and MGH Genitourinary Cancer Research Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation reported $537K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Resources for the Future describes its mission as improving environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's EIN?
Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3560276. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/richard-and-diane-schmalensee-foundation-morg_6afb19a76a4e456fa9f06c69bbffa189
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203560276_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Richard and Diane Schmalensee Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/richard-and-diane-schmalensee-foundation-morg_6afb19a76a4e456fa9f06c69bbffa189},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Richard and Diane Schmalensee 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.
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