Richard K & Nancy L Donahue
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue is a private foundation based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in Massachusetts, including cultural, educational, health, food-access, and housing-related organizations.
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue at a glance
In short: Richard K & Nancy L Donahue gave $638K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Massachusetts. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $638,000
- +15.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +37.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,333
- -15.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $347,807
- -11.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (5 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% 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 K & Nancy L Donahue
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 52 Belmont Avenue, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: (207) 883-9813
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Richard K & Nancy L Donahue funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was JFK Library ($75K). Together the top 10 received $410K.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 151 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Richard K & Nancy L Donahue open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 33 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 87% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 $552K (2024) to $7.7M (2020). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $638K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| JFK Library Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Project Learn Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $55,000 |
| Massachusetts School Admin Assoc Franklin, MA | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Neqm Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Whistler House Museum Lowell, MA | Unrestriced | $45,000 |
| Girls Inc of Greater Lowell Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Lowell Festival Foundation Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Merrimack Repertory Theatre Lowell, MA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Wbur Radio Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| WGBH Radio Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Richard K & Nancy L Donahue?
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 | $347,807 | $675,922 | $664,990 | $638,000 | 33 | $658,218 | $182,871 | $12,935 |
| 2024 | $394,965 | $262,990 | $581,596 | $551,500 | 24 | $569,500 | $241,015 | $29,776 |
| 2023 | $713,268 | $979,645 | $2,536,213 | $2,504,000 | 33 | $2,521,376 | $958,262 | $97,577 |
| 2022 | $2,269,836 | $655,317 | $4,859,900 | $4,822,500 | 27 | $4,839,713 | $634,125 | $206,932 |
| 2021 | $6,474,419 | $6,694,701 | $4,065,386 | $4,034,000 | 34 | $4,050,176 | $2,644,073 | $453,115 |
| 2020 | $6,196,545 | $3,587,704 | $7,705,556 | $7,679,761 | 33 | — | $82,643 | $496,104 |
| 2019 | $10,314,468 | $7,899,602 | $3,742,865 | $3,620,500 | 27 | — | $2,889,705 | $462,062 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Richard K & Nancy L Donahue reported a distributable amount of $13K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. Project Learn describes its mission as creating college- and career-connected learning experiences for Lowell’s young people. Merrimack Repertory Theatre says it creates contemporary plays to engage and enrich its community. Lowell Community Health Center describes providing culturally competent health services and working to reduce health disparities in Greater Lowell. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address hunger and food justice, higher education, and sustainable homeownership.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $638,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $75,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed grants included $75,000 to JFK Library, $55,000 to Project Learn, $50,000 each to Massachusetts School Admin Assoc and NEQM, and $45,000 to Whistler House Museum. These grants were listed as unrestricted.
Other 2025 grants included $30,000 each to Girls Inc of Greater Lowell and Lowell Festival Foundation, and $25,000 each to Merrimack Repertory Theatre, WBUR Radio, and WGBH Radio. Project Learn received $55,000; Lowell Community Health Center received $20,000; Merrimack Valley Food Bank received $20,000; Mill City Grows received $15,000; Middlesex Community College received $15,000; and Merrimack Valley Housing received $15,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nancy L Donahue and Daniel J Donahue as trustees, and Alicia Donahue as a committee member.
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel J. Donahue
Trustee As N
Committee Member → Committee Me, 2020
Committee Me → Trustee As N, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Nancy L. Donahue
Trustee As N
Trustee As Needed → Trustee As N, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Alicia Donahue
Committee Me
Committee Member → Committee Me, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David W. Donahue (2019–2024) — Trustee As N
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.
Frequently asked questions about Richard K & Nancy L Donahue
How much does Richard K & Nancy L Donahue give each year?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue gave $638K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $552K across 24 grants.
What is Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's typical grant size?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,333, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Richard K & Nancy L Donahue that year got $19K on average.
Where does Richard K & Nancy L Donahue give grants?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lowell, MA (24 grants) and Boston, MA (4 grants).
Does Richard K & Nancy L Donahue give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's largest grantees?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's largest 2025 grantees include JFK Library ($75,000), Project Learn ($55,000) and Massachusetts School Admin Assoc ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Richard K & Nancy L Donahue?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue reported $348K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $658K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Richard K & Nancy L Donahue fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. Project Learn describes its mission as creating college- and career-connected learning experiences for Lowell’s young people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Richard K & Nancy L Donahue?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's EIN?
Richard K & Nancy L Donahue's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3133049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Richard K & Nancy L Donahue 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Richard K & Nancy L Donahue funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/richard-k-and-nancy-l-donahue-morg_882a3e598d8a45d9b671d3767f3ebb88
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043133049_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Richard K \& Nancy L Donahue funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/richard-k-and-nancy-l-donahue-morg_882a3e598d8a45d9b671d3767f3ebb88},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 K & Nancy L Donahue'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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