Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Plymouth, MA EIN: 04-2660275

The Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation is a private charitable foundation based in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Established in August 1979, it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Key facts about Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation

EIN
04-2660275
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$555,942
Grants made (2024)
14
Average grant
$39,710
Median grant
$25,000
New grantees (estimate)
14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2024)
Total assets
$3,562,426
Primary geography
Massachusetts (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

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

Who Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation's 14 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (96%). The most frequent recipient cities were Plymouth, MA (10 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?

14%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $42K. How we count

Medians: $26K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 102% 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.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.6M

-10.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$556K

+5.9% YoY

Grant Count

14

-22.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$40K

+36.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $542K 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 grantmaking focuses on:

  • Education
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Human Services

Grantmaking

Based on the most recent tax filings, the foundation distributed $525,000 in grants across 18 awards in 2023.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in:

  • Massachusetts
  • Vermont
  • Illinois

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of all 14 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

IllinoisMassachusettsNew YorkVermont

Cities

PlymouthWenhamWeymouthLisleArlingtonBostonManometLincolnNew BedfordNorwellYorktown Heights

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2024):

  • Total Assets: $3,562,426
  • Annual Revenue: $160,112
  • Annual Expenses: $573,447
  • Total Liabilities: $0

Prior Year Data (2023):

  • Total Assets: $3,975,813
  • Total Giving: $525,000

The foundation's expenses have exceeded revenue in recent years, with a net loss of $413,335 in 2024, reflecting active distribution of assets to charitable purposes.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$159K$317K$476K$634K20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$3,562,426$3,975,813$4,216,713
Revenue$160,112$301,686$181,239
Expenses$573,447$536,065$476,290
Qualifying Distributions$555,942$525,000$465,000
Net Investment Income$187,861$290,691$172,981
Distributable Amount$542,420$502,109$513,812

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$142K$283K$425K$566K12 grants202015 grants202113 grants202218 grants202314 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Forges Foundation: $259KForges Foundation$259KPlimoth Patuxet Museums: $50KPlimoth Patuxet Museums$50KBid Plymouth Family Fund: $40KBid Plymouth Family Fund$40KNew England Wildlife Center: $30KNew England Wildlife Center$30KWoodside School & Comm Resource Ctr: $30KWoodside School & CommResource Ctr$30KBattenkill Valley Health Center: $25KBattenkill Valley HealthCenter$25KPlymouth Independent: $25KPlymouth Independent$25KThe Jeffie Foundation: $25KThe Jeffie Foundation$25KWildlands Trust: $25KWildlands Trust$25KPilgrim Society: $20KPilgrim Society$20K

Grant Size Distribution

72 grants across all recorded years

52<$50K16$50–100K3$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Forges Foundation ($259,000), Plimoth Patuxet Museums ($50,000), Bid Plymouth Family Fund ($40,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
FORGES FOUNDATION Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$259,000
PLIMOTH PATUXET MUSEUMS Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$50,000
BID PLYMOUTH FAMILY FUND Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$40,000
NEW ENGLAND WILDLIFE CENTER Weymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$30,000
WOODSIDE SCHOOL & COMM RESOURCE CTR Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$30,000
BATTENKILL VALLEY HEALTH CENTER Arlington, VTGENERAL SUPPORT$25,000
PLYMOUTH INDEPENDENT Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$25,000
THE JEFFIE FOUNDATION Wenham, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$25,000
WILDLANDS TRUST Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$25,000
PILGRIM SOCIETY Plymouth, MAGENERAL SUPPORT$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation's governance includes:

  • Nathan N Withington – Trustee
  • Meghan Knight – Trustee
  • Heather Ward – Trustee

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Meghan Knight — Trustee: $4KMeghan KnightTrustee$4KHeather Ward — Trustee: $4KHeather WardTrustee$4K

From 2024 IRS filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Nathan N WithingtonTrustee1—
Meghan KnightTrustee1$4,000
Heather WardTrustee7$4,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $2,000–$150,000 • Median grant amount: $25,000 • Maximum grant observed: $50,000 **Recent Activity:** Based on the most recent tax filings, the foundation distributed $525,000 in grants across 18 awards in 2023.

Where does Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • Massachusetts • Vermont • Illinois

What size grants does Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation award?

In 2024, Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $556K — an average of about $40K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $542K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Roberta M Childs Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2660275. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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