Roberts Family Foundation
The Roberts Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing reports grants to Harvard Business School for an undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund, as well as support for other organizations.
Roberts Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Roberts Family Foundation gave $2.5M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $210K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,516,336
- -14.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +71.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $209,695
- -50.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,560
- Total assets
- $53,901,133
- +4.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Roberts Family 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: 31 St James Avenue Suite 740, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 933-3620
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Roberts Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Harvard Business School ($2.5M across 4 grants). Together the top 9 received $2.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 41 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing’s recipient-state breakdown reports 100% of grant dollars for Massachusetts and 0% each for Tennessee, Florida, New Jersey, and New York. The itemized grant list also names recipients in Tennessee, Florida, New Jersey, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How Roberts Family Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.8M (2020) to $2.9M (2023). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Business School Cambridge, MA | HBS Roberts Family Undergraduate Technology Innovation Fellowship Fund | $1,347,534 |
| Harvard Business School Cambridge, MA | HBS Roberts Family Undergraduate Technology Innovation Fellowship Fund | $758,940 |
| Harvard Business School Cambridge, MA | HBS Roberts Family Undergraduate Technology Innovation Fellowship Fund | $219,712 |
| Harvard Business School Cambridge, MA | HBS Roberts Family Undergraduate Technology Innovation Fellowship Fund | $167,625 |
| Revolutionary Spaces Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Pan-Mass Challenge Needham, MA | Unrestricted | $8,080 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TN | Unrestricted | $1,040 |
| St Edwards Catholic Church Palm Beach, FL | Unrestricted | $1,040 |
| Princeton Princeton, NJ | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| St Andrews by the Sea Hyannis Port, MA | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $53,901,133 | $5,414,921 | $3,700,209 | $2,516,336 | 12 | $2,516,336 | $1,878,528 | $2,728,494 |
| 2023 | $51,415,245 | $4,664,899 | $4,230,269 | $2,940,052 | 7 | $2,940,052 | $1,243,057 | $1,990,692 |
| 2022 | $51,053,812 | $2,605,349 | $2,565,835 | $2,252,675 | 8 | $2,252,675 | $2,317,197 | $2,313,724 |
| 2021 | $51,014,298 | $12,723,635 | $2,671,896 | $2,497,382 | 10 | $2,497,382 | $9,195,734 | $3,142,222 |
| 2020 | $40,962,559 | $2,909,516 | $2,156,380 | $1,760,523 | 4 | — | $1,128,150 | $2,120,759 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Roberts Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M for 2024 — 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 2024 grants include support for an undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund at Harvard Business School. Other recipients include Revolutionary Spaces, whose stated mission is to bring people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society, and the Gary Sinise Foundation, which says it supports veterans, military personnel, first responders, their families, and the families of fallen heroes.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $2,516,336. Grant amounts ranged from $103 to $1,347,534, with a median of $4,560. Four grants to Harvard Business School, all for the HBS Roberts Family Undergraduate Technology Innovation Fellowship Fund, totaled $2,493,811. Other listed grants included $10,000 to Revolutionary Spaces and $1,040 to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert G Bannish, Kristen Roberts, and Thomas S Roberts as trustees.
Roberts Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert G. Bannish
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$15K (2021) → $15K (2024)
Kristen Roberts
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Thomas S. Roberts
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $15K, to Robert G Bannish (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Roberts Family Foundation
How much does Roberts Family Foundation give each year?
Roberts Family Foundation gave $2.5M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.9M across 7 grants.
What is Roberts Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Roberts Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,560, and its average grant was $209,695, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Roberts Family Foundation give grants?
Roberts Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cambridge, MA (4 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Roberts Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Roberts Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Roberts Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Roberts Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Harvard Business School ($2,493,811 across 4 grants), Revolutionary Spaces ($10,000) and Pan-Mass Challenge ($8,080), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is Roberts Family Foundation?
Roberts Family Foundation reported $53.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Roberts Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for an undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund at Harvard Business School. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Roberts Family 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 Roberts Family Foundation's EIN?
Roberts Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3522054. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Roberts Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Roberts Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Roberts Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/roberts-family-foundation-morg_e5c9ac638f86448eab4161528f4bbbec
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043522054_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Roberts Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/roberts-family-foundation-morg_e5c9ac638f86448eab4161528f4bbbec},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Roberts Family 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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