Roger L Clifton Foundation
The Roger L Clifton Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Roger L Clifton Foundation at a glance
In short: Roger L Clifton Foundation gave $36K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $35,500
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +23.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,219
- -13.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $678,318
- +4.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (61% 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 Roger L Clifton Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 338-2800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Roger L Clifton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends of Harvard Swimming ($6K). Together the top 10 received $32K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 93 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. Massachusetts accounted for 61%, California 14%, Rhode Island 8%, Connecticut 6%, and Pennsylvania 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Roger L Clifton Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of 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 $25K (2019) to $36K (2022). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $36K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Harvard Swimming Boston, MA | General | $6,000 |
| Boston Book Festival Cambridge, MA | General | $5,000 |
| Gnome Surf Fall River, MA | General | $5,000 |
| University of San Diego - Torero Student Support Fund San Diego, CA | General | $5,000 |
| Moses Brown School (Tripp Family Scholarship Fund) Providence, RI | General | $3,000 |
| Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen New Haven, CT | General | $2,000 |
| World Computer Exchange Hull, MA | General | $2,000 |
| Cape Eleuthera Foundation Philadelphia, PA | General | $1,500 |
| Center for Fiction Brooklyn, NY | General | $1,500 |
| Iraivan Temple (San Marga) Kapaa, HI | General | $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 | $678,318 | $71,683 | $43,943 | $35,500 | 16 | $42,335 | $63,240 | $38,158 |
| 2024 | $650,576 | $78,651 | $41,249 | $33,500 | 13 | $40,538 | $70,902 | $33,636 |
| 2023 | $613,174 | $30,694 | $40,873 | $34,284 | 16 | $40,262 | $24,105 | $33,118 |
| 2022 | $623,354 | $23,278 | $40,948 | $35,784 | 20 | $40,348 | $18,114 | $34,576 |
| 2021 | $641,024 | $16,954 | $37,483 | $35,000 | 28 | $35,035 | $14,471 | $38,218 |
| 2020 | $661,553 | $156,060 | $37,025 | $30,200 | 26 | — | $149,235 | $34,422 |
| 2019 | $541,517 | $32,953 | $30,647 | $25,250 | 18 | — | $27,556 | $31,967 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Roger L Clifton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $38K 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 went to organizations with varied activities. For example, the Boston Book Festival describes its work as promoting reading and ideas through year-round events and a free annual festival. Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen says it serves people experiencing homelessness or poverty with meals, food assistance, and related services. World Computer Exchange describes its mission as reducing the digital divide for youth in developing countries and promoting reuse of electronic equipment.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in education and community support: Cape Eleuthera Foundation says it supports education, scientific research, community leadership, and sustainable technologies; Hands in Outreach says it provides scholarships to disadvantaged Nepalese children and support to Nepalese families; and Our Sisters’ School says it educates and supports economically disadvantaged girls in the New Bedford area.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $35,500 through 16 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $6,000, with a median grant of $1,500. Among the largest were $6,000 to Friends of Harvard Swimming; $5,000 each to Boston Book Festival, Gnome Surf, and the University of San Diego Torero Student Support Fund; and $3,000 to Moses Brown School’s Tripp Family Scholarship Fund. Other reported grants included $2,000 each to Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen and World Computer Exchange, and $1,000 to Nantucket Book Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Roger L Clifton as trustee.
Roger L Clifton Foundation is led by Roger L. Clifton, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Roger L. Clifton
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Roger L Clifton Foundation
How much does Roger L Clifton Foundation give each year?
Roger L Clifton Foundation gave $36K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $34K across 13 grants.
What is Roger L Clifton Foundation's typical grant size?
Roger L Clifton Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,219, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Roger L Clifton Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Roger L Clifton Foundation give grants?
Roger L Clifton Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (14%) and Rhode Island (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does Roger L Clifton Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Roger L Clifton Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Roger L Clifton Foundation's largest grantees?
Roger L Clifton Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Harvard Swimming ($6,000), Boston Book Festival ($5,000) and Gnome Surf ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Roger L Clifton Foundation?
Roger L Clifton Foundation reported $678K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $42K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $38K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Roger L Clifton Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, the Boston Book Festival describes its work as promoting reading and ideas through year-round events and a free annual festival. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Roger L Clifton Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Roger L Clifton Foundation's EIN?
Roger L Clifton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2482369. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Roger L Clifton 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
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Figures come from Roger L Clifton 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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