Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation
The Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 2025, it made grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in documentary media, health care, education, food assistance, and other areas.
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation gave $292K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Massachusetts. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $291,700
- +18.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,668
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,150,001
- +8.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (4 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (65% 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 Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation
- 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: 4 Berkshire Road, Wellesley, MA 02481
Phone: (781) 848-1163
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Resources Defense Fund ($30K). Together the top 10 received $184K.
Grant Size Distribution
118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 118 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (65%), New York (17%), and Washington, DC (10%). New Jersey and Kentucky each accounted for 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 25 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $199K (2019) to $296K (2022). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $292K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Resources Defense Fund New York, NY | Support | $30,000 |
| Documentary Educational Resources Watertown, MA | Support | $30,000 |
| Newton Wellesley Hospital Newton, MA | Support | $20,000 |
| United States Fund for UNICEF New York, NY | Support | $20,000 |
| Trustees of Boston University Boston, MA | Support | $20,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Support | $16,000 |
| McLean Hospital Belmont, MA | Support | $15,000 |
| Stop Handgun Violence Beverly, MA | Support | $13,000 |
| ACLU Foundation of Masschusetts Inc Boston, MA | Support | $10,000 |
| American Red Cross Washington, DC | Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation?
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 | $5,150,001 | $777,078 | $386,739 | $291,700 | 25 | $294,980 | $706,319 | $325,590 |
| 2024 | $4,759,662 | $983,194 | $311,889 | $247,000 | 22 | $250,000 | $921,305 | $293,785 |
| 2023 | $4,088,357 | $261,056 | $305,932 | $247,000 | 24 | $249,985 | $216,895 | $254,153 |
| 2022 | $4,133,233 | $1,003,928 | $342,631 | $296,000 | 23 | $298,670 | $620,570 | $246,017 |
| 2021 | $3,723,831 | $463,765 | $254,832 | $215,000 | 24 | $217,360 | $394,128 | $300,544 |
| 2020 | $3,514,898 | $352,287 | $252,592 | $219,000 | 24 | — | $318,937 | $215,117 |
| 2019 | $3,415,203 | $268,315 | $251,959 | $199,000 | 23 | — | $228,327 | $220,696 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $326K 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 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Documentary Educational Resources describes its work as championing documentary film and media that amplify underrepresented voices. Stop Handgun Violence says it provides public awareness about gun violence, while Pine Street Inn describes its mission as ending homelessness. Wellesley College says it provides a liberal arts education for women, and Polaris Project works to end sex and labor trafficking and restore freedom to survivors.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $291,700 through 25 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $700 to $30,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $30,000 each to Documentary Educational Resources and the National Resources Defense Fund; $20,000 each to Newton Wellesley Hospital, the United States Fund for UNICEF, and the Trustees of Boston University; and $16,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rowan T O'Riley and Gertrude O'Riley as trustees.
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gertrude O'Riley
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rowan T. O'Riley
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 Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation
How much does Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation give each year?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation gave $292K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $247K across 22 grants.
What is Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,668, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation give grants?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (17%) and District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (8 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Newton, MA (2 grants).
Does Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (25 grants).
Who are Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Resources Defense Fund ($30,000), Documentary Educational Resources ($30,000) and Newton Wellesley Hospital ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $295K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $326K (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 Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Documentary Educational Resources describes its work as championing documentary film and media that amplify underrepresented voices. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation?
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 Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's EIN?
Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3505617. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Rowan T O'Riley 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rowan-t-o-riley-family-foundation-morg_ca79586aeb6147d69305d6feb07d027f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263505617_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rowan T O'Riley Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rowan-t-o-riley-family-foundation-morg_ca79586aeb6147d69305d6feb07d027f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Rowan T O'Riley 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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