Rowland Foundation Inc
Rowland Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including Boston-area nonprofits, educational institutions, and arts organizations.
Rowland Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Rowland Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $57K), mostly in Massachusetts. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,325,000
- +17.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +13.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $56,707
- +3.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $36,231,951
- -0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Rowland Foundation Inc
- Contact
Application contact: Leslie Pine
Mailing address: 75 Arlington Street Suite 710, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 338-5886
Email: lpine@tpi.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rowland Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Boston Foundation - FBO Familyaid Boston Inc ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 107 grants of 189 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 1% to recipients in Maryland. The listed grants include numerous Boston recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rowland Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 41 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). 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 $1.7M (2019) to $2.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Familyaid Boston Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $200,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Rosie's Place Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $125,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Roxbury Community College Foundation Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $119,000 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | Charitable | $100,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center Boston, MA | Charitable | $100,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Berklee College of Music Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO CASA Myrna Vazquez Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, MA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| The Boston Foundation - FBO Literations Boston, MA | Charitable | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rowland Foundation Inc?
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 | $36,231,951 | $2,305,328 | $2,543,345 | $2,325,000 | 41 | $2,378,038 | $2,174,968 | $2,605,895 |
| 2024 | $36,466,468 | $3,039,322 | $2,295,125 | $1,973,000 | 36 | $2,030,953 | $2,873,898 | $2,395,254 |
| 2023 | $35,717,444 | $6,469,411 | $2,377,189 | $2,145,000 | 39 | $2,211,049 | $6,320,960 | $2,040,272 |
| 2022 | $31,619,980 | $2,119,172 | $2,481,997 | $2,204,000 | 37 | $2,262,150 | $1,951,712 | $2,178,263 |
| 2021 | $31,964,135 | $2,817,135 | $2,010,847 | $1,779,000 | 36 | — | $2,632,907 | $2,353,921 |
| 2020 | $31,157,066 | $1,086,398 | $2,314,788 | $2,114,000 | 40 | — | $938,536 | $1,994,211 |
| 2019 | $32,386,679 | $3,001,452 | $1,935,453 | $1,734,000 | 36 | — | $2,860,588 | $1,889,429 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rowland Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.6M 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 filing states that grants are directed to charitable organizations operating exclusively for charitable, scientific, literacy, and educational purposes, as described in the cited sections of the Internal Revenue Code.
Among its grantees, ImpactAssets Inc. received $25,000 in 2025. ImpactAssets describes its mission as being “the preeminent partner for impact investing and charitable giving, helping us all achieve our greatest impact.”
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 41 grants totaling $2,325,000. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $200,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest reported grants included $200,000 to The Boston Foundation for FamilyAid Boston Inc.; $125,000 to The Boston Foundation for Rosie’s Place Inc.; $119,000 to The Boston Foundation for Roxbury Community College Foundation Inc.; and $100,000 each to Northeastern University and The Boston Foundation for the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center. The listed grants state “charitable” as their purpose.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Leslie Pine as the contact; form and materials and deadlines are listed as N/A. The stated restriction is that grants are directed to qualifying charitable organizations operating exclusively for charitable, scientific, literacy, and educational purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Valerie Smallwood as Vice President and Trustee; Gerald Chertavian and Daniel Drake as Trustees; Edward Smallwood as Co-President, Treasurer, and Trustee; Kate Chertavian as Co-President and Trustee; and Charlotte Houghteling Smallwood as Secretary and Trustee.
Rowland Foundation Inc is led by Edward Smallwood, Co-President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edward Smallwood
Co-President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kate Chertavian
Co-President & Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Houghteling Smallwood
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Drake
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Smallwood
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Chertavian
Trustee
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Guy Smallwood (2019–2021) — Trustee
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 Rowland Foundation Inc
How much does Rowland Foundation Inc give each year?
Rowland Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 36 grants.
What is Rowland Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Rowland Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $56,707, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rowland Foundation Inc that year got $50K on average.
Where does Rowland Foundation Inc give grants?
Rowland Foundation Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (39 grants).
Does Rowland Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on Rowland Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (41 grants).
Who are Rowland Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Rowland Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The Boston Foundation - FBO Familyaid Boston Inc ($200,000), The Boston Foundation - FBO Rosie's Place Inc ($125,000) and The Boston Foundation - FBO Roxbury Community College Foundation Inc ($119,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($50,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rowland Foundation Inc?
Rowland Foundation Inc reported $36.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.6M (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 Rowland Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its filing states that grants are directed to charitable organizations operating exclusively for charitable, scientific, literacy, and educational purposes, as described in the cited sections of the Internal Revenue Code. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rowland Foundation Inc?
Rowland Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Rowland Foundation Inc's EIN?
Rowland Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6046756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 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 March 24, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rowland Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rowland-foundation-inc-morg_262bf33be2ce4f1885dd3da2d2c0f228
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046046756_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rowland Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rowland-foundation-inc-morg_262bf33be2ce4f1885dd3da2d2c0f228},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Rowland Foundation Inc'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.
Rowland Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?