Shah Charitable Foundation
The Shah Charitable Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 2017. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a private foundation focused on deploying funding and expertise in partnership with government to build innovative models across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$77.1M
-4.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$76K
-70.7% YoY
Grant Count
10
-52.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
-38.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shah Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides support to innovative and transformative work in education, healthcare, and community development. The foundation's work is primarily centered in Boston.
Recent program activity includes:
- Providing research and equipment to enable Boston Public Schools to provide healthy lunches to students
- Supporting the expansion of Boston Public Schools' My Way Cafe food and nutrition program
Grantmaking
The foundation's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy and grantmaking, and human services.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports work primarily in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional grantmaking activity in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Texas. The foundation also supports various cities across the United States, including New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, as well as additional states including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $77.1 million
- Total Expenses: $3.37 million
- Revenue: -$129,000
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $80.6 million
- Total Expenses: $3.96 million
- Revenue: -$596,275
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $77,099,695 | $80,597,794 | $85,149,769 |
| Revenue | $-128,774 | $-596,275 | $76,342 |
| Expenses | $3,369,325 | $3,955,700 | $7,720,687 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,232,062 | $3,874,280 | $7,798,547 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,391,682 | $963,294 | $132,109 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,868,553 | $2,040,441 | $3,115,479 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Museum of Fine Arts ($50,000), Boston Medical Center ($22,500), Pan Mass Challenge ($770).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE BOSTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $670 |
| BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER BOSTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $22,500 |
| CITY OF HOPE DUARTE, CA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $250 |
| CHRISTINA NOBLE CHILDRENS FOUNDATION TALLAHASSEE, FL | GENERAL PURPOSE | $500 |
| FALMOUTH ROAD RACE INC FALMOUTH, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $273 |
| FOUNDATION FOR ANGELMAN SYNDROME THERAPEUTICS AUSTIN, TX | GENERAL PURPOSE | $264 |
| MARCH OF DIMES ARLINGTON, VA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $518 |
| PAN MASS CHALLENGE NEEDHAM, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $770 |
| MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA ALEXANDRIA, VA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $100 |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Jill Shah - President (serves without compensation)
- Niraj Shah - Treasurer (serves without compensation)
- Ross Wilson - Manager (salary: $544,737)
The foundation employs 6 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JILL SHAH | PRESIDENT | 40 | — |
| NIRAJ SHAH | TREASURER | 5 | — |
| ROSS WILSON | MANAGER | 40 | $599,041 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Shah Family Foundation (the foundation's related entity) announced a $10 million grant to launch the Center for Comprehensive Healing at Mass General Brigham. The foundation also made a transformational gift to create endowment funds for students with disabilities across Canada.
Shah Family Foundation Launches Center for Comprehensive Healing at Mass\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Shah Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation provides support to innovative and transformative work in education, healthcare, and community development. The foundation's work is primarily centered in Boston. Recent program activity includes: • Providing research and equipment to enable Boston Public Schools to provide healthy lunches to students • Supporting the expansion of Boston Public Schools' My Way Cafe food and nutrition program
How do I apply for a grant from Shah Charitable Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 14 grants in 2023 • Total giving in 2024: $75,845 • Typical award range: $100–$1,300,000 • Recent grants include: • Emergency Assistance Foundation: $50,000 (2023) • Boston Schools Fund: $25,000 (2023) **Grant Focus Areas:** The foundation's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy and grantmaking, and human services.
Where does Shah Charitable Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports work primarily in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional grantmaking activity in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Texas. The foundation also supports various cities across the United States, including New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, as well as additional states including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, and Rhode Island.
What size grants does Shah Charitable Foundation award?
In 2024, Shah Charitable Foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $76K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Shah Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Shah Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Shah Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Shah Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-5082563. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Shah Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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