Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 20-5672425

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing lists contributions for general charitable purposes to organizations including cultural institutions, schools, hospitals, and other nonprofits.

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd at a glance

In short: Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd gave $443K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Massachusetts. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$442,500
+13.2% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
23
-4.2% vs 2023
Average grant
$19,239
+18.1% vs 2023
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$6,458,555
+1.1% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
9% first-time grantees (2 of 23, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Massachusetts (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 772-1385

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: $210KIsabella Stewart GardnerMuseum$210KBoston Symphony Orchestra: $50KBoston Symphony Orchestra$50KBoston Arts Academy: $25KBoston Arts Academy$25KBrigham and Women's Hospital: $15KBrigham and Women's Hospital$15KCoutry Club Employee Education Fund Inc: $15KCoutry Club Employee EducationFund Inc$15KMassachusetts General Hospital: $15KMassachusetts General Hospital$15KPresident and Fellows of Harvard: $15KPresident and Fellows ofHarvard$15KThe Boston Foundation: $15KThe Boston Foundation$15KUniversity of Toronto: $15KUniversity of Toronto$15KBoys and Girls Club of Boston: $10KBoys and Girls Club of Boston$10K

The largest 2024 recipient was Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ($210K). Together the top 10 received $385K.

Grant Size Distribution

121 grants across all recorded years

112<$50K4$50–100K4$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 121 (93%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 2% to New York, and 2% to Michigan; the recipient state for a further 3% was not identified in the filing data.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.

Cities

BostonBrooklineNew BedfordCambridgeNew YorkBrightonLenoxLincolnNortonWatertownElonGrand RapidsChestnut HillDanvers

Is Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd open to new grantees?

9%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 23 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $20K. How we count

Medians: $13K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 87% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K22 grants2020 23 grants2021 29 grants2022 24 grants2023 23 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $329K (2020) to $555K (2022). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $443K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$210,000
Boston Symphony Orchestra Lenox, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$50,000
Boston Arts Academy Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$25,000
Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$15,000
Coutry Club Employee Education Fund Inc Chestnut Hill, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$15,000
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$15,000
President and Fellows of Harvard Cambridge, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$15,000
The Boston Foundation Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$15,000
University of Toronto General Charitable Purposes$15,000
Boys and Girls Club of Boston Boston, MAGeneral Charitable Purposes$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$6,458,555$569,748$501,784$442,50023$442,596$511,212$404,904
2023$6,390,591$226,550$458,748$391,00024$397,857$166,080$372,339
2022$6,622,789$482,998$716,294$554,75029$557,759$422,700$408,397
2021$6,829,868$1,000,014$430,461$362,30023$362,300$797,948$436,647
2020$6,281,956$494,754$396,838$329,26822—$422,034$404,341

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd reported a distributable amount of $405K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as the arts, education, health, and environmental conservation. For example, the Boston Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as presenting music and providing educational and training programs. Perkins School for the Blind says it serves children and young adults with multiple disabilities, their families, and professionals through education, accessibility, professional development, and innovation. Buzzards Bay Coalition says it works to protect and restore Buzzards Bay and its watershed.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $442,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $210,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $210,000 to Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, $50,000 to Boston Symphony Orchestra, and $25,000 to Boston Arts Academy. Other grants included $15,000 each to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, President and Fellows of Harvard, The Boston Foundation, and University of Toronto.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Katherine Chapman Stemberg is listed as trustee as required on the 2024 filing.

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd is led by Katherine Chapman Stemberg, Trustee As Required on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Katherine Chapman Stemberg

    Trustee As Required

    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.

Frequently asked questions about Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd

How much does Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd give each year?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd gave $443K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $391K across 24 grants.

What is Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's typical grant size?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $19,239, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd that year got $13K on average.

Where does Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd give grants?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd gives mostly in Massachusetts: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (9 grants), Brookline, MA (2 grants) and New Bedford, MA (2 grants).

Does Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's largest grantees?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's largest 2024 grantees include Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ($210,000), Boston Symphony Orchestra ($50,000) and Boston Arts Academy ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $405K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as the arts, education, health, and environmental conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd?

The foundation 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 Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's EIN?

Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5672425. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd 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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/stemberg-thomas-g-char-fnd-morg_74a8ef71cb084f3187e4134c24c4d6e0

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205672425_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/stemberg-thomas-g-char-fnd-morg_74a8ef71cb084f3187e4134c24c4d6e0},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd'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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