Sylvester Memorial Fund
Sylvester Memorial Fund is a private foundation based in Norwell, Massachusetts. It made 21 grants totaling $16,895 in 2025, supporting recipients for religious, educational, medical, and environmental purposes, among others.
Sylvester Memorial Fund at a glance
In short: Sylvester Memorial Fund gave $17K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $804.524), mostly in Massachusetts. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $16,895
- +44.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +61.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $805
- -10.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $243,144
- -0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (4 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (73% 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 Sylvester Memorial Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact Virginia H. Murray with a personal letter describing the nature of the request. It lists no award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Virginia H Murray
Mailing address: 91 Mount Hope Street, Norwell, MA 02061
Phone: (781) 608-2473
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sylvester Memorial Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Parish of Saint John the Evangelist ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
104 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 104 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 12% to Ohio, 9% to Colorado, 2% to Florida, and 2% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sylvester Memorial Fund open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 21 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $753. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 131% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12K (2024) to $17K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $17K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Parish of Saint John the Evangelist Hingham, MA | Religious | $2,600 |
| Norwell High School Scholarship Fund Norwell, MA | Educational | $2,000 |
| NVNA and Hospice Norwell, MA | Medical | $2,000 |
| Youth Across Borders Gahanna, OH | Medical | $2,000 |
| South Shore Baptist Church Hingham, MA | Religious | $2,000 |
| Compassion International Colorado Springs, CO | Religious | $1,000 |
| Cushing Pond Preservation Group Hingham, MA | Environmental | $500 |
| WGBH Education Foundation Boston, MA | Educational | $500 |
| Church Hill Cemetery Corporation Norwell, MA | In Memory of Thomas Hall | $500 |
| The James Library Norwell, MA | Educational | $500 |
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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 | $243,144 | $17,235 | $19,195 | $16,895 | 21 | $16,895 | $17,235 | $12,874 |
| 2024 | $245,104 | $16,376 | $13,326 | $11,705 | 13 | $11,705 | $16,376 | $12,018 |
| 2023 | $242,054 | $7,474 | $20,096 | $14,445 | 19 | $14,445 | $7,564 | $12,231 |
| 2022 | $254,676 | $30,308 | $19,161 | $14,060 | 22 | $14,060 | $30,308 | $11,229 |
| 2021 | $243,529 | $12,371 | $15,448 | $12,512 | 29 | $12,512 | $12,371 | $14,132 |
| 2020 | $246,606 | $2,190 | $15,170 | $12,626 | 28 | — | $5,148 | $13,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sylvester Memorial Fund reported a distributable amount of $13K 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 fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and purposes spanning religious, educational, medical, and environmental work. For example, Pine Street Inn describes its mission as ending homelessness, while New England Wildlife Center says it promotes positive values and policies toward wildlife and the environment through education, research, and wildlife care.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund made 21 grants totaling $16,895. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $2,600, with a median grant of $500. Larger grants included $2,600 to Parish of Saint John the Evangelist for religious purposes; $2,000 each to Norwell High School Scholarship Fund for educational purposes, NVNA and Hospice for medical purposes, Youth Across Borders for medical purposes, and South Shore Baptist Church for religious purposes.
Other reported grants included $1,000 to Compassion International for religious purposes and $500 each to Cushing Pond Preservation Group for environmental purposes, WGBH Education Foundation and The James Library for educational purposes, and Mass Audubon Society for environmental purposes. Pine Street Inn received $500; the fund’s filing listed the purpose as medical.
The grantees’ own descriptions provide additional context: Florida Oceanographic Society says it works to inspire stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through education, research, and advocacy. American Rivers describes its work as protecting and restoring rivers, and Appalachian Mountain Club describes its mission as promoting the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the Appalachian region’s mountains, forests, waters, and trails.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Virginia H. Murray and Peter M. Polson as trustees.
Sylvester Memorial Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peter M. Polson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Virginia H. Murray
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Thomas P. Hall (2020–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Sylvester Memorial Fund
How much does Sylvester Memorial Fund give each year?
Sylvester Memorial Fund gave $17K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $12K across 13 grants.
What is Sylvester Memorial Fund's typical grant size?
Sylvester Memorial Fund's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $805, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sylvester Memorial Fund that year got $1K on average.
Where does Sylvester Memorial Fund give grants?
Sylvester Memorial Fund gives mostly in Massachusetts: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (12%) and Colorado (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hingham, MA (4 grants), Norwell, MA (4 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and Colorado Springs, CO (2 grants).
Does Sylvester Memorial Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Sylvester Memorial Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Environmental" (8 grants), "Religious" (4 grants) and "Educational" (4 grants).
Who are Sylvester Memorial Fund's largest grantees?
Sylvester Memorial Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Parish of Saint John the Evangelist ($2,600), Norwell High School Scholarship Fund ($2,000) and NVNA and Hospice ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sylvester Memorial Fund?
Sylvester Memorial Fund reported $243K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sylvester Memorial Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and purposes spanning religious, educational, medical, and environmental work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sylvester Memorial Fund?
The 2025 filing says to contact Virginia H. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sylvester Memorial Fund's EIN?
Sylvester Memorial Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6047069. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sylvester Memorial Fund funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Creative Impact Grants $500 - $2,500 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sylvester Memorial Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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