The Altamira Foundation
The Altamira Foundation is a private foundation based in Westwood, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations; in 2024, it reported 26 grants totaling $443,800.
The Altamira Foundation at a glance
In short: The Altamira Foundation gave $444K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), top state Massachusetts. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $443,800
- -29.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,069
- -15.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,250
- Total assets
- $18,621,143
- +15.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (6 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (28% 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 The Altamira Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 401 Summer Street, Westwood, MA 02090
Phone: (781) 329-5186
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Altamira Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Medstar - Georgetown University Hospital ($75K). Together the top 10 received $405K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 137 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (28%), Alabama (23%), the District of Columbia (18%), California (12%), and Illinois (11%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Altamira Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 26 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 60% 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 (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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $444K (2024) to $940K (2022). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $444K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Medstar - Georgetown University Hospital Washington, DC | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Augustana Fund Rock Island, IL | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Smart from the Start Roxbury, MA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| The Alabama Holocaust Education Center Birmingham, AL | Charitable | $50,000 |
| East Lake Initiative Birmingham, AL | Charitable | $50,000 |
| The Legacy Foundation Del Mar, CA | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Hale Education Westwood, MA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Louisville Orchestra Louisville, KY | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Mass General Hospital Boston, MA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Robyn Abrams Memorial Scholarship Westwood, MA | Charitable | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Altamira 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $18,621,143 | $3,322,845 | $715,361 | $443,800 | 26 | $545,877 | $3,155,236 | $915,197 |
| 2023 | $16,159,743 | $565,004 | $849,284 | $625,500 | 31 | $699,600 | $413,320 | $861,215 |
| 2022 | $16,444,023 | $645,826 | $1,160,812 | $939,850 | 23 | $1,005,668 | $490,682 | $873,402 |
| 2021 | $17,396,155 | $2,962,608 | $737,609 | $534,680 | 24 | $586,855 | $296,654 | $903,177 |
| 2020 | $15,171,156 | $1,874,340 | $943,157 | $817,180 | 33 | — | $547,155 | $764,544 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Altamira Foundation reported a distributable amount of $915K 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 went to organizations working in areas including education, health care, community support, and conservation. For example, Smart From the Start says its mission is to help prevent academic achievement gaps among young children in under-resourced communities. The Westwood Land Trust says it works to protect and steward open space and natural resources in Westwood. These are the grantees’ missions, not statements of the foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $443,800. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $75,000, with a median grant of $2,250. Notable grants included $75,000 to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital; $50,000 each to Augustana Fund, Smart From the Start, the Alabama Holocaust Education Center, East Lake Initiative, and the Legacy Foundation; and $25,000 each to Hale Education and Louisville Orchestra.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kenneth L. Abrams, Susan N. Abrams, and Jessica A. Murray as trustees.
The Altamira Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jessica A. Murray
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth L. Abrams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan N. Abrams
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 The Altamira Foundation
How much does The Altamira Foundation give each year?
The Altamira Foundation gave $444K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $626K across 31 grants.
What is The Altamira Foundation's typical grant size?
The Altamira Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,250, and its average grant was $17,069, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Altamira Foundation that year got $36K on average.
Where does The Altamira Foundation give grants?
The Altamira Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Alabama (23%) and District of Columbia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Westwood, MA (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and Birmingham, AL (2 grants).
Does The Altamira Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on The Altamira Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (25 grants).
Who are The Altamira Foundation's largest grantees?
The Altamira Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Medstar - Georgetown University Hospital ($75,000), Augustana Fund ($50,000) and Smart from the Start ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Altamira Foundation?
The Altamira Foundation reported $18.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $546K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $915K (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 The Altamira Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including education, health care, community support, and conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Altamira Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 The Altamira Foundation's EIN?
The Altamira Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7190733. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Altamira 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Altamira Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Altamira Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-altamira-foundation-morg_678b7cd665f7467a91c74b007d0d3910
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207190733_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Altamira Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-altamira-foundation-morg_678b7cd665f7467a91c74b007d0d3910},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Altamira 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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