The Ausolus Trust
The Ausolus Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2024, it made 68 grants totaling $1,515,000 to organizations including colleges, schools, museums, conservation groups, and research and cultural institutions.
The Ausolus Trust at a glance
In short: The Ausolus Trust gave $1.5M across 68 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), top state Massachusetts. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,515,000
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 68
- +9.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,279
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $32,406,464
- +9.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (14 of 68, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (32% 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 Ausolus Trust
- How to Apply
-
The Trust states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact The Ausolus Trust; no particular format is required, and the filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- August 15.
- Deadline
- August 15.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ausolus Trust
Mailing address: C/O Bfo 88 Broad Street 2Nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 624-0800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ausolus Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Morris Aboretum ($100K). Together the top 10 received $682K.
Grant Size Distribution
290 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 242 grants of 290 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The largest shares of 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (32%), Pennsylvania (19%), Maine (17%), New York (12%), and Arizona (5%). The Trust also made grants to organizations in other states, including Vermont, Connecticut, Illinois, Washington, and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ausolus Trust open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 68 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 78% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 26% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% 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 $1.2M (2020) to $1.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 68 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Morris Aboretum Philadelphia, PA | Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Friends of Wissahickon Philadelphia, PA | Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Lowell Observatory Flagstaff, AZ | Exempt Purpose | $70,000 |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust Topsham, ME | Exempt Purpose | $57,000 |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Boston, MA | Exempt Purpose | $55,000 |
| Bates College Lewiston, ME | Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc Boston, MA | Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Glouchester Marine Genomics Institute Gloucester, MA | Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Island Readers & Writers Mount Desert, ME | Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $32,406,464 | $1,025,942 | $1,741,641 | $1,515,000 | 68 | $1,533,250 | $827,551 | $1,563,389 |
| 2023 | $29,576,368 | $2,470,779 | $1,673,327 | $1,425,000 | 62 | $1,434,150 | $2,264,065 | $1,381,130 |
| 2022 | $26,288,985 | $2,610,321 | $1,774,712 | $1,465,000 | 55 | $1,472,625 | $2,393,234 | $1,435,246 |
| 2021 | $32,879,571 | $10,369,259 | $1,599,806 | $1,205,000 | 50 | $1,211,545 | $4,453,703 | $1,515,907 |
| 2020 | $23,769,898 | $4,950,706 | $1,563,199 | $1,172,500 | 55 | — | $154,881 | $1,185,135 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ausolus Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.6M 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 Trust is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Vassar College describes its mission as making a liberal education accessible and fostering analytical and independent thinking. Maine Coast Heritage Trust says it advances conservation of lands and waters in Maine, while Lowell Observatory describes its work as astronomical research and public education and outreach. Other 2024 recipients include schools, museums, a cancer institute, and cultural and conservation organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Trust made 68 grants totaling $1,515,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest grants included $100,000 each to Morris Arboretum, Vassar College, and Friends of Wissahickon; $70,000 to Lowell Observatory; and $57,000 to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Other recipients included the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, each receiving $50,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists George Putnam III, Barbara P. Lyman, and Susan W. Peck as trustees.
The Ausolus Trust's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara P. Lyman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Putnam III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan W. Peck
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Nancy Putnam (2020) — Trustee · Filing note: Deceased
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 Ausolus Trust
How much does The Ausolus Trust give each year?
The Ausolus Trust gave $1.5M across 68 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 62 grants.
What is The Ausolus Trust's typical grant size?
The Ausolus Trust's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,279, across 68 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ausolus Trust that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Ausolus Trust give grants?
The Ausolus Trust's top state is Massachusetts, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (19%) and Maine (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (13 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Bar Harbor, ME (3 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (2 grants).
Who are The Ausolus Trust's largest grantees?
The Ausolus Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Morris Aboretum ($100,000), Vassar College ($100,000) and Friends of Wissahickon ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ausolus Trust?
The Ausolus Trust reported $32.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (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 The Ausolus Trust fund?
No mission statement for the Trust is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Vassar College describes its mission as making a liberal education accessible and fostering analytical and independent thinking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ausolus Trust?
The Trust states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ausolus Trust's EIN?
The Ausolus Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3368079. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Live grants for the work The Ausolus Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ausolus Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ausolus Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ausolus-trust-morg_fb1a3f58afcd43cfb270753bd9e838e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043368079_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ausolus Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ausolus-trust-morg_fb1a3f58afcd43cfb270753bd9e838e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Ausolus Trust'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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