The Bessie Rattner Foundation
The Bessie Rattner Foundation is a private foundation based in Florence, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including food access, public media, health, and community support.
The Bessie Rattner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bessie Rattner Foundation gave $161K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), top state District of Columbia. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $160,864
- -3.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,724
- +28.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,236,651
- -2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (42% 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 Bessie Rattner Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: Dawn Rattner
Mailing address: 1753 Park Road, Washington, DC 20010
Phone: (718) 326-0041
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bessie Rattner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Gala Hispanic Theatre ($50K). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 81 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in the following states and district: DC 42%, CT 28%, NY 18%, MA 6%, and TX 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Bessie Rattner Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 15 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $161K (2024) to $178K (2022). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $161K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gala Hispanic Theatre Washington, DC | General Support | $50,000 |
| Conregation B'nai Isarel Bridegport, CT | General Support | $45,432 |
| Safe Passage New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | General Support | $10,000 |
| National Breast Cancer Foundation Dallas, TX | General Support | $5,000 |
| New England Public Radio Springfield, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action Manhattan Beach, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| The Food Bank Western Massachusetts Hatfield, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| American University Radio Washington, DC | General Support | $3,650 |
| New York Public Radio New York, NY | General Support | $3,650 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bessie Rattner 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 | $3,236,651 | $83,010 | $170,240 | $160,864 | 15 | $169,514 | $95,504 | $161,961 |
| 2023 | $3,323,881 | $108,515 | $168,759 | $167,084 | 20 | $167,084 | $108,340 | $160,864 |
| 2022 | $3,384,125 | $75,601 | $179,286 | $177,982 | 20 | $177,982 | $75,601 | $167,085 |
| 2021 | $3,487,810 | $120,335 | $191,476 | $175,780 | 17 | $175,780 | $120,335 | $177,981 |
| 2020 | $3,558,951 | $102,370 | $177,658 | $177,011 | 9 | — | $102,370 | $175,780 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bessie Rattner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $162K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Capital Area Food Bank says its mission is to improve equitable access to food and opportunity, and World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. New York Public Radio describes its mission as producing excellent audio programming rooted in New York. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $160,864. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest awards listed were $50,000 to GALA Hispanic Theatre for general support and $45,432 to Conregation B’Nai Isarel for general support. Other listed grants included $15,000 to Safe Passage, $10,000 to Capital Area Food Bank, and $5,000 each to National Breast Cancer Foundation, New England Public Radio, Pancreatic Cancer Action, and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts; each was designated for general support.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. How to apply: Submit an application in writing stating the organization’s charitable purpose and attach relevant supporting materials. The filing lists no restrictions on awards. Deadline: None.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dawn Rattner as treasurer and Bambi Rattner as president.
The Bessie Rattner Foundation is led by Bambi Rattner, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bambi Rattner
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dawn Rattner
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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 Bessie Rattner Foundation
How much does The Bessie Rattner Foundation give each year?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation gave $161K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $167K across 20 grants.
What is The Bessie Rattner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,724, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bessie Rattner Foundation that year got $50K on average.
Where does The Bessie Rattner Foundation give grants?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (28%) and New York (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does The Bessie Rattner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bessie Rattner Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bessie Rattner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Gala Hispanic Theatre ($50,000), Conregation B'nai Isarel ($45,432) and Safe Passage ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Bessie Rattner Foundation?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $170K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $162K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bessie Rattner Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bessie Rattner Foundation?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Bessie Rattner Foundation's EIN?
The Bessie Rattner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6169194. 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bessie Rattner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bessie-rattner-foundation-morg_c8323b12322d49dd822cabbb54bfa271
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136169194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bessie Rattner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bessie-rattner-foundation-morg_c8323b12322d49dd822cabbb54bfa271},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Bessie Rattner 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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