The Bigbird Fund
The Bigbird Fund is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations in Massachusetts and other states, including a theatre company, a charter school, a hospital, and organizations working in areas such as food relief and conservation.
The Bigbird Fund at a glance
In short: The Bigbird Fund gave $175K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $174,941
- -29.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,747
- -22.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,700
- Total assets
- $4,626
- -95.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (5 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (72% 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 The Bigbird Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 800 Boylston St 1390, Boston, MA 02199
Phone: (617) 262-4646
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bigbird Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Huntington Theatre Company Inc ($34K). Together the top 10 received $149K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 99 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, reported grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Massachusetts (72%) and Rhode Island (17%). The remaining reported shares were Washington, DC (6%), Pennsylvania (3%), and New York (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Bigbird Fund open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 20 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 85% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $175K (2025) to $1.1M (2022). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $175K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington Theatre Company Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $34,000 |
| Phoenix Charter Academy Chelsea, MA | General Support | $28,060 |
| Newport Festivals Foundation Newport, RI | General Support | $15,000 |
| Womens Foundation of Boston Boston, MA | General Support | $13,400 |
| Aquidneck Land Trust Middletown, RI | General Support | $10,000 |
| Massart - Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Newton Wellesley Hospital Newton, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Pioneer Institute Boston, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Inc Washington, DC | General Support | $10,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College Cambridge, MA | General Support | $8,400 |
Ready to take the next step with The Bigbird Fund?
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 | $4,626 | $78,326 | $178,934 | $174,941 | 20 | $174,976 | $52,982 | $2,480 |
| 2024 | $105,234 | $112,346 | $251,498 | $246,875 | 22 | $246,910 | $110,658 | $11,475 |
| 2023 | $244,386 | $142,186 | $784,818 | $766,650 | 19 | $767,150 | $136,693 | $42,579 |
| 2022 | $887,018 | $2,072,516 | $1,143,821 | $1,132,960 | 18 | $1,132,995 | $516,791 | $43,067 |
| 2021 | $440,900 | $211,603 | $305,919 | $298,500 | 20 | $299,110 | $206,721 | $36,789 |
| 2020 | $535,216 | $159,238 | $605,732 | $597,175 | 23 | — | $153,376 | $52,370 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bigbird Fund reported a distributable amount of $2K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Huntington Theatre Company received a grant, and the Newport Festivals Foundation received one; the filing lists both grants as general support. World Central Kitchen, which received $10,000, describes its mission as providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. The Appalachian Mountain Club, which received $1,000, says it promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the Appalachian region’s mountains, forests, waters, and trails.
Other 2025 recipients include educational institutions and organizations. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which received $8,400, describes its work as undergraduate, graduate, and professional education and research. Pioneer Institute, which received $10,000, says it advances human potential through work in areas including K–12 education, health, economic opportunity, and civic values.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $174,941. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $34,000, with a median grant of $6,700. The largest awards included $34,000 to Huntington Theatre Company, $28,060 to Phoenix Charter Academy, $15,000 to Newport Festivals Foundation, and $13,400 to Women’s Foundation of Boston. Each was listed as general support.
Other reported 2025 grants included $10,000 each to Aquidneck Land Trust, MassArt’s foundation, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Pioneer Institute, and World Central Kitchen; and $8,400 to President and Fellows of Harvard College. Pine Street Inn, Gaining Ground, and the Appalachian Mountain Club each received $1,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William P McQuillan and Linda M Criniti as trustees.
The Bigbird Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Linda M. Criniti
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William P. McQuillan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 The Bigbird Fund
How much does The Bigbird Fund give each year?
The Bigbird Fund gave $175K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $247K across 22 grants.
What is The Bigbird Fund's typical grant size?
The Bigbird Fund's median grant in 2025 was $6,700, and its average grant was $8,747, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bigbird Fund that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Bigbird Fund give grants?
The Bigbird Fund gives mostly in Massachusetts: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Rhode Island (17%) and District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (8 grants), Middletown, RI (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Bigbird Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bigbird Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bigbird Fund's largest grantees?
The Bigbird Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Huntington Theatre Company Inc ($34,000), Phoenix Charter Academy ($28,060) and Newport Festivals Foundation ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bigbird Fund?
The Bigbird Fund reported $5K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $175K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bigbird Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Huntington Theatre Company received a grant, and the Newport Festivals Foundation received one; the filing lists both grants as general support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bigbird Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Bigbird Fund's EIN?
The Bigbird Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4072533. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Bigbird Fund 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bigbird Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bigbird Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bigbird-fund-morg_13a0e7fbdb444dcbbada08e44146346e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454072533_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bigbird Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bigbird-fund-morg_13a0e7fbdb444dcbbada08e44146346e},
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 The Bigbird Fund'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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