The Birchrock Foundation
The Birchrock Foundation is a private foundation based in Albany, New York. It supports other charitable organizations through contributions and states that it does not conduct direct charitable activities.
The Birchrock Foundation at a glance
In short: The Birchrock Foundation gave $380K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Massachusetts. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $379,803
- +17.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,660
- -1.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $5,590,849
- +0.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (12 of 25, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (89% 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 Birchrock Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Graypoint 4 Tower Place 1001, Albany, NY 12203
Phone: (518) 218-5497
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Birchrock Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Williams College ($200K). Together the top 10 received $370K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 125 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Albany, New York. In 2024, reported grant-dollar shares by recipient state were Massachusetts 89%, New York 8%, Georgia 2%, Maine 2%, and Virginia 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Birchrock Foundation open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 25 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 92% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 144% 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 $173K (2022) to $380K (2024). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $380K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Williams College Williamstown, MA | General Support | $200,000 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Cambridge, MA | General Support | $50,000 |
| The Rashi School Dedham, MA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Combined Jewish Philanthropic Boston, MA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY | General Support | $13,500 |
| The Metropolitan Musuem of Art New York, NY | General Support | $12,000 |
| Temple Beth Elohim Wellesley, MA | General Support | $7,380 |
| Adas Yoshurn Synagogue Rockland, ME | General Support | $5,000 |
| Temple Beth Elohim Wellesley, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston Boston, MA | General Support | $3,000 |
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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 | $5,590,849 | $627,278 | $597,153 | $379,803 | 30 | $382,123 | $400,399 | $265,987 |
| 2023 | $5,561,213 | $345,166 | $552,909 | $322,299 | 25 | $326,869 | $114,463 | $271,162 |
| 2022 | $5,768,949 | $385,488 | $408,053 | $173,249 | 19 | $173,249 | $173,153 | $274,771 |
| 2021 | $5,795,346 | $783,418 | $407,662 | $197,425 | 24 | $197,425 | $564,247 | $268,386 |
| 2020 | $5,419,585 | $526,497 | $480,321 | $322,340 | 27 | — | $356,934 | $263,264 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Birchrock Foundation reported a distributable amount of $266K 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
The foundation states that its primary purpose is to support charitable organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including colleges, a medical center, schools, museums, synagogues, and community organizations.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s obstetrics and gynecology foundation says it supports medical research, instruction, and activities to improve public health. The Whitney Museum of American Art says it presents and collects art of the United States and champions living artists. Harlem Academy says it works to expand opportunity for promising children and support their academic achievement.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $379,803. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $200,000, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest grants included $200,000 to Williams College for general support; $50,000 each to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and The Rashi School for general support; and $20,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropic for general support. Other listed grants included $13,500 to the Whitney Museum of American Art and $12,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lawrence J Lasser, Michelle Lasser, and Ethan Lasser as managers.
The Birchrock Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ethan Lasser
Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence J. Lasser
Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Lasser
Manager
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 Birchrock Foundation
How much does The Birchrock Foundation give each year?
The Birchrock Foundation gave $380K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $322K across 25 grants.
What is The Birchrock Foundation's typical grant size?
The Birchrock Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $12,660, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Birchrock Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does The Birchrock Foundation give grants?
The Birchrock Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Brunswick, GA (5 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and Wellesley, MA (3 grants).
Does The Birchrock Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Birchrock Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Birchrock Foundation's largest grantees?
The Birchrock Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Williams College ($200,000), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ($50,000) and The Rashi School ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Birchrock Foundation?
The Birchrock Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $382K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $266K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Birchrock Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its primary purpose is to support charitable organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its 2024 grants went to organizations including colleges, a medical center, schools, museums, synagogues, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Birchrock Foundation?
The foundation contributes 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 Birchrock Foundation's EIN?
The Birchrock Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3424527. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Birchrock 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Birchrock Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-birchrock-foundation-morg_42547dccbffd43238fe75d58d23bb515
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043424527_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Birchrock Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-birchrock-foundation-morg_42547dccbffd43238fe75d58d23bb515},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Birchrock 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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