The Birchwood Charitable Tr
The Birchwood Charitable Tr is a private foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations for educational and humanitarian purposes.
The Birchwood Charitable Tr at a glance
In short: The Birchwood Charitable Tr gave $21K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $20,700
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,592
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $268,011
- +3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (81% 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 Birchwood Charitable Tr
- 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: 10 Mcternan Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (973) 476-3743
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Birchwood Charitable Tr funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Trustees of Tufts University ($3K). Together the top 10 received $18K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 63 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 7% to New Jersey, 7% to Texas, and 5% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Birchwood Charitable Tr open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% 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 $14K (2020) to $21K (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $21K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trustees of Tufts University Medford, MA | Educational | $2,500 |
| MIT Cambridge, MA | Educational | $2,500 |
| MSPCC Boston, MA | Humanitarian | $2,500 |
| The Home for Little Wanderers Boston, MA | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| Community FoodBank of New Jersey Hillside, NJ | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| St Francis House Boston, MA | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| North Texas Food Bank Plano, TX | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| Rosie's Place Boston, MA | Humanitarian | $1,500 |
| The Catholic Appeal Braintree, MA | Humanitarian | $1,200 |
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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 | $268,011 | $7,271 | $22,185 | $20,700 | 13 | $20,700 | $27,876 | $19,974 |
| 2023 | $259,401 | $7,609 | $22,154 | $19,700 | 13 | $20,685 | $39,025 | $18,378 |
| 2022 | $240,238 | $6,913 | $22,670 | $19,500 | 13 | $20,485 | $20,375 | $19,673 |
| 2021 | $239,783 | $6,349 | $23,852 | $21,000 | 14 | $22,000 | $17,206 | $20,927 |
| 2020 | $244,037 | $6,546 | $16,789 | $13,500 | 10 | — | $8,738 | $20,421 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Birchwood Charitable Tr reported a distributable amount of $20K 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 included educational support for Tufts University and MIT, and humanitarian support for organizations including MSPCC, food banks, and other charitable organizations.
The North Texas Food Bank describes its mission as hunger relief through food distribution via a network of partner agencies and organizations. The Home for Little Wanderers describes its mission as helping vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $20,700 through 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $2,500, with a median of $1,500.
Among the listed 2024 grants, the largest were $2,500 each to the Trustees of Tufts University for educational purposes, MIT for educational purposes, and MSPCC for humanitarian purposes. Other listed grants included $1,500 to the Home for Little Wanderers, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, St Francis House, North Texas Food Bank, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and Rosie’s Place.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Carol Tourgee as Trustee.
The Birchwood Charitable Tr is led by Carol Tourgee, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carol Tourgee
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 Birchwood Charitable Tr
How much does The Birchwood Charitable Tr give each year?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr gave $21K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $20K across 13 grants.
What is The Birchwood Charitable Tr's typical grant size?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,592, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Birchwood Charitable Tr give grants?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr gives mostly in Massachusetts: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Jersey (7%) and Texas (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (6 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does The Birchwood Charitable Tr give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Birchwood Charitable Tr's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Humanitarian" (11 grants).
Who are The Birchwood Charitable Tr's largest grantees?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr's largest 2024 grantees include Trustees of Tufts University ($2,500), MIT ($2,500) and MSPCC ($2,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Birchwood Charitable Tr?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr reported $268K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $21K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $20K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Birchwood Charitable Tr fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included educational support for Tufts University and MIT, and humanitarian support for organizations including MSPCC, food banks, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Birchwood Charitable Tr?
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 Birchwood Charitable Tr's EIN?
The Birchwood Charitable Tr's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3541255. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Birchwood Charitable Tr 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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Figures come from The Birchwood Charitable Tr'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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