The Bulens Family Foundation
The Bulens Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Needham, Massachusetts. It made 56 grants totaling $1,176,466 in 2025, supporting charitable organizations including hospitals, schools, youth-serving organizations, and community organizations.
The Bulens Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Bulens Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Massachusetts. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,176,466
- +23.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- -17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,008
- +49.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,526
- Total assets
- $2,799,785
- -7.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (13 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Bulens Family Foundation
- 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: Co Focus Partners Wealth, Needham, MA 02494
Phone: (781) 239-1188
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bulens Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston Childrens Hospital ($370K). Together the top 10 received $985K.
Grant Size Distribution
359 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 342 grants of 359 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 7% went to recipients in Oregon. The remaining reported shares were 0% each for Maryland, Ohio, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Bulens Family Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 56 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 730% of 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 $769K (2022) to $1.4M (2023). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Childrens Hospital Boston, MA | General | $370,000 |
| Bellesini Academy Lawrence, MA | General | $294,150 |
| Brigham & Womens Hospital Somerville, MA | General | $100,000 |
| Lewis & Clark Portland, OR | General | $57,017 |
| The Sports Museum Boston, MA | General | $35,600 |
| Family Services of the Merrimack Valley Lawrence, MA | General | $27,700 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Lawrence, MA | General | $25,580 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Drupal Association Portland, OR | General | $25,000 |
| Hopewell Inc Dedham, MA | General | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,799,785 | $1,299,076 | $1,202,608 | $1,176,466 | 56 | $1,176,466 | $822,178 | $161,149 |
| 2024 | $3,017,681 | $1,492,945 | $983,260 | $956,393 | 68 | $956,393 | $639,451 | $176,555 |
| 2023 | $3,096,135 | $573,629 | $1,418,363 | $1,390,842 | 72 | $1,390,842 | $145,585 | $202,150 |
| 2022 | $3,904,231 | $587,217 | $797,069 | $769,346 | 68 | $769,346 | $360,276 | $227,260 |
| 2021 | $4,142,871 | $1,019,782 | $941,819 | $910,861 | 95 | $910,861 | $593,002 | $261,428 |
| 2020 | $4,062,614 | $794,814 | $1,040,629 | $1,011,580 | 103 | — | $570,059 | $255,319 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bulens Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $161K 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 show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Hopewell Inc. says it enriches the lives and expands opportunities of children, adults, and families in need. BAGLY Inc. describes itself as a youth-led, adult-supported organization advocating for programs and services for LGBTQ+ youth. Neighbors in Need Inc. says it provides food and basic necessities to people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 56 grants totaling $1,176,466. Grants ranged from $40 to $370,000, with a median of $2,526. Its largest awards included $370,000 to Boston Children’s Hospital, $294,150 to Bellesini Academy, and $100,000 to Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Other notable grants included $57,017 to Lewis & Clark, $35,600 to The Sports Museum, and $27,700 to Family Services of the Merrimack Valley.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald Bulens and Lynne Bulens as trustees.
The Bulens Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald Bulens
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Bulens
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Bulens Family Foundation
How much does The Bulens Family Foundation give each year?
The Bulens Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $956K across 68 grants.
What is The Bulens Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bulens Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,526, and its average grant was $21,008, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bulens Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Bulens Family Foundation give grants?
The Bulens Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oregon (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Andover, MA (11 grants), Boston, MA (8 grants), Lawrence, MA (7 grants) and Portland, OR (2 grants).
Does The Bulens Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Bulens Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (56 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Bulens Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bulens Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boston Childrens Hospital ($370,000), Bellesini Academy ($294,150) and Brigham & Womens Hospital ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bulens Family Foundation?
The Bulens Family Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $161K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bulens Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Hopewell Inc. says it enriches the lives and expands opportunities of children, adults, and families in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bulens Family Foundation?
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 Bulens Family Foundation's EIN?
The Bulens Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3548021. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Bulens Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 18, 2026)
Live grants for the work The Bulens Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bulens Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bulens Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bulens-family-foundation-morg_4221e8328a964d37b5e789a8c4dcf34d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263548021_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bulens Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bulens-family-foundation-morg_4221e8328a964d37b5e789a8c4dcf34d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Bulens Family 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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