The Ceres Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2000 and granted charitable status in May 2002. Based in Groton, Massachusetts, the foundation is dedicated to strengthening communities and improving life outcomes for historically underserved youth and their families through dynamic partnerships with innovative nonprofits.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$169.6M
-2.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.9M
+16.7% YoY
Grant Count
64
+1.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$123K
+14.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on supporting programs that change individual lives by expanding opportunities for disadvantaged youth and vulnerable families to develop and make full use of their potential. The foundation favors programs that are:
- Holistic, making a commitment to each individual to provide all services needed for success
- Goal-oriented, setting high goals for clients relative to their circumstances and potential
- Measurement-focused, using multiple measures to assess client situations at entry and exit
- Impact-focused, tracking and assisting clients for a year or more after program completion
Primary Funding Priorities
College Access & Success — Support for programs helping students graduate from high school, prepare for and enroll in college, and secure post-secondary degrees.
Career Pathways — Education, training, work-experience, or job placement programs leading to rewarding and sustainable careers.
Family Strengthening — Programs working simultaneously with parents and children to promote healthy parenting and build resilient, stable families.
Capacity Building Focus
Approximately 77% of the foundation's funding is focused on capacity building—investments that bring nonprofits to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity. The foundation views capacity building as a continuous improvement strategy toward creating sustainable and impactful organizations, not a one-time effort.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,000 to $2,000,000
Average Grant
ee remaining in their portfolio for 7 years.
Review Cycle
s annually
Grant Types
How to Apply
** The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications for funding. Prospective grantees should contact the foundation directly for application guidelines.
Ready to take the next step with The Ceres Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's funding is concentrated in three geographic areas where the majority of family members and staff live:
- Washington, DC
- Los Angeles and Orange County, California
- Western Massachusetts
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $173.6 million (2023)
Annual Giving: $7.3 million (2023)
Total Revenue: $6.67 million (2023)
Total Expenses: $7.95 million (2023)
Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $169,555,715 | $173,580,774 | $175,242,197 |
| Revenue | $5,329,879 | $6,671,209 | $68,094,919 |
| Expenses | $9,354,938 | $7,947,838 | $7,196,073 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,546,413 | $7,302,336 | $4,431,564 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,645,497 | $5,929,789 | $66,005,811 |
| Distributable Amount | $9,011,608 | $8,153,455 | $6,208,576 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Ceres Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Dan Milder, President
- Don Milder, Treasurer
- Terri Milder, Secretary
- Ryan Bradley, Member at Large
- Emily Milder, Member at Large
- Zach Milder, Member at Large
Staff:
- Amanda Northrop, Executive Director (joined 2021; previously spent twenty years at the State Street Foundation)
- Adena Klem, Director of Learning and Impact
- Diana D Diaz, Senior Program Associate
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DANIEL C MILDER | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| DONALD B MILDER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| TERRI L MILDER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| EMILY B MILDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RYAN F BRADLEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ZACHARY D MILDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with The Ceres Foundation Inc on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities