The Ceres Foundation Inc
The Ceres Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Groton, Massachusetts. Founded in 2000, it makes long-term, capacity-building investments in nonprofit organizations serving historically underserved youth and families, with a focus on education, employment, and family strengthening.
The Ceres Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Ceres Foundation Inc gave $7.9M across 64 grants in 2024 (avg $123K), mostly in California. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,865,000
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 64
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $122,891
- +14.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $82,500
- Total assets
- $169,555,715
- -2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (8 of 60, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (56% 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 Ceres Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website says recent grantees—organizations funded within the past two years—may submit a full proposal through its online process. As of its 2026 update, it is not accepting concept papers from new applicants and expects to provide information about new partnership opportunities in 2027. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements described above and demonstrate measurable outcomes or have a plan to do so. The foundation does not fund scholarships or direct financial awards to individuals, sectarian activities, discriminatory organizations, disease-specific initiatives or medical research, political causes or campaigns, organizations primarily seeking to influence legislation, or event sponsorships.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines. The website’s 2026 update says new-applicant concept papers are not being accepted at this time.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Amanda L Northrop
Mailing address: PO Box 578, Groton, MA 01450
Phone: (401) 368-5675
Email: info@ceresgiving.org
Website: https://ceresgiving.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Ceres Foundation Inc
Who The Ceres Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Thrive Scholars ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
211 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 97 grants of 211 (46%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies Washington, DC; Los Angeles and Orange County, California; and Hampden County in Western Massachusetts as its funding regions. In 2024, 56% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 22% to DC, 14% to Massachusetts, 6% to Maryland, and 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 64 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ceres Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 60 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $144K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $95K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 288% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.7M (2020) to $7.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 64 grants totaling $7.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thrive Scholars Los Angeles, CA | Support the expansion of the thrive scholars' los angeles and boston programs | $2,000,000 |
| Friendship Shelter Inc Laguna Beach, CA | Support the home for good initiative and henderson house permanent supportive housing program | $360,000 |
| Schoolhouse Connection Inc Washington, DC | Support the youth leadership scholarship program for youth having experienced homelessness | $275,000 |
| Community Adolescent Resources and Education Center Inc Holyoke, MA | Support the expansion of the bard microcollege program for low-income women | $250,000 |
| Future Link Inc Rockville, MD | Support the expansion of programmatic model to expand career coaching, internship, and mentoring | $200,000 |
| Lift Inc Washington, DC | Support the expansion of financial coaching model for low-income families in los angeles and washington d.c. | $200,000 |
| STEM Advantage Huntington Beach, CA | Support program expansion to mentor, prepare, and inspire primarily first-generation college students from low-income families for careers in s.t.e.m. | $200,000 |
| More Than Words Inc Waltham, MA | Support advocacy work rollout of its expanded model to address systematic barriers for vulnerable Massachusetts youth | $160,000 |
| Corporation of the Washington Latin School Washington, DC | Support campaign to provide classical liberal arts education, emphasizing the socratic mehod, for an additional 750 students | $150,000 |
| Monument Academy Inc Washington, DC | General operating support for the 2024-2025 academic school year | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ceres Foundation Inc?
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 | $169,555,715 | $5,329,879 | $9,354,938 | $7,865,000 | 64 | $8,546,413 | $4,645,497 | $9,011,608 |
| 2023 | $173,580,774 | $6,671,209 | $7,947,838 | $6,740,000 | 63 | $7,302,336 | $5,929,789 | $8,153,455 |
| 2022 | $175,242,197 | $68,094,919 | $7,196,073 | $3,985,000 | 39 | $4,431,564 | $66,005,811 | $6,208,576 |
| 2021 | $114,461,876 | $84,238,191 | $2,631,045 | $2,025,000 | 22 | $2,376,014 | $95,361,760 | $2,867,422 |
| 2020 | $19,830,231 | $13,050,953 | $2,009,148 | $1,688,000 | 23 | — | $362,217 | $1,258,056 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ceres Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $9.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to strengthen organizations serving historically underserved youth and families through sustained support and measurable outcomes. Its website describes three funding priorities: college access and success; career pathways; and family strengthening. It prioritizes programs that offer integrated services, set high goals, assess opportunities for the people they serve, and work to sustain their impact. Its support is primarily for general operations and capacity building, including multi-year grants and initiatives that help nonprofits strengthen or scale their work.
The foundation says eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations described under section 509(a)(1), 509(a)(2), or, in certain cases, 509(a)(3). It supports organizations serving populations including low-income youth ages 10–26, foster youth, homeless and formerly homeless people, young parents, first-generation college students, and individuals involved in the justice system.
Examples of grantees’ work include THRIVE SCHOLARS, whose mission is to help high-achieving students from under-resourced communities thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers. FRIENDSHIP SHELTER says it helps homeless adults achieve self-sufficiency, while LIFT says it invests in parents to build families’ well-being, financial strength, and social connections. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 64 grants totaling $7,865,000. The grants ranged from $10,000 to $2,000,000, with a median of $82,500. Its website separately reports a median grant payment of $100,000. The foundation says it often makes successive-year or multi-year grants and generally provides one grant per organization per calendar year.
The largest 2024 grant was $2,000,000 to THRIVE SCHOLARS to support expansion of its Los Angeles and Boston programs. Other notable grants included $360,000 to FRIENDSHIP SHELTER for its Home for Good initiative and Henderson House permanent supportive housing program; $275,000 to SCHOOLHOUSE CONNECTION for its youth leadership scholarship program for youth who have experienced homelessness; and $250,000 to the Community Adolescent Resources and Education Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts, for expansion of its Bard Microcollege program for low-income women. Additional awards included $200,000 to FUTURE LINK for career coaching, internships, and mentoring; $200,000 to LIFT for expansion of its financial coaching model; and $200,000 to STEM ADVANTAGE for program expansion serving primarily first-generation college students from low-income families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel C. Milder as president, Donald B. Milder as treasurer, Terri L. Milder as secretary, and Emily B. Milder, Ryan F. Bradley, and Zachary D. Milder as directors. The foundation’s website lists Amanda Northrop as executive director.
The Ceres Foundation Inc is led by Daniel C. Milder, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel C. Milder
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$126K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Emily B. Milder
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan F. Bradley
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zachary D. Milder
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Donald B. Milder
Treasurer
CFO → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri L. Milder
Secretary
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2020 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2020 filing was $126K, to Daniel C Milder (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Ceres Foundation Inc
How much does The Ceres Foundation Inc give each year?
The Ceres Foundation Inc gave $7.9M across 64 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.7M across 63 grants.
What is The Ceres Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Ceres Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $82,500, and its average grant was $122,891, across 64 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ceres Foundation Inc that year got $50K on average.
Where does The Ceres Foundation Inc give grants?
The Ceres Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (22%) and Massachusetts (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (16 grants), Los Angeles, CA (9 grants), Santa Ana, CA (5 grants) and Springfield, MA (3 grants).
Does The Ceres Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 34% of The Ceres Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 64) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ceres Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Ceres Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Thrive Scholars ($2,000,000), Friendship Shelter Inc ($360,000) and Community Adolescent Resources and Education Center Inc ($280,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ceres Foundation Inc?
The Ceres Foundation Inc reported $169.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ceres Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to strengthen organizations serving historically underserved youth and families through sustained support and measurable outcomes. Its website describes three funding priorities: college access and success; career pathways; and family strengthening. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ceres Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s website says recent grantees—organizations funded within the past two years—may submit a full proposal through its online process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ceres Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Ceres Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2170962. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 Ceres Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ceres-foundation-inc-morg_6d45106be349403bb03237ca1b82bf1a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912170962_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ceres Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ceres-foundation-inc-morg_6d45106be349403bb03237ca1b82bf1a},
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 Ceres Foundation Inc'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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