The Clifford Family Foundation
The Clifford Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In filing year 2024, it reported 34 grants totaling $5,462,195 to charitable organizations.
The Clifford Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Clifford Family Foundation gave $5.5M across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $161K), top state New York. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,462,195
- +99.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $160,653
- +87.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $32,827,665
- +4.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (7 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (38% 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 Clifford 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: 200 Clarendon Street 35Th Floor, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 316-6300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Clifford Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Colgate University ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
174 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 174 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (38%), Virginia (29%), and California (22%), followed by Washington, DC (6%) and Massachusetts (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Clifford Family Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 34 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $197K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $38K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 219% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 307% 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 $1.7M (2021) to $5.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $5.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Unrestricted | $1,950,006 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Unrestricted | $1,600,000 |
| The Caroline M Clifford Donor Advised Fund Schwab Charitable Giving San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $296,313 |
| The Catherine K Clifford Donor Advised Fund Schwab Charitable Giving San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $296,313 |
| The John C Clifford Donor Advised Fund Schwab Charitable Giving San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $296,313 |
| Enviromental Defense Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $250,000 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Jumpstart Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Parent Child Mineola, NY | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| B2K Social Ventures Berkeley, CA | Unrestricted | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Clifford Family Foundation?
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 | $32,827,665 | $6,568,467 | $5,763,842 | $5,462,195 | 34 | $5,462,695 | $3,528,199 | $1,776,966 |
| 2023 | $31,292,703 | $10,402,233 | $3,052,096 | $2,737,284 | 32 | $2,737,534 | $6,516,112 | $1,551,049 |
| 2022 | $27,466,166 | $731,570 | $2,260,379 | $2,024,819 | 38 | $2,025,069 | $151,048 | $1,535,963 |
| 2021 | $32,316,453 | $1,547,403 | $1,923,904 | $1,714,375 | 33 | $1,714,875 | $927,377 | $1,740,532 |
| 2020 | $32,978,821 | $339,016 | $1,890,337 | $1,755,800 | 37 | — | $155,731 | $1,503,079 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Clifford Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 went to organizations whose stated work spans conservation, health care, education, civic learning, youth development, and film and media arts. For example, The Nature Conservancy says its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which life depends; iCivics describes its work as advancing equitable, nonpartisan civic education; and True West Film Center says it brings cinema to Northern California and supports artists and students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $5,462,195. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,950,006, with a median of $25,000. The largest grants included $1,950,006 to Colgate University, $1,600,000 to The Nature Conservancy, and $296,313 each to the Caroline M. Clifford, Catherine K. Clifford, and John C. Clifford donor-advised funds at Schwab Charitable Giving. These grants were listed as unrestricted.
Other 2024 recipients included Environmental Defense ($250,000), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ($100,000), Jumpstart ($100,000), Parent Child ($75,000), B2K Social Ventures ($60,000), NatureBridge ($50,000), and True West Film Center ($50,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel Carbonneau and J. Christopher Clifford as trustees.
The Clifford Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel Carbonneau
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Christopher Clifford
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 Clifford Family Foundation
How much does The Clifford Family Foundation give each year?
The Clifford Family Foundation gave $5.5M across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.7M across 32 grants.
What is The Clifford Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Clifford Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $160,653, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Clifford Family Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does The Clifford Family Foundation give grants?
The Clifford Family Foundation's top state is New York, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (29%) and California (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Clifford Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Clifford Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Clifford Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Clifford Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Colgate University ($1,950,006), The Nature Conservancy ($1,600,000) and The Caroline M Clifford Donor Advised Fund Schwab Charitable Giving ($296,313), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Clifford Family Foundation?
The Clifford Family Foundation reported $32.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Clifford Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated work spans conservation, health care, education, civic learning, youth development, and film and media arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Clifford 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 Clifford Family Foundation's EIN?
The Clifford Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3025894. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Clifford Family 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 Clifford Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-clifford-family-foundation-morg_734475de263b40229c25daa360b9b54c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223025894_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Clifford Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-clifford-family-foundation-morg_734475de263b40229c25daa360b9b54c},
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 Clifford 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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