The Devonshire Foundation
The Devonshire Foundation is a private family foundation incorporated in 1949 and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The foundation seeks to create measurable and sustainable impact by supporting ready-for-growth programs addressing social and environmental issues. Historically serving as the Howland family's foundation, it has evolved to employ a strategic approach to charitable giving focused on capacity building in the nonprofit sector.
Key facts about The Devonshire Foundation
- EIN
- 04-6004808
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,970,575
- Grants made (2024)
- 40
- Average grant
- $74,264
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $37,016,295
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026.
Who The Devonshire Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Devonshire Foundation's 40 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (99%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (15 grants), Dorchester, MA (4 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and Mattapan, MA (2 grants). 33% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Matching Grant" (5 grants), "Distribution for Xanthaky Memorial Scholarship Fund" (4 grants) and "Annual Membership" (3 grants).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37.0M
+0.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.0M
-5.1% YoY
Grant Count
40
-2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$74K
-2.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Devonshire Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Devonshire Foundation is a private family foundation that seeks to create measurable and sustainable impact by supporting ready-for-growth programs addressing social and environmental issues.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Youth programs (58% of funding)
- Environmental sustainability (27% of funding)
- Nonprofit sector impact and capacity building (13% of funding)
The foundation emphasizes capacity building through grants that foster growth in the nonprofit sector, including challenge or matching grants and grants that enable staff and operational growth.
Grantmaking
The foundation views grantees as partners and aims to work closely with them. The foundation has a strong preference for multi-year grants to provide grantees with visibility and resources to achieve long-term goals. The foundation establishes clear and measurable reporting requirements designed to be non-burdensome while providing clear measures of impact.
Grant Range
$500–$300,000
Average Grant
amount varies by program type
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, with a particular emphasis on the Boston metropolitan area and New England region.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,016,295 |
| Total Giving | $2,970,575–$3,580,663 |
| Total Revenue | $3,820,823 |
| Total Expenses | $3,868,160 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,016,295 | $36,771,212 | $37,151,327 |
| Revenue | $4,330,611 | $3,820,823 | $2,827,991 |
| Expenses | $3,902,958 | $3,868,160 | $4,101,296 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,491,666 | $3,580,663 | $3,760,231 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,004,225 | $3,533,326 | $2,456,026 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,065,777 | $2,743,468 | $2,771,628 |
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
234 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Tech Goes Home Incorporated ($290,471), Boston Food Forest Coalition ($279,600), United South End Settlements ($251,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| TECH GOES HOME INCORPORATED BOSTON, MA | TECH GOES HOME'S THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS EXPANSION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND EARNED REVENUE TEAMS TO INCREASE FUNDRAISING AND EARNED REVENUE INCOME. THE GRANT WILL HELP TECH GOES HOME BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM EXPANSION AND DEEPEN THEIR IMPACT. | $290,471 |
| BOSTON FOOD FOREST COALITION JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT TO SUPPORT BUILDING OUT A FULLY STAFFED DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH THE TOOLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT AND INCREASE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND SUSTAINABILITY. | $279,600 |
| UNITED SOUTH END SETTLEMENTS BOSTON, MA | UNITED SOUTH END SETTLEMENTS' (USES) THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS USES'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH IMPROVED FUNDRAISING AND EARNED REVENUE. THE GRANT SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT STAFFING NEEDS, UPGRADING USES'S WEBSITE AND WORKING WITH A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS CONSULTANT. | $251,000 |
| FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN-BOSTON BOSTON, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS INCREASING FUNDRAISING CAPACITY. | $250,000 |
| URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE MATTAPAN, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS BUILDING THEIR INTERNAL CAPACITY TO STRENGTHEN FUNDRAISING, FINANCE AND MARKETING INFRASTRUCTURE ALLOWING THE ORGANIZATION TO GROW OVERALL REVENUE AND FUNDRAISING. | $250,000 |
| THIRD SECTOR NEW ENGLAND (MATTAPAN FOOD AND FITNESS) MATTAPAN, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS PROGRAM, OPERATIONS, AND DEVELOPMENT STAFF HIRES TO HELP EXPAND MFFC'S PROGRAMMATIC REACH AND INCREASE FUNDRAISING | $249,843 |
| SCIENCE CLUB FOR GIRLS INC CAMBRIDGE, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT, OPERATIONS, AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAMS TO INCREASE FUNDRAISING AND SUPPORT OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE. | $200,000 |
| YOUNG MAN WITH A PLAN BOSTON, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS STAFF HIRES TO HELP INCREASE FUNDRAISING AND THE NUMBER OF YOUNG MEN SERVED | $200,000 |
| BREAKTIME UNITED INC BOSTON, MA | THREE-YEAR CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT TO SUPPORT BREAKTIME'S STATEWIDE EXPANSION THROUGH BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND INCREASED DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. | $180,000 |
| LOWELL PARKS AND CONSERVATION TRUST LOWELL, MA | THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT, OPERATIONS AND PROGRAM STAFF HIRES TO HELP INCREASE FUNDRAISING AND EXPAND PROGRAMMATIC REACH. | $155,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Weston Howland III – President
- Charles E Clapp III – Treasurer
- Susan Davidson – Trustee
- Jennifer Geyer – Trustee
- Kit Howland – Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WESTON HOWLAND III | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| CHARLES E CLAPP III | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| SUSAN DAVIDSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER GEYER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KIT HOWLAND | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 75 Federal Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: 617-357-9110
Email: info@thedevonshirefoundation.org
Website: www.thedevonshirefoundation.org
EIN: 04-6004808
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Devonshire Foundation fund?
**Mission:** The Devonshire Foundation is a private family foundation that seeks to create measurable and sustainable impact by supporting ready-for-growth programs addressing social and environmental issues. **Primary Funding Areas:** • Youth programs (58% of funding) • Environmental sustainability (27% of funding) • Nonprofit sector impact and capacity building (13% of funding) The foundation emphasizes capacity building through grants that foster growth in the nonprofit sector, including cha…
How do I apply for a grant from The Devonshire Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant range: $500–$300,000 • Median grant amount: $95,000 • Average grant amount varies by program type • 64 grants awarded in most recent reporting period • Giving rate: 9.7% **Grant Types:** • One-year grants to support general operations (averaging $4,815) • Matching grants (averaging $37,500) • Annual memberships (averaging $7,688) • Multi-year capacity-building grants (foundation preference) • Environmental journalism and conservation grants • Environme…
Where does The Devonshire Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, with a particular emphasis on the Boston metropolitan area and New England region.
What size grants does The Devonshire Foundation award?
In 2024, The Devonshire Foundation awarded 40 grants totaling $3.0M — an average of about $74K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Devonshire Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Devonshire Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Devonshire Foundation's EIN?
The Devonshire Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6004808. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.