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.
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
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
220 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
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
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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