The Dwyer Foundation
The Dwyer Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 grants included support for educational, religious, youth mentoring, community, animal-welfare, and other charitable organizations.
The Dwyer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Dwyer Foundation gave $145K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Massachusetts. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $145,282
- +21.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,588
- +12.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,101
- Total assets
- $2,705,128
- -0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (11 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (91% 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 Dwyer 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: 1 Avery St 31B, Boston, MA 02111
Phone: (617) 794-1144
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dwyer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Boston College ($51K). Together the top 10 received $132K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 107 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Massachusetts recipients received 91% of grant dollars. The remaining shares went to California (5%), Virginia (2%), Texas (1%), and New York (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Dwyer Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 26 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 $119K (2022) to $161K (2020). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $145K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | To support educational, religious, mentoring and general support for boston college. | $50,955 |
| Esperanza Academy Inc Lawrence, MA | Primary Education Support Including Scholarships and Other Assistance. | $17,086 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Boston, MA | To Support Youth Mentoring. | $14,546 |
| Boston Police Athletic League Boston, MA | To support the boston police department in its efforts to engage under-resourced youth in boston to embark on a productive and positive journey in life and positively impact communities throughout the city of boston. | $14,280 |
| The Govenors Academy Byfield, MA | To teach and learn skills thaat foster the courage to discover voices, develop old and new passions, practice balance in pursuit of excellence, and collaborate in building vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable communities. | $10,206 |
| Our Lady's School San Diego, CA | To provide quality catholic education that prepares students for lives of service and leadership. | $5,800 |
| Invest in Others Charitable Foundation Andover, MA | A platform for financial professionals to make an imopact on the causes they care about by channeling the philanthropy and volunteerism of the finance industry to make a difference where it's needed the most. | $5,181 |
| The Catholic Appeal Braintree, MA | Religous Support to Meet General Budgetary Needs. | $5,000 |
| Our Lady of Hope Ipswich, MA | Religious Support to Meet General Budgetary Needs. | $5,000 |
| Last Hope K9 Rescue Boston, MA | To save abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs from high-kill shelters in central Arkansas and beyond. | $3,925 |
Ready to take the next step with The Dwyer 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 | $2,705,128 | $137,241 | $157,235 | $145,282 | 26 | $145,282 | $121,582 | $150,665 |
| 2023 | $2,725,122 | $73,419 | $131,059 | $119,672 | 24 | $119,672 | $76,366 | $136,661 |
| 2022 | $2,820,783 | $6,447 | $134,850 | $118,679 | 19 | $118,679 | $66,223 | $145,337 |
| 2021 | $2,911,165 | $56,640 | $268,181 | $154,223 | 26 | $154,223 | — | $167,145 |
| 2020 | $3,122,706 | $525,296 | $180,401 | $160,700 | 12 | — | $465,595 | $148,159 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dwyer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $151K 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 show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Esperanza Academy describes itself as a tuition-free, all-girls middle school that supports students in Lawrence, Massachusetts; Big Brothers Big Sisters received funding for youth mentoring; and Last Hope K9 Rescue says it provides rescue, foster care, and adoption for dogs in need.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address homebound people’s hunger and isolation, access to nutritious food, animal welfare, heart health, and lung health. Those are the recipient organizations’ missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $145,282. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $50,955, with a median of $1,101.
The largest awards included $50,955 to Boston College for educational, religious, mentoring, and general support; $17,086 to Esperanza Academy for primary education support, including scholarships and other assistance; $14,546 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for youth mentoring; and $14,280 to the Boston Police Athletic League to support efforts to engage under-resourced youth in Boston. Other grants included $10,206 to The Govenors Academy and $5,800 to Our Lady’s School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William E Dwyer III and Christine M Dwyer as trustees.
The Dwyer Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christine M. Dwyer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William E. Dwyer III
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 Dwyer Foundation
How much does The Dwyer Foundation give each year?
The Dwyer Foundation gave $145K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $120K across 24 grants.
What is The Dwyer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Dwyer Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,101, and its average grant was $5,588, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Dwyer Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Dwyer Foundation give grants?
The Dwyer Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (7 grants), San Diego, CA (3 grants), Ipswich, MA (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The Dwyer Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of The Dwyer Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Dwyer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Dwyer Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Boston College ($50,955), Esperanza Academy Inc ($17,086) and Big Brothers Big Sisters ($14,546), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Dwyer Foundation?
The Dwyer Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $145K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $151K (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 Dwyer Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dwyer 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 Dwyer Foundation's EIN?
The Dwyer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4292722. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Dwyer 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
Live grants for the work The Dwyer Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Dwyer Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Dwyer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-dwyer-foundation-morg_2d18969c72094490afabe3aad4f765db
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274292722_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Dwyer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-dwyer-foundation-morg_2d18969c72094490afabe3aad4f765db},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Dwyer 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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