The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation is a private foundation based in Somerville, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $297,500 to charitable organizations.
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation at a glance
In short: The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation gave $298K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), top state Massachusetts. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $297,500
- +85.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +88.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,500
- -1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $3,112,281
- -3.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (9 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 50 Spring St Unit B, Somerville, MA 02143
Phone: (646) 505-9380
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Feeding America ($30K). Together the top 10 received $230K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 113 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Recipients in Massachusetts received 46% of 2025 grant dollars, followed by recipients in New York (15%), Vermont (12%), Illinois (10%), and the District of Columbia (10%). The listed grants also include recipients in Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 17 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 93% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 156% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2023) to $4.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $298K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Give Directly New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Mass Inc Boston, MA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Trustees of Tufts College-Ctr for Expdg Viewpoints Medford, MA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Rhode Island Community Food Bank Providence, RI | Charitable | $20,000 |
| The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Vermont Food Bank Barre, VT | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Jewish Theological Seminary of America New York, NY | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Atrium School Atrium Fund Watertown, MA | Charitable | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Elsie Procter Van Buren 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,112,281 | $227,191 | $348,386 | $297,500 | 17 | $302,670 | $186,487 | $194,110 |
| 2024 | $3,235,483 | $255,751 | $205,711 | $160,000 | 9 | $165,205 | $216,663 | $183,243 |
| 2023 | $3,184,163 | $115,615 | $134,265 | $95,000 | 7 | $100,200 | $81,550 | $163,622 |
| 2022 | $3,197,612 | $-195,983 | $4,431,648 | $4,357,871 | 37 | $4,361,676 | $27,531 | $334,274 |
| 2021 | $7,783,377 | $129,373 | $830,639 | $675,000 | 43 | $679,025 | $50,441 | $413,728 |
| 2020 | $8,489,070 | $8,154,899 | $1,728,222 | $1,643,000 | 63 | — | $5,090,122 | $351,354 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation reported a distributable amount of $194K for 2025 — 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 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Feeding America describes its mission as ensuring equitable access to nutritious food, while the Rhode Island Community Food Bank says it works to advance solutions to hunger. The Northeast Wilderness Trust describes itself as a regional land trust that preserves and restores wild landscapes, and Everyday Boston says it works to bridge community divides through programming and storytelling. New Bedford Light describes its work as providing fact-based journalism and a platform for diverse community voices.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $297,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $30,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest grants included $30,000 each to Feeding America, GiveDirectly, and World Central Kitchen; $25,000 each to MASS Inc. and the Trustees of Tufts College–Center for Expanding Viewpoints; and $20,000 each to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, The Greater Boston Food Bank, and Vermont Food Bank.
Other reported 2025 grants included $15,000 to the Northeast Wilderness Trust, $10,000 to Everyday Boston, $10,000 to the Jewish Community Relations Council, $10,000 to Buzzards Bay Coalition, and $10,000 to New Bedford Light.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ariane Torres and Jess M. Torres as trustees.
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ariane Torres
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jess M. Torres
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Ariane Davisson (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Catherine Bye (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Lisa B. Bob (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Philip Bye (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Elsie P. Van Buren (2020) — Trustee
- Former: William H. P. Davisson (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation
How much does The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation give each year?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation gave $298K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $160K across 9 grants.
What is The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's typical grant size?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $17,500, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation give grants?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (15%) and Vermont (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (5 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and New Bedford, MA (2 grants).
Does The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (17 grants).
Who are The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's largest grantees?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Feeding America ($30,000), Give Directly ($30,000) and World Central Kitchen ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $303K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $194K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation?
The foundation 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 Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's EIN?
The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3251802. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Elsie Procter Van Buren 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-elsie-procter-van-buren-foundation-morg_e7a88b1d19034237b1224ecb23d1ad81
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043251802_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Elsie Procter Van Buren Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-elsie-procter-van-buren-foundation-morg_e7a88b1d19034237b1224ecb23d1ad81},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Elsie Procter Van Buren 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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