The Fannie Cox Foundation
The Fannie Cox Foundation is a private foundation based in Southboro, Massachusetts. Its 2024 grants supported a range of charitable organizations, including a school, museums, performing arts organizations, and a public library association.
The Fannie Cox Foundation at a glance
In short: The Fannie Cox Foundation gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $115K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,962,520
- -44.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -10.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $115,442
- -37.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $5,997,420
- -21.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (84% 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 Fannie Cox 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: PO Box 690, Southboro, MA 01772
Phone: (508) 303-3778
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Fannie Cox Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Friends' Central School ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 99 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 9% to Massachusetts, 5% to California, and 1% each to New Hampshire and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Fannie Cox Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 17 grantees (0%) 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. How we count
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 574% 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 $549K (2020) to $3.5M (2023). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends' Central School Wynnewood, PA | Annual fund, ecology and biodiversity program, visiting scientist program | $1,626,020 |
| Computer History Museum Mountain View, CA | Annual Fund | $100,000 |
| Boston Lyric Opera Boston, MA | '23-'24 SEASON | $50,000 |
| American Repertory Theater Cambridge, MA | Annual Fund | $25,000 |
| Museum of Science Boston, MA | Annual Fund | $25,000 |
| The Barnstormers Inc Tamworth, NH | Annual Fund | $25,000 |
| The Huntington Theatre Boston, MA | Annual Fund | $25,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts - Boston Boston, MA | Patron Sponsor | $21,500 |
| Metropolitan Opera Association New York, NY | Premiere Circle Benefactor -'24-'25 Season | $20,000 |
| FCS-Summer Science Program Wynnewood, PA | Program John Gruber | $15,600 |
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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 | $5,997,420 | $356,659 | $1,975,955 | $1,962,520 | 17 | $1,962,520 | $343,224 | $341,782 |
| 2023 | $7,616,716 | $417,206 | $3,514,481 | $3,514,481 | 19 | $3,514,481 | $417,206 | $459,592 |
| 2022 | $10,713,991 | $1,049,282 | $1,146,635 | $1,095,300 | 18 | $1,095,300 | $997,947 | $569,401 |
| 2021 | $13,771,218 | $5,217,510 | $1,662,687 | $1,652,252 | 22 | $1,652,252 | $1,718,539 | $716,231 |
| 2020 | $13,577,746 | $2,973,375 | $575,937 | $549,213 | 23 | — | $2,392,744 | $605,412 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fannie Cox Foundation reported a distributable amount of $342K 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 included support for Friends’ Central School’s annual fund, ecology and biodiversity program, and visiting scientist program, as well as annual funds and season support for cultural organizations.
Among its grantees, the Computer History Museum describes its mission as decoding technology’s computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. The Museum of Science says it aims to inspire a lifelong love of science and make science and scientific thinking accessible, engaging, and relevant.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $1,962,520. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $1,626,020, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest award was $1,626,020 to Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. Other notable grants included $100,000 to the Computer History Museum, $50,000 to Boston Lyric Opera, and $25,000 each to American Repertory Theater, the Museum of Science, the Barnstormers, and the Huntington Theatre.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Gardner C Hendrie is listed as a trustee.
The Fannie Cox Foundation is led by Gardner C. Hendrie, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gardner C. Hendrie
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Karen Johansen (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 Fannie Cox Foundation
How much does The Fannie Cox Foundation give each year?
The Fannie Cox Foundation gave $2.0M across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.5M across 19 grants.
What is The Fannie Cox Foundation's typical grant size?
The Fannie Cox Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $115,442, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Fannie Cox Foundation give grants?
The Fannie Cox Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (9%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (9 grants) and Wynnewood, PA (2 grants).
Does The Fannie Cox Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 65% of The Fannie Cox Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Fannie Cox Foundation's largest grantees?
The Fannie Cox Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Friends' Central School ($1,626,020), Computer History Museum ($100,000) and Boston Lyric Opera ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Fannie Cox Foundation?
The Fannie Cox Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $342K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Fannie Cox Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for Friends’ Central School’s annual fund, ecology and biodiversity program, and visiting scientist program, as well as annual funds and season support for cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Fannie Cox 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 Fannie Cox Foundation's EIN?
The Fannie Cox Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 02-6086221. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Fannie Cox 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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Browse active grant opportunities in The Fannie Cox Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Fannie Cox Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-fannie-cox-foundation-morg_dc226a42c8844de5929edf3c08f6721c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_026086221_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Fannie Cox Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-fannie-cox-foundation-morg_dc226a42c8844de5929edf3c08f6721c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Fannie Cox 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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