The Grass Foundation
The Grass Foundation is a private foundation established in 1955 to advance knowledge principally in the field of neurophysiology and allied fields of medicine and science. The Foundation emerged from the partnership of Albert M. Grass and Ellen H. Robinson, who met at Harvard Medical School's Department of Physiology in 1935. Their collaboration led to the Grass Instrument Company—which provided scientific equipment to neuroscientists and physiologists for over half a century—and subsequently to the establishment of this Foundation.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$25.8M
-0.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$487K
-44.8% YoY
Grant Count
10
-28.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$49K
-22.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Grass Foundation is chartered to assist in advancing knowledge principally in neurophysiology and allied fields of medicine and science. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation acts to encourage and advance education, research, and clinical investigation in these fields. All grants and expenditures must be for charitable purposes as defined by the Internal Revenue Code of the United States.
Primary focus areas include:
- Neuroscience research and education
- Support for early-career neuroscientists
- Neurophysiology
- Allied fields of medicine and science
Grantmaking
The Grass Foundation directly administers two primary programs:
How to Apply
- **Application Cycle**: October-January
Ready to take the next step with The Grass Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation has international focus with some US-only programs. Primary support is directed toward the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and partnerships with organizations supporting neuroscience research globally.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $25,802,196
- Total Revenues: $1,124,594
- Total Expenses: $803,217
- Total Giving: $486,963
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $25,992,549
- Total Revenues: $140,455
- Total Expenses: $1,215,050
- Investment Income and Dividends: $295,580
The Foundation maintains approximately $26 million in assets with annual charitable disbursements exceeding $1 million.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,802,196 | $25,992,549 | $26,946,631 |
| Revenue | $1,124,594 | $140,455 | $1,864,666 |
| Expenses | $803,217 | $1,215,050 | $1,344,829 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $691,008 | $1,090,158 | $1,059,438 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,012,620 | — | $1,602,536 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,404,678 | $1,261,287 | $1,248,619 |
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
88 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Grass Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Matt McFarlane - President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW B MCFARLANE PHD | DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT | 10 | — |
| BERNICE GRAFSTEIN PHD | LIFE DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JOSHUA GRASS PHD | DIRECTOR, TREASURER (BEGAN 12/19/2024) | 1 | — |
| CATHERINE E CARR PHD | LIFE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HENRY J GRASS MD | LIFE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RONALD R HOY PHD | LIFE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KAMRAN KHODAKHAH PHD | LIFE DIRECTOR (BEGAN 07/11/2024) | 1 | — |
| FELIX E SCHWEIZER PHD | LIFE DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GWYNETH CARD PHD | DIRECTOR (BEGAN 01/11/2024) | 1 | — |
| KAFUI DZIRASA MD PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GUOPING FENG PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL A LONG PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN J ZOTTOLI PHD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Grass Foundation is accepting applications for the 2026 Grass Fellowship at the Marine Biological Laboratory
News - The Grass FoundationThe 2026 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award applications are now open
2025 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Awardees ...The Foundation released a Community Guide for the Society for Neuroscience 2025 conference
2025 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Awardees have been announced
2025 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Awardees ...Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with The Grass Foundation on Grantable?
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