The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 12 grants totaling $48,081 to organizations including educational, medical, arts, and community organizations.
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation gave $48K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Massachusetts. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $48,081
- -31.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,007
- -54.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $69,636
- -36.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (79% 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 Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Richard Hamermesh as the contact. Form and materials, deadlines, and restrictions on awards are listed as N/A. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Richard Hamermesh
Mailing address: 1 Charles St South Unit Ph2C, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 413-0677
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Harvard Business School ($10K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 115 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (79%), California (21%), and Maine (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $6K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $48K (2025) to $125K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $48K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Business School Boston, MA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Beth Isreal Medical Center Boston, MA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Manhattan Beach, CA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center Vineyard Haven, MA | Charitable | $5,556 |
| Institute of Contemporary Art Boston Boston, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Temple Shalom of Newton West Newton, MA | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Joey Fund Cystic Fibrosis Cambridge, MA | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Martha's Vineyard Community Services Oak Bluffs, MA | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Artsit for Humanity Boston, MA | Charitable | $500 |
| New England Conservatory Boston, ME | Charitable | $250 |
Ready to take the next step with The Hamermesh Family Charitable 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 | $69,636 | $14,169 | $50,503 | $48,081 | 12 | $48,081 | $12,110 | $4,012 |
| 2024 | $109,683 | $19,450 | $73,463 | $70,500 | 8 | $70,500 | $16,487 | $6,531 |
| 2023 | $165,831 | $15,000 | $90,952 | $85,472 | 29 | $85,472 | $9,521 | $9,591 |
| 2022 | $236,173 | $3,084 | $81,755 | $77,000 | 32 | $77,000 | $430 | $11,626 |
| 2021 | $339,650 | $80,197 | $131,202 | $125,195 | 34 | $125,195 | $14,190 | $16,531 |
| 2020 | $376,289 | $11,367 | $105,509 | $98,695 | 29 | — | $4,553 | $19,389 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network describes its mission as improving the lives of people impacted by pancreatic cancer through research, community-building, knowledge-sharing, and patient advocacy. Boston Center for the Arts describes itself as a performing and visual arts campus supporting working artists, developing audiences, and connecting the arts to the community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $48,081. Grants ranged from $125 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,750. Its largest reported grants were $10,000 each to Harvard Business School, Beth Israel Medical Center, and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Other notable grants included $5,556 to Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, $5,000 to Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, and $3,000 to Temple Shalom of Newton.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard G. Hamermesh and Lorie A. Hamermesh as trustees.
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lorie A. Hamermesh
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Richard G. Hamermesh
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation
How much does The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation gave $48K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $71K across 8 grants.
What is The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,750, and its average grant was $4,007, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (5 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants).
Who are The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Harvard Business School ($10,000), Beth Isreal Medical Center ($10,000) and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation reported $70K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation?
The filing lists Richard Hamermesh as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Hamermesh Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3493147. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Hamermesh Family Charitable 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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