The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Its 2024 grants included substantial support for Massachusetts General Hospital and gifts to organizations working in health care, youth services, homelessness, the arts, and other areas.
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation gave $13.8M across 49 grants in 2024 (avg $281K), mostly in Massachusetts. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $13,792,901
- +1049.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 49
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $281,488
- +979.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $18,205,286
- -29.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (16 of 49, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (99% 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 Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 47 Eastern Boulevard, Glastonbury, CT 06033
Phone: (860) 652-0022
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Massachusetts General Hospital ($12.6M). Together the top 10 received $13.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
196 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 171 grants of 196 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 1% to recipients in Connecticut. Illinois, New York, and Indiana each accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 49 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $415K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 1823% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $627K (2020) to $13.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 49 grants totaling $13.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | General Operations | $12,633,869 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester Worcester, MA | General Operations | $200,000 |
| Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Boston, MA | General Operations | $199,558 |
| Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic Brookline, MA | General Operations | $198,878 |
| Goodspeed Opera House Foundation Inc East Haddam, CT | General Operations | $120,118 |
| Camp Harbor View Foundation Boston, MA | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Alzheimers Association Chicago, IL | General Operations | $49,913 |
| Ron Burton Training Village Hubbardston, MA | General Operations | $25,029 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Waters Boston, MA | General Operations | $25,028 |
| American Red Cross of Eastern Mass Medford, MA | General Operations | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Herb Chambers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $18,205,286 | $398,160 | $13,832,714 | $13,792,901 | 49 | $13,792,901 | $398,160 | $1,320,419 |
| 2023 | $25,934,821 | $549,376 | $1,242,233 | $1,199,820 | 46 | $1,199,820 | $349,376 | $1,119,981 |
| 2022 | $20,429,844 | $306,801 | $1,992,060 | $1,946,439 | 39 | $1,946,439 | $306,801 | $1,197,166 |
| 2021 | $30,735,408 | $30,647,300 | $725,724 | $717,100 | 35 | $717,100 | — | $71,988 |
| 2020 | $178,674 | $700,000 | $636,114 | $627,040 | 27 | — | — | $9,113 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M 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 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Goodspeed Opera House Foundation says its mission is to share the joy of musical theatre, nurture creators, and support a broad, diverse, and inclusive community. Bridge Over Troubled Waters says it serves homeless, at-risk, and runaway youth, while Pine Street Inn says its mission is to end homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $13,792,901. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $12,633,869, with a median of $6,000. Its largest grant was $12,633,869 to Massachusetts General Hospital for general operations. Other large grants included $200,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester and $199,558 to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, both for general operations. It also gave $120,118 to Goodspeed Opera House Foundation, $50,000 to Camp Harbor View Foundation, $25,029 to Ron Burton Training Village, $25,028 to Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and $24,708 to Pine Street Inn.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Herbert G. Chambers as president and treasurer; James A. Duchesneau as secretary; and George H. Chambers and Melissa Steffy as directors.
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation is led by Herbert G. Chambers, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Herbert G. Chambers
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George H. Chambers
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Steffy
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James A. Duchesneau
Secretary
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 Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation
How much does The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation gave $13.8M across 49 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 46 grants.
What is The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $281,488, across 49 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (14 grants), Old Lyme, CT (5 grants), Dorchester, MA (3 grants) and Brookline, MA (2 grants).
Does The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (49 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Massachusetts General Hospital ($12,633,869), Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester ($200,000) and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary ($199,558), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation reported $18.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Goodspeed Opera House Foundation says its mission is to share the joy of musical theatre, nurture creators, and support a broad, diverse, and inclusive community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4069504. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Herb Chambers Charitable 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-herb-chambers-charitable-foundation-morg_aae3c3d2b06b472ea79a41e2e66e4211
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454069504_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-herb-chambers-charitable-foundation-morg_aae3c3d2b06b472ea79a41e2e66e4211},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Herb Chambers 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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