The Hideo Sasaki Foundation
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation is a Boston, Massachusetts–based private foundation that works to advance equity in the design of the environment. It supports research and programs that empower communities and strengthen education in design.
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation at a glance
In short: The Hideo Sasaki Foundation gave $88K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $87,684
- -9.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- -25.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,812
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $618,776
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Hideo Sasaki Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. For the Design Grants program, the 2025 process involved a call for proposals, finalist presentations at a public Pitch Night, jury recommendations, and funding decisions by the Board of Trustees.
- Contact
Mailing address: 110 Chauncy St, Boston, MA 02111
Phone: (617) 923-7330
Website: https://sasakifoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hideo Sasaki Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Trustees of Tufts College ($15K). Together the top 10 received $72K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 73 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes the Design Grants program as seeking projects in Greater Boston and the Massachusetts Gateway Cities. In filing year 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 2% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Hideo Sasaki Foundation gives
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 170% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 294% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $24K (2022) to $97K (2023). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $88K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trustees of Tufts College Boston, MA | Education support-racial equity in policy & planning fellowship sponsorship | $15,000 |
| Chinatown Community Land Trust Boston, MA | Grant payment 2 of 3: improving open space in chinatownandgrant payment 3 of 3: improving open space in chinatownanddesign grants payment 1: planning for a chinatown library park | $10,500 |
| Boston Public Housing Corporation Boston, MA | Grant 2 of 3: early educator space 2.0andgrant 3 of 3: early educator space 2.0 | $10,000 |
| Resist Inc Boston, MA | Grant payment 2 of 3: reclaim roxbury, survival guide to living and staying in roxburyandgrant payment 3 of 3: reclaim roxbury, survival guide to living and staying in roxbury | $10,000 |
| Sociedad Latina Inc Roxbury, MA | Design grants payment 1: gardens for all (jardines para todos) | $5,500 |
| Four Corners Main Street Inc Boston, MA | Design Grants Payment 1: Inclusive Four Corners | $5,500 |
| Ayni Institute Boston, MA | Grant payment 1 of 3: movement training and cultural centerandgrant payment 3 of 3: movement training and cultural center | $5,000 |
| The Harborkeepers East Boston, MA | Grant payment 2 of 3: building food resilienceandgrant payment 3 of 3: building food resilience | $5,000 |
| East End House Inc Cambridge, MA | Healthy eating/active living mini grant; sprout ed grantandyouth mental health and wellness mini grant; health & bipoc art | $3,000 |
| Community Art Center Inc Cambridge, MA | Youth mental health and wellness mini grant; yoga & mindfulness grant | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Hideo Sasaki 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 | $618,776 | $470,216 | $509,792 | $87,684 | 23 | $87,684 | $43,637 | $29,832 |
| 2023 | $644,307 | $319,658 | $358,487 | $96,750 | 31 | $96,750 | $25,750 | $29,497 |
| 2022 | $636,585 | $174,836 | $141,601 | $23,750 | 7 | $23,750 | $19,171 | $28,368 |
| 2021 | $690,888 | $287,964 | $114,876 | $32,500 | 4 | $32,500 | $21,664 | $26,125 |
| 2020 | $493,138 | $235,898 | $168,847 | $51,000 | 8 | — | $3,203 | $19,292 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hideo Sasaki Foundation reported a distributable amount of $30K 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
The foundation states that its mission is “equity in design.” Its website describes a focus on making design more accessible to communities, addressing inequities in design, and bringing communities into work on complex challenges. The foundation also supports design education and public programs that amplify diverse voices.
The foundation’s 2024 grants included design and planning projects as well as education, youth wellness, food resilience, and community space projects. Grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Chinatown Community Land Trust describes its work as advancing community control of land, development without displacement, permanently affordable housing, and shared neighborhood spaces. Boston Public Housing Corporation says it works with tenant associations and housing groups to advance the interests of low- and moderate-income Boston residents. Community Art Center describes its mission as cultivating youth whose artistic voices transform their lives and neighborhoods.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $87,684. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable grants included $15,000 to the Trustees of Tufts College for education support related to a racial equity in policy and planning fellowship; $10,500 to Chinatown Community Land Trust for open-space and library-park planning work; and $10,000 each to Boston Public Housing Corporation and Resist Inc. Other grants included $5,500 to Sociedad Latina and $5,500 to Four Corners Main Street.
The foundation’s website describes Design Grants as support for community experts developing solutions to neighborhood challenges. The program pairs funding with access to design experts. For its 2025 call, the foundation said it would award up to three grants of $17,500 each. Winning teams were expected to work for 10 months and provide a work plan, a final report with photos and visuals for open-source sharing, and a final presentation. Design Grants are not intended to provide operational or capital funding. The 2025 application deadline of April 24, 2025, has passed; the foundation says its next call for proposals will be in 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Cinkala as treasurer; Mary Anne Ocampo as chair; Meredith McCarthy as vice chair; Ben Zunkeler as secretary; and Tao Zhang, Chris Sgarzi, Julia Carlton Mackay, Danyson Tavares, Timothy Gale, and Felicia Jiang as members.
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation is led by Mary Anne Ocampo, Chair since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 11 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Anne Ocampo
Chair
President → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Cinkala
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tao Zhang
Member
Trustee → Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Sgarzi
Member
Trustee → Member, 2024
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Meredith McCarthy
Vice Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ben Zunkeler
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danyson Tavares
Member
Trustee → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Carlton Mackay
Member
Trustee → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Timothy Gale
Member
Trustee → Member, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Felicia Jiang
Member
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gabriel Ramos
Member
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Elaine Minjy Limmer (2022–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Christine Dunn (2020–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Laura Marett (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Alexandra Lee (2020) — Executive Director
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 Hideo Sasaki Foundation
How much does The Hideo Sasaki Foundation give each year?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation gave $88K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $97K across 31 grants.
What is The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's typical grant size?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,812, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Hideo Sasaki Foundation give grants?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cambridge, MA (10 grants) and Boston, MA (7 grants).
Does The Hideo Sasaki Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Healthy Eating/Active Living Mini Grant" (5 grants).
Who are The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's largest grantees?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Trustees of Tufts College ($15,000), Chinatown Community Land Trust ($10,500) and Boston Public Housing Corporation ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Hideo Sasaki Foundation?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation reported $619K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $88K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $30K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hideo Sasaki Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is “equity in design.” Its website describes a focus on making design more accessible to communities, addressing inequities in design, and bringing communities into work on complex challenges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hideo Sasaki Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Hideo Sasaki Foundation's EIN?
The Hideo Sasaki Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3534908. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Hideo Sasaki 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Hideo Sasaki Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-hideo-sasaki-foundation-morg_e31e1e57c6304562bc668daec9194752
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043534908_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Hideo Sasaki Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-hideo-sasaki-foundation-morg_e31e1e57c6304562bc668daec9194752},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Hideo Sasaki 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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