The Hyams Foundation Inc
The Hyams Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 1921 by Godfrey M. Hyams, a Boston metallurgist, engineer, and financier. The foundation describes itself as "a small to mid-sized funder committed to movement building for racial, social, and economic justice." With approximately $144 million in assets and annual grantmaking of around $6 million, the foundation operates as what one former trustee characterized as "a movement organization that happens to have an endowment."
Key facts about The Hyams Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 04-6013680
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,193,092
- Grants made (2024)
- 109
- Average grant
- $56,817
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (8 of 73, 2024)
- Total assets
- $144,329,982
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation operates three grant cycles per year (winter, spring, and fall). Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hyams Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Hyams Foundation Inc's 109 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (94%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (38 grants), Jamaica Plain, MA (15 grants), Dorchester, MA (9 grants) and Roxbury, MA (8 grants). 48% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Membership dues" (14 grants) and "Support for the BMIP Design Team" (7 grants).
Is The Hyams Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 73 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $93K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 82% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Hyams Foundation Inc
- How to evaluate The Hyams Foundation Inc as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$144.3M
+4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.2M
+3.5% YoY
Grant Count
109
+17.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$57K
-11.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hyams Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $6.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to increase economic, racial, and social justice and power within low-income and working-class communities. The foundation believes that investing in strategies that enable low-income people to increase their communities will have the greatest social return.
The foundation carries out its mission by:
- Supporting civic participation by low-income communities
- Promoting economic development that benefits low-income neighborhoods and their residents
- Developing the talents and skills of low-income youth
Since 2008, the foundation has awarded over $35 million to racial justice organizations. The foundation's primary program areas include:
Civic Engagement — Staff time and consulting services related to Foundation initiatives to build the capacity of organizations focused on developing grassroots leaders in low-income communities of color; periodic convening of local social justice funders; and monthly convening of smaller groups of funders to plan joint funding initiatives.
Teen Development — Implementation of special initiatives including Teen Futures, which aims to increase the long-term success of youth who have dropped out of high school and are out of work through grantee convenings and formal evaluation processes.
Racial Justice — The Special Opportunities Fund (SOF) provides flexible support for specific efforts to advance racial equity in greater Boston that relate to the foundation's overall mission and commitment to addressing racial and ethnic disparities.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s and Range:**
Average Grant
amount varies by program
Review Cycle
per year (winter, spring, and fall). Pre-application contact is strongly recommended, and the foundation encourages grantseekers to contact staff before submitting any application. The foundation prioritizes existing grantees and accepts only a limited number of new applications per year.
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts, with some activity in New York and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 109 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $144,329,982
- Total Giving: $6,193,092
- Total Revenue: $8,666,686
- Total Expenses: $8,554,850
- Net Income: $111,836
- Net Assets: $142,921,079
Giving Rate: 5.9%
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $144,329,982 | $137,975,556 | $130,800,910 |
| Revenue | $8,666,686 | $4,379,179 | $13,843,254 |
| Expenses | $8,554,850 | $8,878,862 | $11,301,868 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,213,523 | $7,962,715 | $8,597,881 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,102,869 | $1,876,121 | $11,699,300 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,680,560 | $6,454,044 | $7,125,701 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
481 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Resist Inc ($606,500 across 7 grants), Alternatives for Community and Environment Inc ($470,000 across 2 grants), Urban Revival Inc ($455,000 across 4 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alternatives for Community and Environment Inc Roxbury, MA | General support | $420,000 |
| Third Sector New England Inc Boston, MA | HUBS Movement Infrastructure Project | $325,000 |
| Urban Revival Inc Jamaica Plain, MA | Homes for All Massachusetts Project | $205,000 |
| Resist Inc Jamaica Plain, MA | General support | $202,500 |
| Urban Revival Inc Jamaica Plain, MA | General support | $190,000 |
| Resist Inc Jamaica Plain, MA | MassCOSH - Immigrant and Youth Worker Justice | $159,000 |
| Neighbor To Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund Inc Worcester, MA | General support | $151,000 |
| Center for Labor Education and Research Inc Boston, MA | Digital Empowerment for Social Justice Project | $142,000 |
| The City School Inc Dorchester, MA | Young Adult Fellowship Project | $110,000 |
| Boston Impact Initiative Fund Roxbury, MA | General support | $105,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Staff:
- Lisa Owens — Executive Director (40 hours/week, $257,980)
- Penn Loh — President/Chair/Trustee (5 hours/week, $30,000)
- Lily Mendez-Morgan — Vice Chair/Trustee (2 hours/week, $20,000)
- Julie Goodridge — Treasurer/Trustee (2 hours/week, $19,000)
- Omar Simmons — Assistant Treasurer/Trustee (2 hours/week, $5,000)
- Lucas H Guerra — Vice Treasurer/Trustee (2 hours/week, $16,000)
- Iris Gomez — Clerk/Trustee (2 hours/week, $16,000)
- Rahsaan D Hall — Trustee (2 hours/week, $20,000)
- Karen L Mapp — Trustee (2 hours/week, $20,000)
- Martella Wilson-Taylor — Trustee (2 hours/week, $16,000)
The foundation employs 9 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Loh | President/Chair/Trustee | 5 | $30,000 |
| Iris Gomez | Clerk/Trustee | 2 | $16,000 |
| Julie Goodridge | Treasurer/Trustee | 2 | $20,000 |
| Lily Mendez-Morgan | Vice Chair/Vice Treas/Trustee | 2 | $16,000 |
| Lucas H Guerra | Vice Treasurer/Trustee | 2 | $16,000 |
| Gerardo Espinoza | Trustee | 2 | $10,640 |
| Rahsaan D Hall | Trustee | 2 | $20,000 |
| Maria Elena Letona | Trustee | 2 | $10,640 |
| Karen L Mapp | Trustee | 2 | $20,000 |
| Mark Watson | Trustee | 2 | $10,640 |
| Lisa Owens | Executive Director | 40 | $267,032 |
Contact Information
- Address: 89 South Street, Suite 404, Boston, MA 02111-2648
- Phone: (617) 426-5600
- Email: info@hyamsfoundation.org
- Website: www.hyamsfoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Hyams Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's mission is to increase economic, racial, and social justice and power within low-income and working-class communities. The foundation believes that investing in strategies that enable low-income people to increase their communities will have the greatest social return. The foundation carries out its mission by: • Supporting civic participation by low-income communities • Promoting economic development that benefits low-income neighborhoods and their residents • Developing the t…
How do I apply for a grant from The Hyams Foundation Inc?
The foundation operates three grant cycles per year (winter, spring, and fall). Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Hyams Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts, with some activity in New York and California.
What size grants does The Hyams Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, The Hyams Foundation Inc awarded 109 grants totaling $6.2M — an average of about $57K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Hyams Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Hyams Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $6.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Hyams Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Hyams Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6013680. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.