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."
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
The foundation operates three grant cycles 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 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
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 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Alternatives for Community and Environment Inc ($420,000), Center for Labor Education and Research Inc ($142,000), Boston Impact Initiative Fund ($105,500).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts Inc Boston, MA | Racial Justice Program | $50,000 |
| Alternatives for Community and Environment Inc Roxbury, MA | General support | $420,000 |
| Alternatives for Community and Environment Inc Roxbury, MA | Support for the BMIP Design Team | $50,000 |
| Arise Inc Springfield, MA | General support | $10,000 |
| Asian American Pacific Islanders In Philanthropy Oakland, CA | Membership dues | $2,500 |
| Asian American Resource Workshop Inc Dorchester, MA | Dorchester Not for Sale Project | $40,000 |
| Asian American Resource Workshop Inc Dorchester, MA | General support | $64,000 |
| Asian American Resource Workshop Inc Dorchester, MA | Southeast Asian Narrative Power & Movement Building | $3,600 |
| Asian American Resource Workshop Inc Dorchester, MA | Support for the BMIP Design Team | $25,000 |
| Association of Black Foundation Executives Inc New York, NY | Membership dues | $2,500 |
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 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?
**Grant Sizes and Range:** • Typical grant range: $50 to $479,565 • Median grant amount: $50,000 • Average grant amount varies by program **Grant Types:** • General support • Participatory design and general support • Employee donation matching • Membership support **Application Process:** The foundation operates three grant cycles per year (winter, spring, and fall). Pre-application contact is strongly recommended, and the foundation encourages grantseekers to contact staff before submitting a…
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 June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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