The Louis Foundation
The Louis Foundation is a private foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $439,493 to charitable organizations, including hospitals, a school, public media organizations, and a college.
The Louis Foundation at a glance
In short: The Louis Foundation gave $439K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Washington. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $439,493
- +168.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -58.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $33,807
- +540.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $1,292,207
- -17.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (76% 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 Louis Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists written correspondence as the process and says to write to the address provided on the filing.
- Review Cycle
- Write to the address provided on the filing.
- Deadline
- Write to the address provided on the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Langdon B Wheeler
Mailing address: 48 Lake View Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 354-4047
Website: https://louisbrier.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Louis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Seattle Children's Hospital ($333K). Together the top 10 received $438K.
Grant Size Distribution
186 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 176 grants of 186 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 14% to Massachusetts, 7% to Maryland, 2% to Vermont, and 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Louis Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $75K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 251% of 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 $164K (2024) to $812K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $439K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA | Charitable | $333,333 |
| Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD | Charitable | $29,000 |
| Boston Childrens Hospital Boston, MA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Epiphany School Boston, MA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| VT Public Colchester, VT | Charitable | $10,000 |
| WGBH Educational Foundation Boston, MA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| MFA Patron Boston, MA | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Sponsor Inc Framingham, MA | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Pine Cay Project Lima, OH | Charitable | $1,000 |
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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 | $1,292,207 | $180,957 | $447,098 | $439,493 | 13 | $442,868 | $176,727 | $176,588 |
| 2024 | $1,558,005 | $125,293 | $170,057 | $163,555 | 31 | $166,755 | $121,991 | $172,224 |
| 2023 | $1,602,765 | $125,854 | $823,064 | $812,445 | 54 | $815,380 | $118,370 | $163,736 |
| 2022 | $2,327,154 | $23,641 | $295,178 | $289,450 | 41 | $292,110 | $87,773 | $178,988 |
| 2021 | $2,567,931 | $199,844 | $382,957 | $372,190 | 47 | $374,725 | $196,477 | $197,576 |
| 2020 | $2,755,124 | $407,451 | $448,574 | $434,845 | 37 | — | $404,653 | $167,046 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Louis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $177K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, WGBH Educational Foundation says its mission is to educate, inspire, and entertain through programs and services; Sponsor, Inc. describes its work as supporting progressive social innovation; and Skidmore College describes its mission as educating undergraduates and preparing informed, responsible citizens. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $439,493. The median grant was $4,000; awards ranged from $160 to $333,333. The largest listed grants went to Seattle Children’s Hospital ($333,333), Johns Hopkins ($29,000), Boston Children’s Hospital ($25,000), and Epiphany School ($20,000). Other listed recipients include VT Public and WGBH Educational Foundation ($10,000 each), MFA Patron ($4,000), Sponsor, Inc. ($3,000), and Skidmore College ($2,500).
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists written correspondence as the application process and says applicants should write to the address provided on the filing. The stated award restriction is 501(c)(3) public charities registered in Massachusetts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Langdon B. Wheeler and M. Katherine Metcalfe as trustees.
The Louis Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Langdon B. Wheeler
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
M. Katherine Metcalfe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Louis Foundation
How much does The Louis Foundation give each year?
The Louis Foundation gave $439K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $164K across 31 grants.
What is The Louis Foundation's typical grant size?
The Louis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $33,807, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Louis Foundation that year got $75K on average.
Where does The Louis Foundation give grants?
The Louis Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (14%) and Maryland (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants).
Does The Louis Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Louis Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (13 grants).
Who are The Louis Foundation's largest grantees?
The Louis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Seattle Children's Hospital ($333,333), Johns Hopkins ($29,000) and Boston Childrens Hospital ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Louis Foundation?
The Louis Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $177K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Louis Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Louis Foundation?
The 2024 filing lists written correspondence as the process and says to write to the address provided on the filing. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Louis Foundation's EIN?
The Louis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-6660492. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 12, 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 March 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 31, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work The Louis Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Louis Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Louis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-louis-foundation-morg_fe854790ebdd44b1941c31b6d196400f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_426660492_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Louis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-louis-foundation-morg_fe854790ebdd44b1941c31b6d196400f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Louis 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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