The Lowell Institute
The Lowell Institute is based in Boston, Massachusetts, and has sponsored free public lectures and educational programs throughout the Boston area since 1836. It continues to provide free public programming and fund educational projects, including the Lowell Institute School at Northeastern and WGBH programming.
Key facts about The Lowell Institute
In short: The Lowell Institute gave $2.3M across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $144K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 04-2105771
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,301,235
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- Average grant
- $143,827
- Median grant
- $73,313
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2024)
- Total assets
- $48,919,106
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Quick answers about The Lowell Institute
How much does The Lowell Institute give each year?
The Lowell Institute gave $2.3M across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.1M across 16 grants.
What is The Lowell Institute's typical grant size?
The Lowell Institute's median grant in 2024 was $73,313, and its average grant was $143,827, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lowell Institute give grants?
The Lowell Institute gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (11 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does The Lowell Institute give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lowell Institute's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lowell Institute's largest grantees?
The Lowell Institute's largest 2024 grantees include Northeastern University ($656,908), New England Aquarium ($452,304) and Museum of Science ($299,325), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lowell Institute?
The Lowell Institute reported $48.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
Is The Lowell Institute open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). 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 Lowell Institute
- How to evaluate The Lowell Institute 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
$48.9M
+6.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
+7.4% YoY
Grant Count
16
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$144K
+7.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lowell Institute reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Institute’s founding mission was to make public lectures available to people regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Its current work includes free public programming and support for educational projects. The Institute says it funds scholarships and school programs at the Lowell Institute School at Northeastern and supports WGBH’s regional television, radio, and internet programming.
Its 2024 grants included general-purpose support for organizations with varied missions. The New England Aquarium describes its mission as advancing public engagement and education, marine animal conservation, scientific research, and ocean advocacy. The Museum of Science says it aims to inspire a lifelong love of science and make science and scientific thinking accessible and relevant. WorldBoston describes its mission as educating the public about matters of national and international significance. Revolutionary Spaces says it brings people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Institute reported 16 grants totaling $2,301,235. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $656,908, with a median of $73,313. Listed grants were designated for general purposes.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts. The Institute’s website describes its free public lectures and educational programming as taking place throughout the Boston area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 16 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $48,919,106 | $1,145,879 | $2,506,009 | $2,301,235 | 16 |
| 2023 | $46,129,702 | $99,982 | $2,382,598 | $2,142,339 | 16 |
| 2022 | $45,240,554 | $4,788,527 | $1,904,572 | $1,620,774 | 14 |
The filing type is 990T.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $48,919,106 | $46,129,702 | $45,240,554 |
| Revenue | $1,145,879 | $99,982 | $4,788,527 |
| Expenses | $2,506,009 | $2,382,598 | $1,904,572 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,433,990 | $2,254,897 | $1,721,616 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,076,787 | $360,897 | $4,658,844 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,300,652 | $2,227,359 | $2,493,008 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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
64 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | General Purpose | $656,908 |
| New England Aquarium Boston, MA | General Purpose | $452,304 |
| Museum of Science Boston, MA | General Purpose | $299,325 |
| WGBH Boston, MA | General Purpose | $249,818 |
| Harvard University Extension School Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $100,494 |
| WorldBoston Inc Boston, MA | General Purpose | $92,300 |
| John F Kennedy Library Foundation Boston, MA | General Purpose | $90,000 |
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Revolutionary Spaces Inc Boston, MA | General Purpose | $71,626 |
| Cambridge Forum Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $60,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
William A. Lowell was listed as a trustee on the 2024 filing.
The Lowell Institute is led by William A Lowell, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William A Lowell
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$28K (2022) → $83K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
Contact
Mailing address: Choate Llp PO Box 961019, Boston, MA 02196
Phone: (617) 248-4760
Website: https://lowellinstitute.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Lowell Institute fund?
The Institute’s founding mission was to make public lectures available to people regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Its current work includes free public programming and support for educational projects. The Institute says it funds scholarships and school programs at the Lowell Institute School at Northeastern and supports WGBH’s regional television, radio, and internet programming. Its 2024 grants included general-purpose support for organizations with varied missions. The New Eng…
How do I apply for a grant from The Lowell Institute?
In filing year 2024, the Institute reported 16 grants totaling $2,301,235. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $656,908, with a median of $73,313. Listed grants were designated for general purposes. The largest grants included $656,908 to Northeastern University, $452,304 to the New England Aquarium, $299,325 to the Museum of Science, and $249,818 to WGBH. Other recipients included Harvard University Extension School ($100,494), WorldBoston ($92,300), the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation ($90,000),…
What is The Lowell Institute's EIN?
The Lowell Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2105771. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.