The Lowell Institute
The Lowell Institute is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1836, it sponsors free public lectures and educational programs throughout the Boston area and supports educational projects and programming at partner organizations.
The Lowell Institute at a glance
In short: The Lowell Institute gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $175K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,270,141
- -1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $174,626
- +21.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $49,903,740
- +2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% 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 Lowell Institute
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: Choate Llp PO Box 961019, Boston, MA 02196
Phone: (617) 248-4760
Website: https://lowellinstitute.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lowell Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was WGBH ($998K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 77 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Massachusetts. The Institute’s website describes its public lectures and educational programming as taking place throughout the Boston area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Lowell Institute open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) 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. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2022) to $2.6M (2021). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WGBH Boston, MA | General Purpose | $998,356 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | General Purpose | $404,245 |
| Museum of Science Boston, MA | General Purpose | $301,415 |
| WorldBoston Inc Boston, MA | General Purpose | $105,417 |
| Harvard University Extension School Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $100,542 |
| John F Kennedy Library Foundation Boston, MA | General Purpose | $90,000 |
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Cambridge Forum Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $60,000 |
| Boston Public Library Fund Boston, MA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University Boston, MA | General Purpose | $32,666 |
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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 | $49,903,740 | $1,857,706 | $2,535,831 | $2,270,141 | 13 | $2,451,538 | $1,779,397 | $2,443,659 |
| 2024 | $48,919,106 | $1,145,879 | $2,506,009 | $2,301,235 | 16 | $2,433,990 | $1,076,787 | $2,300,652 |
| 2023 | $46,129,702 | $99,982 | $2,382,598 | $2,142,339 | 16 | $2,254,897 | $360,897 | $2,227,359 |
| 2022 | $45,240,554 | $4,788,527 | $1,904,572 | $1,620,774 | 14 | $1,721,616 | $4,658,844 | $2,493,008 |
| 2021 | $53,413,954 | $1,465,053 | $2,869,348 | $2,627,116 | 18 | — | $1,330,730 | $2,480,036 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lowell Institute reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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
The Institute’s founding mission was to inform the populace regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Its will directed that income from a trust be used to maintain and support public lectures in Boston.
Its 2025 grants included support for educational, cultural, scientific, and public-discussion programming. Grantees describe their own work in varied ways: WGBH Educational Foundation says it provides programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain; the Museum of Science says it aims to make science and scientific thinking accessible and engaging; and WorldBoston describes its work as educating the public about matters of national and international significance. The Boston Public Library Fund says it provides financial support to keep the library viable, accessible, and free to all.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Institute reported 13 grants totaling $2,270,141. Grant amounts ranged from $9,000 to $998,356, with a median of $75,000. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $998,356 to WGBH, $404,245 to Northeastern University, $301,415 to the Museum of Science, $105,417 to WorldBoston, and $100,542 to Harvard University Extension School. The Institute’s website also describes support for public lectures and educational programming through partners including Boston College, Boston Public Library, Cambridge Forum, Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, the John F. Kennedy Library, and the Museum of Science.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William A Lowell as trustee.
The Lowell Institute is led by William A Lowell, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William A Lowell
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$28K (2022) → $89K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $89K, to William A Lowell (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Lowell Institute
How much does The Lowell Institute give each year?
The Lowell Institute gave $2.3M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 16 grants.
What is The Lowell Institute's typical grant size?
The Lowell Institute's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $174,626, across 13 grants on its 2025 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (9 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants).
Does The Lowell Institute give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Lowell Institute's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lowell Institute's largest grantees?
The Lowell Institute's largest 2025 grantees include WGBH ($998,356), Northeastern University ($404,245) and Museum of Science ($301,415), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lowell Institute?
The Lowell Institute reported $49.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lowell Institute fund?
The Institute’s founding mission was to inform the populace regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Its will directed that income from a trust be used to maintain and support public lectures in Boston. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lowell Institute?
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 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 2021–2025.
Does The Lowell Institute 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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—
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lowell Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lowell-institute-morg_02a5aa448a084f198a95a7e3ae2a0711
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042105771_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lowell Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lowell-institute-morg_02a5aa448a084f198a95a7e3ae2a0711},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Lowell Institute'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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