The Ludes Family Foundation
The Ludes Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Marion, Massachusetts. In 2024, it made 91 grants totaling $139,000 to organizations including health care providers, schools, cultural institutions, and community and conservation organizations.
The Ludes Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ludes Family Foundation gave $139K across 91 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 28% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $139,000
- +7.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 91
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,527
- -8.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,306,249
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (23 of 82, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (63% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ludes Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says to contact John Ludes with a letter requesting funds. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: John Ludes
Mailing address: 57 Water Street, Marion, MA 02738
Phone: (508) 748-0800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ludes Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Southcoast Health System Inc ($15K). Together the top 10 received $63K.
Grant Size Distribution
418 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 418 grants of 418 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Massachusetts recipients received 63% of grant dollars. Connecticut and New Hampshire each received 5%, and the District of Columbia and Maryland each received 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 91 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ludes Family Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 82 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $91K (2021) to $139K (2024). In 2024 it made 91 grants totaling $139K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Southcoast Health System Inc Fairhaven, MA | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Alma Del Mar Foundation New Bedford, MA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders Hagerstown, MD | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Mercy Ships Lindale, TX | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Our Sisters' School New Bedford, MA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Save the Children Fairfield, CT | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| New Bedford Whaling Museum New Bedford, MA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| New Bedford Whaling Museum New Bedford, MA | Unrestricted | $3,500 |
| Friends of Marion COA Marion, MA | Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| St Gabriel's Episcopal Church Marion, MA | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ludes Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,306,249 | $198,918 | $176,669 | $139,000 | 91 | $146,570 | $172,819 | $131,167 |
| 2023 | $1,284,000 | $177,892 | $162,447 | $129,490 | 78 | $129,490 | $146,433 | $117,453 |
| 2022 | $1,268,555 | $-13,927 | $160,518 | $127,000 | 78 | $127,035 | $6,599 | $123,989 |
| 2021 | $1,443,000 | $145,110 | $124,948 | $91,050 | 75 | $91,085 | $119,879 | $131,102 |
| 2020 | $1,422,838 | $150,773 | $156,572 | $125,800 | 96 | — | $120,136 | $110,682 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ludes Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $131K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as health, education, humanitarian aid, arts and culture, and local conservation. For example, Southcoast Health System describes its mission as improving health and wellness in its communities; Our Sisters’ School says it educates and inspires economically disadvantaged girls in the New Bedford area; and Sippican Lands Trust says it works to protect land in Marion and encourage engagement with the natural world.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 91 grants totaling $139,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $15,000 to Southcoast Health System; $5,000 each to Alma del Mar Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Ships, Our Sisters’ School, Save the Children, and New Bedford Whaling Museum; and $3,000 to Friends of Marion COA. The listed purposes for these grants were unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Ludes, Doris Ludes, Sharon J Giblin, Greg H Ludes, and John T Ludes Jr as trustees. It lists Laura J Ludes as “EXECUTIVE DI.”
The Ludes Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 6 officers; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Doris Ludes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Greg H. Ludes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John Ludes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John T. Ludes Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sharon J. Giblin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Laura J. Ludes
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2024
On filings since 2020
$8K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $8K, to Laura J Ludes (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about The Ludes Family Foundation
How much does The Ludes Family Foundation give each year?
The Ludes Family Foundation gave $139K across 91 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $129K across 78 grants.
What is The Ludes Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ludes Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,527, across 91 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ludes Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Ludes Family Foundation give grants?
The Ludes Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (5%) and New Hampshire (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Bedford, MA (16 grants), Marion, MA (12 grants), Boston, MA (10 grants) and Washington, DC (6 grants).
Does The Ludes Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of The Ludes Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (90 of 91) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ludes Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ludes Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Southcoast Health System Inc ($15,000), New Bedford Whaling Museum ($11,000 across 4 grants) and Our Sisters' School ($6,500 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ludes Family Foundation?
The Ludes Family Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $147K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ludes Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as health, education, humanitarian aid, arts and culture, and local conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ludes Family Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says to contact John Ludes with a letter requesting funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ludes Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ludes Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3448695. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Ludes Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ludes Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ludes-family-foundation-morg_e4f90d5612464c328d6fe29aedc55a3e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043448695_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ludes Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ludes-family-foundation-morg_e4f90d5612464c328d6fe29aedc55a3e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Ludes Family 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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