The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker SHELBURNE, VT EIN: 03-0323120

The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation is a private foundation established in 1989 in Vermont and based in Shelburne, VT. The foundation supports nonprofit organizations with a primary emphasis on the Burlington area and broader Vermont region.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.0M

+3.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$602K

-18.0% YoY

Grant Count

+1.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$9K

-19.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $588K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving focuses primarily on higher and other education. Additional areas of interest include:

Human services
Health
Media and communications
The environment
Children and youth
Arts and culture, including museums

Grantmaking

The Stern Center for Language & Learning received multiple grants totaling $230,000 in general support during the most recent grant year.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Vermont, with particular emphasis on the Burlington area.

Grant Distribution by State

Vermont $1.4M (85%)

California $76K (5%)

Delaware $50K (3%)

District of Columbia $45K (3%)

VI $37K (2%)

Idaho $20K (1%)

New Hampshire $10K (1%)

Arizona $6K (0%)

+8 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Delaware Idaho Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas Utah Vermont Vi

Cities

AndoverBarreBoiseBostonBradfordBurlingtonCharlotteChelseaColchesterCraftsburyCraftsbury CommonCumberlandEast DorsetEl SegundoEnosburgEnosburg FallsEssex JunctionHanoverHinesburgHuntington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $8,009,074
Total annual giving: $601,500
Total revenues: $2,323,880
Total expenses: $931,531

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$8,009,074	$7,708,654	$6,929,134
Revenue	$2,323,880	$1,920,283	$2,082,561
Expenses	$931,531	$938,877	$600,932
Qualifying Distributions	$625,075	$773,581	$452,113
Net Investment Income	$833,136	$279,474	$386,718
Distributable Amount	$587,910	$447,550	$450,844

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

195 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Stern Center for Language & Learning ($80,000), Stern Center for Language & Learning ($75,000), Stern Center for Language & Learning ($50,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CHANGING PERSPECTIVES INC MONTPELIER, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
JANET S MUNT FAMILY ROOM BURLINGTON, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
HUNGER FREE VERMONT INC SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
STERN CENTER FOR LANGUAGE & LEARNING WILLISTON, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$50,000
LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER INC BOISE, ID	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
STERN CENTER FOR LANGUAGE & LEARNING WILLISTON, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE HANOVER, NH	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
JANET S MUNT FAMILY ROOM BURLINGTON, VT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
EMPOWER FUND INC POMONA, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$40,000
FAIR DEMOCRACY ENGAGEMENT FUND WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$40,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MAJORIE STERN	DIRECTOR	—	—
ABBI STERN	DIRECTOR	—	—
SARENA STERN	DIRECTOR	—	—
PETER STERN	DIRECTOR	—	—

Contact Information

Address: PO Box 458 Shelburne, VT 05482-0458 United States

Phone: 802-985-9943

EIN: 03-0323120

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation fund?

The foundation's giving focuses primarily on higher and other education. Additional areas of interest include: • Human services • Health • Media and communications • The environment • Children and youth • Arts and culture, including museums

How do I apply for a grant from The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: $601,500 • Typical grant awards range from $500 to $275,000 • Made 45 grants in the most recent year **Recent Grants:** The Stern Center for Language & Learning received multiple grants totaling $230,000 in general support during the most recent grant year.

Where does The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports nonprofit organizations in Vermont, with particular emphasis on the Burlington area.

What size grants does The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation award?

In 2024, The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation awarded 67 grants totaling $602K — an average of about $9K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $588K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation's EIN?

The Morris & Bessie Altman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 03-0323120. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.