The New England Foundation
The New England Foundation is a private foundation based in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In 2025, it gave grants to organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, with listed purposes including general welfare, education, religious, and medical support.
The New England Foundation at a glance
In short: The New England Foundation gave $575K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Massachusetts. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $575,000
- -4.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,536
- -14.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $5,429,641
- -0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (9 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (61% 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 New England Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written form indicating the amount requested and projected use. Awards are restricted to charitable purposes under I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3).
- Contact
Application contact: The New England Foundation
Mailing address: 206 Chestnut Hill Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Phone: (617) 342-3200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The New England Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston Symphony Orchestra ($81K). Together the top 10 received $356K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 102 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 17% to New Hampshire, 11% to Connecticut, 5% to New York, and 3% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The New England Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 28 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 60% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 175% 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 $268K (2023) to $1.4M (2022). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $575K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | General Welfare | $81,000 |
| Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Education | $50,000 |
| Church of the Redeemer Chestnut Hill, MA | Religious | $30,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Boston, MA | Medical | $30,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Medical | $30,000 |
| NY Historical Soc New York, NY | General Welfare | $30,000 |
| Tenacity Boston, MA | Education | $30,000 |
| Bidwell House Museum Monterey, MA | General Welfare | $25,000 |
| Monterey Meeting House Monterey, MA | General Welfare | $25,000 |
| Roxbury Latin School West Roxbury, MA | Education | $25,000 |
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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 | $5,429,641 | $627,948 | $678,890 | $575,000 | 28 | $592,147 | $541,204 | $338,776 |
| 2024 | $5,480,583 | $102,219 | $685,960 | $600,000 | 25 | $608,453 | $92,047 | $316,613 |
| 2023 | $6,064,324 | $-1,046,355 | $390,005 | $267,626 | 15 | $282,991 | — | $258,376 |
| 2022 | $7,500,684 | $180,771 | $1,626,910 | $1,422,800 | 21 | $1,436,170 | $10,031 | $418,006 |
| 2021 | $8,948,102 | $1,511,747 | $1,595,543 | $1,352,200 | 13 | $1,358,071 | $1,274,275 | $497,914 |
| 2020 | $9,034,948 | $344,060 | $1,676,258 | $1,395,600 | 22 | — | $104,462 | $528,689 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The New England Foundation reported a distributable amount of $339K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with purposes identified as general welfare, education, religious, and medical.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as making music and providing educational and training programs. Tenacity describes its mission as youth development and life-skill development. The Park School says it is dedicated to excellence in education, and Boston Ballet describes its work in terms of forging human connections through art.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $575,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $81,000, with a median of $17,500. Among the largest grants were $81,000 to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for general welfare; $50,000 to Dartmouth College for education; and $30,000 each to the Church of the Redeemer for religious purposes, Dana-Farber Cancer and Massachusetts General Hospital for medical purposes, the New York Historical Society for general welfare, and Tenacity for education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph McNay, Anne McNay, and Colin McNay as trustees.
The New England Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Anne McNay
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Colin McNay
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph McNay
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Anne McNay Co Essex Inv Mgmt (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Colin McNay Co Essex Inv Mgmt (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Joseph McNay Co Essex Inv Mgmt (2020–2023) — Trustee
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 New England Foundation
How much does The New England Foundation give each year?
The New England Foundation gave $575K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $600K across 25 grants.
What is The New England Foundation's typical grant size?
The New England Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $20,536, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The New England Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does The New England Foundation give grants?
The New England Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Hampshire (17%) and Connecticut (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (10 grants), Hanover, NH (3 grants), New Haven, CT (3 grants) and Monterey, MA (2 grants).
Does The New England Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 39% of The New England Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (13 grants).
Who are The New England Foundation's largest grantees?
The New England Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boston Symphony Orchestra ($81,000), Dartmouth College ($50,000) and Church of the Redeemer ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The New England Foundation?
The New England Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $592K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $339K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The New England Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with purposes identified as general welfare, education, religious, and medical. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The New England Foundation?
Submit a written form indicating the amount requested and projected use. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The New England Foundation's EIN?
The New England Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2757391. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 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 May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The New England Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-new-england-foundation-morg_bc3b2bdda8c94200ae1c12a27d40330a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222757391_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The New England Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-new-england-foundation-morg_bc3b2bdda8c94200ae1c12a27d40330a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 New England 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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