The Once Here Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Cambridge, MA EIN: 81-7001052

The Once Here Foundation is a private foundation based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in August 2018. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization focused on providing accessibility modifications to the homes of needy disabled individuals.

Key facts about The Once Here Foundation

EIN: 81-7001052
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $2,750,000
Grants made (2024): 14
Average grant: $196,429
Median grant: $137,500
New grantees (estimate): 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2024)
Total assets: $52,841,531
Primary geography: Massachusetts (63% 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).

Who The Once Here Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Once Here Foundation's 14 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (63%) and Ohio (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants) and Cambridge, MA (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is The Once Here Foundation open to new grantees?

14%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $550K; repeat grants $138K. How we count

Medians: $550K first-time, $125K repeat.

86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving grew 59% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 120% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). 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 Once Here Foundation

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$52.8M

+28.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.8M

+4.8% YoY

Grant Count

-6.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$196K

+12.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Once Here Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M 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 primary mission centers on improving accessibility for disabled individuals through home modifications. Its funding priorities span education, philanthropy and grantmaking, and human services, with particular geographic concentration in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado.

Grantmaking

The Once Here Foundation is an active grantmaker with recent grant activity demonstrating broad support across multiple organizations:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $1.7M (63%)

Ohio $900K (33%)

Colorado $125K (5%)

Share of all 14 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Colorado Illinois Massachusetts Ohio Texas Virginia

Cities

BostonCambridgeLincolnBelmontConcordDorchesterVineyard HavenAmesburyArvadaCincinattiBrooklineHoustonRoxburyBarringtonChicagoHyde ParkNewburyportRichmond

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $52,841,531
Total Revenues: $23,972,301
Total Expenses: $2,807,715
Total Grants, Contributions, etc.: $12,051,722

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $41.1 Million
Total Revenue: $3.44 Million
Total Expenses: $2.77 Million
Total Liabilities: $0

The foundation maintains zero liabilities and generates rental income from leasing property to 501(c)(3) organizations in furtherance of its exempt purposes.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$52,841,531	$41,062,229	$40,388,693
Revenue	$23,972,301	$3,439,034	$13,506,322
Expenses	$2,807,715	$2,765,498	$1,814,075
Qualifying Distributions	$2,750,746	$2,634,602	$1,765,114
Net Investment Income	$11,911,950	$3,378,138	$5,499,871
Distributable Amount	$2,293,611	$2,084,959	$2,049,345

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 3, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

78 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($900,000), Harvard Divinity School ($225,000), Shooting Touch ($200,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
FIDELITY CHARITABLE GIFT FUND Cincinatti, OH	General Support	$900,000
Harvard Divinity School Cambridge, MA	General Support	$225,000
Shooting Touch Boston, MA	General Support	$200,000
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA	General Support	$200,000
Mothers for Justice and Equality Inc Roxbury, MA	General Support	$150,000
MCLEAN HOSPITAL Belmont, MA	General Support	$150,000
Friends of Matenwa Inc Cambridge, MA	General Support	$150,000
Concord Prison Outreach Inc Concord, MA	General Support	$125,000
Louis D Brown Peace Institute Corporation Dorchester, MA	General Support	$125,000
Camp Jabberwocky Vineyard Haven, MA	General Support	$125,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Karl Bandtel	Trustee	1	—
Farley Urmston	Trustee	1	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Once Here Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The Once Here Foundation?

The Once Here Foundation is an active grantmaker with recent grant activity demonstrating broad support across multiple organizations: **Recent Grants (2024):** • Shooting Touch: $200,000 (General Support) • Friends of Matenwa: $150,000 (General Support) • Mothers for Justice and Equality: $150,000 (General Support) • Camp Hale: Grant recipient (amount not specified) **Grant Characteristics:** • Total giving in 2024: $2,750,000 • Typical award range: $75,000–$900,000 • Made 16 grants in the mos…

Where does The Once Here Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado.

What size grants does The Once Here Foundation award?

In 2024, The Once Here Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $196K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Once Here Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Once Here Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.