The Orchard Foundation
The Orchard Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in areas including environmental protection, health research and care, reproductive rights, education, and community philanthropy.
The Orchard Foundation at a glance
In short: The Orchard Foundation gave $1.6M across 85 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), top state Massachusetts. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,563,141
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 85
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,390
- +2.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $2,393,132
- -27.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (24 of 85, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (41% 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 Orchard Foundation
- 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: 1 Post Office Square 2400, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (207) 799-0686
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Orchard Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Earthjustice ($194K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
450 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 405 grants of 450 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Massachusetts (41%), California (15%), New York (14%), New Hampshire (13%), and Vermont (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 85 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Orchard Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 24 of 85 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 664% 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 $1.2M (2023) to $1.9M (2021). In 2025 it made 85 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - food and farming project | $194,000 |
| Brigham and Womens Hospital FBO Ann Romney Center for Neurological Disease Boston, MA | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - alzheimers disease and parkinsons disease research. | $173,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - patient care fund, dr soiffer's research fund | $145,000 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Boston, MA | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - Maine state office, campaign for ne future, pfas contamination and drinking water | $106,000 |
| Middlebury College Middlebury, VT | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - environment program and 50th reunion scholarship fund, middlebury crew club fund | $101,000 |
| New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Concord, NH | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - the watercress fund | $100,000 |
| McLeans Hospital FBO Center for Neuroregeneration Research Belmont, MA | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - parkinsons disease research | $71,000 |
| The Trustees of Hampshire College Amherst, MA | To Fund Charitable Mission of Charitable Organization. | $57,000 |
| Rainforest Alliance New York, NY | To Fund Charitable Mission of Charitable Organization. | $53,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | To fund charitable mission of charitable organization - us legal policy and advocacy programs | $51,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Orchard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,393,132 | $760,686 | $1,635,904 | $1,563,141 | 85 | $1,593,141 | $732,776 | $239,868 |
| 2024 | $3,283,350 | $729,438 | $1,586,766 | $1,494,071 | 83 | $1,539,071 | $698,031 | $281,223 |
| 2023 | $4,138,178 | $501,393 | $1,281,646 | $1,174,988 | 87 | $1,219,988 | $465,876 | $308,424 |
| 2022 | $4,946,631 | $947,443 | $1,394,670 | $1,259,227 | 101 | $1,319,227 | $815,827 | $381,783 |
| 2021 | $4,346,427 | $1,599,834 | $2,053,787 | $1,946,520 | 94 | $2,006,520 | $1,557,031 | $394,323 |
| 2020 | $4,765,681 | $501,190 | $1,535,193 | $1,401,725 | 177 | — | $418,014 | $411,919 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Orchard Foundation reported a distributable amount of $240K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for environmental organizations, hospitals and research centers, a reproductive-rights organization, colleges, and community foundations.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Earthjustice says it uses law and partnerships to protect health and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. Conservation Law Foundation says it works to protect New England’s environment and build healthy, resilient communities. The Center for Reproductive Rights says it uses law to advance reproductive rights as human rights. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation describes work supporting the state’s nonprofits and students and connecting donors with community needs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 85 grants totaling $1,563,141. Grant amounts ranged from $920 to $194,000, with a median grant of $4,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $194,000 to Earthjustice for its food and farming project; $173,000 to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease research; $145,000 to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for patient care and research funds; and $106,000 to Conservation Law Foundation for work including its Maine office, the Campaign for a New England Future, and PFAS contamination and drinking water. Other large grants included $101,000 to Middlebury College, $100,000 to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for the Watercress Fund, and $71,000 to McLean Hospital for Parkinson’s disease research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carl P. Lehner as trustee, Brigitte L. Kingsbury as trustee and executive director, and Heidi Lehner as trustee.
The Orchard Foundation is led by Brigitte L. Kingsbury, Tr & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brigitte L. Kingsbury
Tr & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Carl P. Lehner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Heidi Lehner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $30K, to Brigitte L Kingsbury (Tr & Exec DIR).
Frequently asked questions about The Orchard Foundation
How much does The Orchard Foundation give each year?
The Orchard Foundation gave $1.6M across 85 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 83 grants.
What is The Orchard Foundation's typical grant size?
The Orchard Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $18,390, across 85 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Orchard Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Orchard Foundation give grants?
The Orchard Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (15%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (9 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Concord, NH (5 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (4 grants).
Does The Orchard Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of The Orchard Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 85) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "To Fund Charitable Mission of Charitable Organization." (58 grants).
Who are The Orchard Foundation's largest grantees?
The Orchard Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Earthjustice ($194,000), Brigham and Womens Hospital FBO Ann Romney Center for Neurological Disease ($173,000) and Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($145,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Orchard Foundation?
The Orchard Foundation reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $240K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Orchard Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for environmental organizations, hospitals and research centers, a reproductive-rights organization, colleges, and community foundations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Orchard Foundation?
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 Orchard Foundation's EIN?
The Orchard Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6660214. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Orchard Foundation 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 May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Orchard Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Orchard Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-orchard-foundation-morg_2870b330eed8431da5b506204d0608cd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046660214_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Orchard Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-orchard-foundation-morg_2870b330eed8431da5b506204d0608cd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Orchard 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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