The Palette Fund Inc
The Palette Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It says it works to break down barriers and advance social change in under-resourced communities, with a priority on collaborative partnerships that strengthen the health and leadership of the LGBTQ and Provincetown communities.
The Palette Fund Inc at a glance
In short: The Palette Fund Inc gave $474K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in New York. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $474,263
- -24.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,522
- +12.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $21,882
- Total assets
- $10,305,943
- -3.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (89% 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 Palette Fund Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says initial inquiries for future grant-cycle consideration may be sent through its contact form, but proposals are by invitation only. The website’s detailed cycle instructions are for 2015 and are past; they describe a staged process of letters of intent, requests for proposals, and site visits.
- Contact
Mailing address: 115 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA 02657
Phone: (646) 861-3292
Website: https://thepalettefund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Palette Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was National Black Justice ($200K). Together the top 10 received $451K.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 110 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s website identifies the LGBTQ and Provincetown, Massachusetts, communities as priorities and says it supports trailblazers working throughout the world. In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients listed in New York and 11% to recipients listed in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Palette Fund Inc open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 30% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 57% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $289K (2020) to $713K (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $474K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Black Justice New York, NY | GRANT | $200,000 |
| God's Love We Deliver-Cont New York, NY | GRANT | $105,000 |
| Provincetown Commons Provincetown, MA | GRANT | $35,000 |
| ASPCA New York, NY | GRANT | $25,000 |
| Miracle of Love New York, NY | GRANT | $25,000 |
| Movement Advancement New York, NY | GRANT | $25,000 |
| Various Org Under 5K Provincetown, MA | GRANT | $18,763 |
| Prospect New Orleans New York, NY | GRANT | $17,500 |
| New Orleans Museum New York, NY | GRANT | $8,000 |
| Summer of Sass New York, NY | GRANT | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Palette Fund Inc?
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 | $10,305,943 | $968,240 | $708,753 | $474,263 | 12 | $285,578 | $878,126 | $502,479 |
| 2023 | $10,626,655 | $326,942 | $1,167,890 | $630,847 | 18 | $536,921 | $348,772 | $509,164 |
| 2022 | $10,280,704 | $341,146 | $1,473,673 | $713,419 | 35 | $749,424 | — | $579,473 |
| 2021 | $13,295,370 | $692,977 | $1,287,099 | $678,407 | 26 | $844,824 | $567,824 | $638,004 |
| 2020 | $12,979,450 | $787,943 | $1,019,191 | $288,621 | 19 | — | $100,766 | $636,365 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Palette Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $502K 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 fund’s stated mission is to break down barriers and advance social change in communities that are under-resourced and facing significant challenges. Its website identifies LGBTQ health and leadership, youth empowerment, survivorship, and Provincetown community partnerships among its priorities. It also says some grantmaking honors co-founder Rand Harlan Skolnick by supporting pancreatic-cancer patient services and research.
In 2024, the fund awarded $35,000 to Provincetown Commons. The grantee describes its mission as providing year-round working space and professional support to area artists, members of the local creative economy, and start-up businesses, as well as serving as a gathering place for educational and community initiatives.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 12 grants totaling $474,263. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $21,882. Its largest reported awards were $200,000 to National Black Justice and $105,000 to God’s Love We Deliver-Cont. Other notable grants included $35,000 to Provincetown Commons and $25,000 each to ASPCA, Miracle of Love, and Movement Advancement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Terrence Meck as president, Peter Benassi as chair, Kristin Resnansky as secretary and treasurer, and Todd Sears and Blaire Milanese as directors. The fund’s website identifies Meck as co-founder and Benassi as co-founder and board chair.
The Palette Fund Inc is led by Terrence Meck, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Terrence Meck
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$129K (2020) → $135K (2024)
Peter Benassi
Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blaire Milanese
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Sears
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristin Resnansky
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 $135K, to Terrence Meck (President).
Frequently asked questions about The Palette Fund Inc
How much does The Palette Fund Inc give each year?
The Palette Fund Inc gave $474K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $631K across 18 grants.
What is The Palette Fund Inc's typical grant size?
The Palette Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $21,882, and its average grant was $39,522, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Palette Fund Inc that year got $48K on average.
Where does The Palette Fund Inc give grants?
The Palette Fund Inc gives mostly in New York: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants) and Provincetown, MA (2 grants).
Does The Palette Fund Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Palette Fund Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (12 grants).
Who are The Palette Fund Inc's largest grantees?
The Palette Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include National Black Justice ($200,000), God's Love We Deliver-Cont ($105,000) and Provincetown Commons ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Palette Fund Inc?
The Palette Fund Inc reported $10.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $286K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $502K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Palette Fund Inc fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to break down barriers and advance social change in communities that are under-resourced and facing significant challenges. Its website identifies LGBTQ health and leadership, youth empowerment, survivorship, and Provincetown community partnerships among its priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Palette Fund Inc?
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Palette Fund Inc's EIN?
The Palette Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2736653. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Palette Fund Inc 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 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Palette Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-palette-fund-inc-morg_11eb4bcff6964982a3de375f46d3b907
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262736653_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Palette Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-palette-fund-inc-morg_11eb4bcff6964982a3de375f46d3b907},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Palette Fund Inc'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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