The Perls Foundation
The Perls Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by art dealer Klaus Perl, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) private foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.9M
-6.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
-2.7% YoY
Grant Count
13
-7.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$78K
+4.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Perls Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Social Science & Humanities
- Travel and Tourism
- Job Creation
- Economic Services
The foundation is characterized as a left-of-center grantmaking organization.
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $12,853,855
Total Giving: $1,020,300
These figures are based on the most recent IRS Form 990 filing from 2024.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,853,855 | $13,789,058 | $14,316,991 |
| Revenue | $400,543 | $822,195 | $707,115 |
| Expenses | $1,335,746 | $1,350,128 | $1,568,215 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,229,925 | $1,204,225 | $1,378,525 |
| Net Investment Income | $249,466 | $702,579 | $560,563 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,292,652 | $1,175,649 | $1,200,482 |
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
75 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Knowledge Ecology International ($407,000), Public Citizen Foundation ($272,000), Stichting Health Action ($161,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $2,000 |
| CHARLES RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION WESTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $1,000 |
| FOOD FOR FREE INC CAMBRIDGE, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| GLOBE SANTA FUND BOSTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $500 |
| HAYMARKET PEOPLES FUND JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $2,000 |
| INSTITUTE FOR POLICY STUDIES WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $2,000 |
| KNOWLEDGE ECOLOGY INTERNATIONAL WASHINGTON, DC | $360,000 TO BE USED FOR PROJECTS IN THE AREA OF ACCESS TO MEDICINES AND $60,000 IS INTENDED FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF CHILEAN AND LATIN AMERICAN PROJECTS COMMENCED IN 2016. | $407,000 |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC BOSTON, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $40,000 |
| PUBLIC CITIZEN FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC | TO SUPPORT WORK IN THE AREA OF ACCESS TO MEDICINES. $80,000 OF THE GRANT IS RESTRICTED TO PUBLIC CITIZEN'S WORK IN LATIN AMERICA. | $272,000 |
| RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $7,300 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Katherine Perls serves as a trustee of the foundation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATHERINE M PERLS | TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| LENNART C BRABERG | TRUSTEE | 25 | $55,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Perls Foundation fund?
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Social Science & Humanities • Travel and Tourism • Job Creation • Economic Services The foundation is characterized as a left-of-center grantmaking organization.
How do I apply for a grant from The Perls Foundation?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $500 to $718,000. **Total Annual Giving:** $1,020,300 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing) **Geographic Focus:** Primary funding areas include Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and New York.
What size grants does The Perls Foundation award?
In 2024, The Perls Foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $1.0M — an average of about $78K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Perls Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Perls Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Perls Foundation's EIN?
The Perls Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6864032. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Perls Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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