The Perls Foundation
The Perls Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2024, it reported 13 grants totaling $1,020,300. Its listed grants supported work including access to medicines, reproductive health, food assistance, civil liberties, social justice, and environmental protection.
The Perls Foundation at a glance
In short: The Perls Foundation gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $78K), mostly in District of Columbia. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,020,300
- -2.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $78,485
- +4.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,300
- Total assets
- $12,853,855
- -6.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (77% 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 Perls Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Lwct 230 Congress St, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 523-6531
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Perls Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Knowledge Ecology International ($407K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 75 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were reported as 77% for recipients in the District of Columbia, 7% in Massachusetts, and less than 1% in New York; the filing also lists 16% under “?”. The grants included recipients in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts, as well as a grant to the American Civil Liberties Union in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Perls Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 $970K (2020) to $1.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Stichting Health Action | $15,000 for work on "artificial intelligency in medicines r&d in europe; $52,500 for the provision of pro-bono consultant services to support groups working to advance global health with an emphasis on policies to enhance access to medicines; $49,500 for the access to medicines work in europe with salud por derecho; $44,000 for the proposal titled "winning the right to breathe for every cf patient, everywhere" | $161,000 |
| Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Washington, DC | Empower students to drive campaigns on their campuses and beyond that will help fight for access and affordability of university-discovered medicines. | $100,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc Boston, MA | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Food for Free Inc Cambridge, MA | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Washington, DC | General Purpose | $7,300 |
| American Civil Liberties Union New York, NY | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| Haymarket Peoples Fund Jamaica Plain, MA | General Purpose | $2,000 |
| Institute for Policy Studies Washington, DC | General Purpose | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Perls Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation files Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $12,853,855 | $400,543 | $1,335,746 | $1,020,300 | 13 | $1,229,925 | $249,466 | $1,292,652 |
| 2023 | $13,789,058 | $822,195 | $1,350,128 | $1,049,000 | 14 | $1,204,225 | $702,579 | $1,175,649 |
| 2022 | $14,316,991 | $707,115 | $1,568,215 | $1,227,500 | 15 | $1,378,525 | $560,563 | $1,200,482 |
| 2021 | $15,178,091 | $2,057,512 | $1,351,470 | $1,029,150 | 15 | $1,175,175 | $1,895,361 | $1,372,944 |
| 2020 | $14,472,049 | $1,326,576 | $1,272,934 | $970,000 | 18 | — | $1,152,639 | $1,170,399 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included substantial support for access-to-medicines work, as well as grants for reproductive health, food assistance, and other organizations.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Knowledge Ecology International says it undertakes research and proposes solutions for managing knowledge in ways that better align consumers’ interests with those of creative and inventive communities. Haymarket People’s Fund describes itself as an anti-racist, multicultural foundation supporting grassroots organizations working on social justice in New England. Charles River Watershed Association says its mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the Charles River and its watershed through science, advocacy, and law.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,020,300. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $407,000, with a median of $7,300.
The largest reported grants included $407,000 to Knowledge Ecology International for access-to-medicines work, including projects in Chile and Latin America; $272,000 to Public Citizen Foundation for access-to-medicines work, with $80,000 restricted to work in Latin America; and $161,000 to Stichting Health Action for several projects, including work on medicines research and development, access to medicines, and cystic fibrosis. Universities Allied for an individual recipient received $100,000 to empower students to campaign for access to and affordability of university-discovered medicines.
Other grants included $40,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America for general purposes and $25,000 to Food for Free for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Katherine M. Perls and Lennart C. Braberg as trustees.
The Perls Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lennart C. Braberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$58K (2020) → $55K (2024)
Katherine M. Perls
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Hannes Braberg (2020–2021) — Independent Contractor
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 $55K, to Lennart C Braberg (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Perls Foundation
How much does The Perls Foundation give each year?
The Perls Foundation gave $1.0M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.0M across 14 grants.
What is The Perls Foundation's typical grant size?
The Perls Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,300, and its average grant was $78,485, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Perls Foundation give grants?
The Perls Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Perls Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of The Perls Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Perls Foundation's largest grantees?
The Perls Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Knowledge Ecology International ($407,000), Public Citizen Foundation ($272,000) and Stichting Health Action ($161,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Perls Foundation?
The Perls Foundation reported $12.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (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 Perls Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included substantial support for access-to-medicines work, as well as grants for reproductive health, food assistance, and other organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Perls Foundation?
The foundation 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 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.
Does The Perls 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 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 Perls Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-perls-foundation-morg_632acb72e5f24394812c6515bef0e11a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046864032_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Perls Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-perls-foundation-morg_632acb72e5f24394812c6515bef0e11a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Perls 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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