The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2024 filing states that it contributes only to preselected organizations.
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation at a glance
In short: The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation gave $172K across 47 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state New York. 2% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $171,750
- +0.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 47
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,654
- +4.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $5,501,997
- +713.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (1 of 47, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (43% 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 Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Ropes Gray Llp 800 Boylston, Boston, MA 02199-3600
Phone: (617) 951-7000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New York Presbyterian Fund Inc ($15K). Together the top 10 received $83K.
Grant Size Distribution
243 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 243 grants of 243 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (43%), Rhode Island (23%), and the District of Columbia (13%). California received 7% and Maryland 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 47 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 96% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 399% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $171K (2023) to $195K (2020). In 2024 it made 47 grants totaling $172K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York Presbyterian Fund Inc New York, NY | General Purposes | $15,000 |
| The Westerly Hospital Foundation Westerly, RI | General Purposes | $15,000 |
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Hagerstown, MD | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Watch Hill Conservancy Westerly, RI | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Citizens Housing & Planning Council New York, NY | General Purposes | $7,500 |
| African Wildlife Foundation Washington, DC | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New York, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy Inc New York, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Humane Society of the United States Washington, DC | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Sesame Workshop New York, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
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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 | $5,501,997 | $4,988,127 | $182,999 | $171,750 | 47 | $175,625 | $75,678 | $43,981 |
| 2023 | $676,263 | $167,188 | $178,745 | $170,750 | 49 | $173,367 | $8,437 | $28,086 |
| 2022 | $532,546 | $161,187 | $185,364 | $173,350 | 49 | $177,827 | $3,539 | $28,449 |
| 2021 | $445,231 | $137,548 | $179,379 | $171,000 | 49 | $173,521 | — | $33,463 |
| 2020 | $488,036 | $13,281 | $203,706 | $194,500 | 49 | — | $826 | $34,648 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation reported a distributable amount of $44K 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 grantees include organizations working in areas such as healthcare, animal care, conservation, children’s education and media, and military-family support. These are grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation. For example, the Westerly Hospital Foundation says it supports LMW Healthcare Inc. and the hospital’s charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. The Animal Medical Center says it provides animal care and advances veterinary medicine through research and education. Sesame Workshop says its mission is to help children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 47 grants totaling $171,750. Grants ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $15,000 each to New York Presbyterian Fund Inc. and The Westerly Hospital Foundation; $10,000 each to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Watch Hill Conservancy; and $7,500 to Citizens Housing & Planning Council. The listed purposes for these awards were “general purposes.”
Other 2024 recipients included African Wildlife Foundation, Sesame Workshop, WNET, World Wildlife Fund, and The Animal Medical Center, each receiving $5,000; the American Museum of Natural History and United Service Organizations each received $2,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter Lamm, Deborah Lamm, R. Bradford Malt, and Eric Lamm as trustees.
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Deborah Lamm
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Lamm
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Lamm
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
R. Bradford Malt
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation
How much does The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation give each year?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation gave $172K across 47 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $171K across 49 grants.
What is The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's typical grant size?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,654, across 47 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation give grants?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's top state is New York, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Rhode Island (23%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants), Westerly, RI (12 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Pasadena, CA (2 grants).
Does The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (47 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's largest grantees?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include New York Presbyterian Fund Inc ($15,000), The Westerly Hospital Foundation ($15,000) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $176K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $44K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in areas such as healthcare, animal care, conservation, children’s education and media, and military-family support. These are grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation?
The foundation 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 Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's EIN?
The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3406251. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Peter and Deborah Lamm 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
Live grants for the work The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-peter-and-deborah-lamm-foundation-morg_5f9ad3100805446babe83bd647d01fe5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043406251_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Peter and Deborah Lamm Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-peter-and-deborah-lamm-foundation-morg_5f9ad3100805446babe83bd647d01fe5},
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 Peter and Deborah Lamm 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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