The Profesta Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 83-2095055

The Profesta Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including educational, religious, cultural, and other organizations.

The Profesta Foundation at a glance

In short: The Profesta Foundation gave $529K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Massachusetts. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$529,348
+67.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
19
+35.7% vs 2024
Average grant
$27,860
+23.7% vs 2024
Median grant
$25,000
Total assets
$10,304,247
+0.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
26% first-time grantees (5 of 19, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Massachusetts (86% 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 Profesta 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: Co The Bollard Group One Joy St, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (781) 937-5300

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Profesta Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Venerini Academy: $101KVenerini Academy$101KFidelity Charitable: $64KFidelity Charitable$64KSt George Greek Orthodox Church: $52KSt George Greek OrthodoxChurch$52KSt Michaels Orthodox Church: $30KSt Michaels Orthodox Church$30KCrossroad Institution: $25KCrossroad Institution$25KThe American College of Greece: $25KThe American College of Greece$25KBentley University: $25KBentley University$25KCultural Center Hrisohorafiton: $25KCultural Center Hrisohorafiton$25KNew England Law Boston: $25KNew England Law Boston$25KUmass Medical School: $25KUmass Medical School$25K

The largest 2025 recipient was Venerini Academy ($101K). Together the top 10 received $397K.

Grant Size Distribution

66 grants across all recorded years

58<$50K5$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 66 (88%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 12% to Ohio, and 2% to North Carolina.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.

Cities

BostonWorcesterWalthamShrewsburyBrooklineCambridgeDurhamCincinnatiPortsmouthCentervilleFairfaxFoxboroughLowellNew YorkSouthbridge

Is The Profesta Foundation open to new grantees?

26%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 5 of 19 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $28K. How we count

Medians: $25K first-time, $24K repeat.

  • 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 214% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 (2020–2025). 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

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M7 grants2020 8 grants2021 12 grants2022 13 grants2023 14 grants2024 19 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $90K (2020) to $863K (2021). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $529K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Venerini Academy Worcester, MAGeneral Support$100,607
Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OHGeneral Support$63,879
St George Greek Orthodox Church Centerville, MAGeneral Support$52,000
St Michaels Orthodox Church Southbridge, MAGeneral Support$30,000
Crossroad Institution Cambridge, MAGeneral Support$25,272
The American College of Greece Boston, MAGeneral Support$25,090
Bentley University Waltham, MAGeneral Support$25,000
Cultural Center Hrisohorafiton Worcester, MAGeneral Support$25,000
New England Law Boston Boston, MAGeneral Support$25,000
Umass Medical School Shrewsbury, MAGeneral Support$25,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$10,304,247$1,662,291$546,465$529,34819$529,348$315,146$636,912
2024$10,217,229$1,437,975$320,694$315,24414$315,244$495,718$529,989
2023$9,777,725$531,793$276,843$275,34513$275,345$344,394$483,293
2022$9,664,182$-92,166$327,158$168,33412$168,334$53,454$483,694
2021$10,077,220$-278,879$871,430$863,0758$863,075$10,065,664$284,889
2020$11,384,260$239,019$94,529$89,7497—$84,039$380,719

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Profesta Foundation reported a distributable amount of $637K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for organizations including Venerini Academy, churches, universities, and cultural organizations. The grantees’ stated missions vary: for example, the American College of Greece Research Center says it conducts research across fields including the natural and social sciences, arts, and technology; Alpha Omega Council says it promotes patriotism and the ideals of Hellenism through support for educational, religious, charitable, and other activities; and Worcester Art Museum says it connects people, communities, and cultures through art.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $529,348. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $100,607, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest grants included $100,607 to Venerini Academy, $63,879 to Fidelity Charitable, $52,000 to St George Greek Orthodox Church, and $30,000 to St Michaels Orthodox Church. Each was listed for general support.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Anastasios Parafestas as trustee.

The Profesta Foundation is led by Anastasios Parafestas, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Anastasios Parafestas

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    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.

Frequently asked questions about The Profesta Foundation

How much does The Profesta Foundation give each year?

The Profesta Foundation gave $529K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $315K across 14 grants.

What is The Profesta Foundation's typical grant size?

The Profesta Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $27,860, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Profesta Foundation that year got $27K on average.

Where does The Profesta Foundation give grants?

The Profesta Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (6 grants) and Worcester, MA (4 grants).

Does The Profesta Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Profesta Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Profesta Foundation's largest grantees?

The Profesta Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Venerini Academy ($100,607), Fidelity Charitable ($63,879) and St George Greek Orthodox Church ($52,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Profesta Foundation?

The Profesta Foundation reported $10.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $529K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $637K (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 Profesta Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Venerini Academy, churches, universities, and cultural organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Profesta 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 Profesta Foundation's EIN?

The Profesta Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2095055. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Profesta 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

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 26, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Profesta Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-profesta-foundation-morg_293ddec304dc4727b6654c37b64fd2d1

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832095055_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Profesta Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-profesta-foundation-morg_293ddec304dc4727b6654c37b64fd2d1},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Profesta 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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