The Red Elm Tree Foundation

LINCOLN, MA EIN: 04-3210639

The Red Elm Tree Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Established in 1994, it operates as a nonoperating foundation with no activities other than managing investment income on its assets and distributing funds to preselected charitable organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$18.2M

-0.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$406K

-51.4% YoY

Grant Count

-44.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$41K

-12.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Red Elm Tree Foundation reported a distributable amount of $498K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, its grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism, human services, and the arts. The foundation primarily supports organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with some funding extending to New York.

Grantmaking

The foundation typically selects grantees rather than accepting unsolicited proposals. It makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Grant Range

$1,000 to $900,000

Average Grant

$41,000–$54,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, which account for 88% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 10 states total.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $4.6M (77%)

Rhode Island $1.0M (17%)

New Jersey $100K (2%)

New York $82K (1%)

Maine $78K (1%)

California $60K (1%)

Missouri $27K (0%)

District of Columbia $10K (0%)

+2 more states

States

California District of Columbia Massachusetts Maine Missouri New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee

Cities

ActonBostonCambridgeConcordDennis PortEurekaHyannisIthacaKansas CityLexingtonLincolnMarshfieldMemphisMorristownMountain ViewNatickNew YorkNewtonOrleansPhiladelphia

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Income (2024):

Total assets: $18,243,776
Annual giving: $405,677
Annual income: $249,221

Historical Comparison:

2023: Total assets of $18,400,732; total giving of $835,700
2022: Total assets of $19,674,877; total giving of $903,000

Long-term Growth: Total assets have grown from $58,000 in 2010 to $18.2 million in 2023.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$18,243,776	$18,400,732	$19,674,877
Revenue	$249,221	$-429,445	$1,671,688
Expenses	$406,177	$844,700	$940,762
Qualifying Distributions	$406,177	$835,700	$903,000
Net Investment Income	$869	$4,190	$103,561
Distributable Amount	$497,662	$648,245	$943,344

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

115 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Community Musicworks ($250,000), Truro Conservation Trust ($100,000), Fine Arts Work Center ($12,250).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
909 WBUR BOSTON, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$5,000
COMMUNITY MUSICWORKS PROVIDENCE, RI	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$250,000
DANNY'S PLACE ACTON, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$1,000
FINE ARTS WORK CENTER PROVINCETOWN, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$12,250
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART BOSTON, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$9,427
MASS AUDUBON LINCOLN, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$7,500
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY BOSTON, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$10,000
PASSIM CAMBRIDGE, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$5,500
TRURO CONSERVATION TRUST TRURO, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$100,000
VINEGRASS MUSIC DENNIS PORT, MA	GENERAL PURPOSE GRANT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ROBERT E DAVOLI	TRUSTEE	1	—
EILEEN L MCDONAGH	TRUSTEE	1	—

Contact Information

Address: 6 Winchelsea Lane, Lincoln, MA 01773
Phone: (617) 456-1620
EIN: 04-3210639

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Red Elm Tree Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The Red Elm Tree Foundation?

**Grant Activity & Amounts:** • Total giving in 2024: $405,677 across 10 grants • Total giving in 2023: $835,700 across 40 grants • Historical grant range: $1,000 to $900,000 • Average grant size: $41,000–$54,000 • Median grant size: $10,000 **Recent Grant Recipients (2023):** • Community MusicWorks: $250,000 • DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: $100,000 • Mount Auburn Hospital (amount not specified) • Truro Conservation Trust (mentioned as a grantee) **Application Process:** The foundation t…

Where does The Red Elm Tree Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, which account for 88% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 10 states total.

What size grants does The Red Elm Tree Foundation award?

In 2024, The Red Elm Tree Foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $406K — an average of about $41K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Red Elm Tree Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Red Elm Tree Foundation reported a distributable amount of $498K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.