The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 filing reports 44 grants totaling $261,000, with listed recipients working in areas including documentary film, civil liberties, health, food assistance, and community services.
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund at a glance
In short: The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund gave $261K across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Massachusetts. 48% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $261,000
- +12.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- +109.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,932
- -46.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $3,100,470
- -1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (21 of 44, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund
- 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: Hemenway Barnes PO Box 961209, Boston, MA 02196-1209
Phone: (617) 227-7940
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for Independent Documentary ($61K). Together the top 10 received $180K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 109 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts received 56% of grant dollars, New York 16%, California 11%, Maine 9%, and the District of Columbia 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 44 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 39% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2021) to $261K (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Independent Documentary Newton, MA | General Support | $61,000 |
| ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union Boston, ME | General Support | $23,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Support | $20,000 |
| The Boston Living Center Boston, MA | General Support | $17,000 |
| The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Madre New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Puente De La Costa Sur Pescadero, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Foundation for Puerto Rico San Juan, PR | General Support | $8,000 |
| Partners in Health Boston, MA | General Support | $8,000 |
| The Gay & Lesbian Review Boston, MA | General Support | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,100,470 | $273,570 | $328,106 | $261,000 | 44 | $268,934 | $220,773 | $271,628 |
| 2024 | $3,154,019 | $390,960 | $292,163 | $231,993 | 21 | $239,247 | $335,497 | $263,867 |
| 2023 | $3,053,747 | $164,682 | $208,963 | $162,199 | 14 | $168,184 | $103,933 | $235,979 |
| 2022 | $3,098,391 | $85,615 | $234,388 | $184,845 | 11 | $190,688 | $34,571 | $236,259 |
| 2021 | $3,249,813 | $297,837 | $199,245 | $150,000 | 19 | $160,583 | $255,432 | $254,565 |
| 2020 | $3,151,087 | $155,937 | $216,329 | $169,651 | 17 | — | $119,307 | $218,859 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund reported a distributable amount of $272K 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 fund itself is provided. Its 2025 grantees describe a range of work: Puente de la Costa Sur says it provides community services and programs in areas such as health and wellness, literacy, and job referrals; MADRE says it advances women’s human rights; and World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Other grantees describe work in food-system education and farmer training (Pie Ranch), gender justice (Global Fund for Women), civic education and engagement (Common Cause Education Fund), and conservation in the Berkshires (Berkshire Natural Resources Council).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund made 44 grants totaling $261,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $61,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest listed award was $61,000 to Center for Independent Documentary for general support. Other notable grants included $23,000 to ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union, $20,000 to Doctors Without Borders, $17,000 to The Boston Living Center, and $15,000 to The Greater Boston Food Bank; each was designated for general support.
The fund also awarded $10,000 to MADRE and $10,000 to Puente de la Costa Sur, $8,000 to Foundation for Puerto Rico, and $7,000 to World Central Kitchen in 2025. Its reported grantmaking totals were $231,993 across 21 grants in 2024 and $162,199 across 14 grants in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elisabeth Hardman Rix, Robert Hardman, Nancy E Dempze, and Sarah M Waelchli as trustees.
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy E. Dempze
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$18K (2020) → $16K (2025)
Sarah M. Waelchli
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$12K (2023) → $16K (2025)
Elisabeth Hardman Rix
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Hardman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Edward Notis-McConarty (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Holly Hardman (2020–2022) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $16K, to Nancy E Dempze (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund
How much does The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund give each year?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund gave $261K across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $232K across 21 grants.
What is The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's typical grant size?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $5,932, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund give grants?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund gives mostly in Massachusetts: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (16%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (8 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Great Barrington, MA (5 grants) and Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (44 of 44) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's largest grantees?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Center for Independent Documentary ($61,000), ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union ($23,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $269K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $272K (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 Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund itself is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund?
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 Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's EIN?
The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6744637. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-helen-hardman-family-fund-morg_0414be299c6c43519d660688b88c958d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046744637_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert \& Helen Hardman Family Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-and-helen-hardman-family-fund-morg_0414be299c6c43519d660688b88c958d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund'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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