The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 04-6744637

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.

Key facts about The Robert & Helen Hardman Family Fund

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.

EIN
04-6744637
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$261,000
Grants made (2025)
44
Average grant
$5,932
Median grant
$2,000
New grantees (estimate)
48% first-time grantees (21 of 44, 2025)
Total assets
$3,100,470
Primary geography
Massachusetts (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.1M

-1.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$261K

+12.5% YoY

Grant Count

44

+109.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$6K

-46.3% YoY

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.

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.

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.

How to Apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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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

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.

Cities

BostonNew YorkPescaderoGreat BarringtonSheffieldPittsfieldSan JuanWashingtonNewtonNorth AdamsAlamedaHoldernessSan FranciscoAuroraLenox DaleWilliamstownChicopeeMount HermonPortlandPortola Valley

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K17 grants2020 19 grants2021 11 grants2022 14 grants2023 21 grants2024 44 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2021) to $261K (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $261K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Center for Independent Documentary: $61KCenter for IndependentDocumentary$61KACLU - American Civil Liberties Union: $23KACLU - American CivilLiberties Union$23KDoctors Without Borders: $20KDoctors Without Borders$20KThe Boston Living Center: $17KThe Boston Living Center$17KThe Greater Boston Food Bank: $15KThe Greater Boston Food Bank$15KMadre: $10KMadre$10KPuente De La Costa Sur: $10KPuente De La Costa Sur$10KFoundation for Puerto Rico: $8KFoundation for Puerto Rico$8KPartners in Health: $8KPartners in Health$8KThe Gay & Lesbian Review: $8KThe Gay & Lesbian Review$8K

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

104<$50K5$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 109 (95%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Center for Independent Documentary Newton, MAGeneral Support$61,000
ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union Boston, MEGeneral Support$23,000
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYGeneral Support$20,000
The Boston Living Center Boston, MAGeneral Support$17,000
The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MAGeneral Support$15,000
Madre New York, NYGeneral Support$10,000
Puente De La Costa Sur Pescadero, CAGeneral Support$10,000
Foundation for Puerto Rico San Juan, PRGeneral Support$8,000
Partners in Health Boston, MAGeneral Support$8,000
The Gay & Lesbian Review Boston, MAGeneral Support$8,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $261,000 44
2024 $231,993 21
2023 $162,199 14
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,100,470$3,154,019$3,053,747
Revenue$273,570$390,960$164,682
Expenses$328,106$292,163$208,963
Qualifying Distributions$268,934$239,247$168,184
Net Investment Income$220,773$335,497$103,933
Distributable Amount$271,628$263,867$235,979

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)

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

Nancy E Dempze — Trustee: $16KNancy E DempzeTrustee$16KSarah M Waelchli — Trustee: $16KSarah M WaelchliTrustee$16K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $16K, to Nancy E Dempze (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: Hemenway Barnes PO Box 961209, Boston, MA 02196-1209
Phone: (617) 227-7940

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.

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