The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson
The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1998 and based in Winchester, Massachusetts. Founded by Robert Atchinson, co-founder of Boston-based Adage Capital Management, and his wife Michelle, the foundation operates as a selective grantmaker focused on education, youth development, health, and human services.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$131.5M
+21.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.3M
+20.3% YoY
Grant Count
58
+18.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$108K
+1.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson reported a distributable amount of $6.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary giving focuses on:
- Education & Youth Development — Educational equity initiatives, college access and career readiness programs, youth development and mentoring programs, and Catholic education initiatives
- Children's Services — Support for children's hospitals and youth organizations
- Health & Medical Research — General support for medical research and health initiatives
- Social Services — Human services and community support programs
- Global Health — Select global health initiatives
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry. All grants are made to pre-selected charitable organizations through an invitation-only process. The foundation takes a highly selective, proactive approach to grantmaking, with trustees identifying and selecting grantees based on strategic priorities.
Grant Range
$50,000 to $2,000,000+
Average Grant
$950 to $1,875,000 (varies by year)
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Greater Boston area and Massachusetts, with additional interests in global health initiatives.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2024):
- Total assets: $131,470,571
- Total giving: $6,268,790
- Total revenue: $32.2 million
- Total expenses: $7.95 million
Assets & Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $107,933,032
- Total giving: $5,212,600 to $5,223,777
- Total revenue: $29,614,165
- Total expenses: $6,560,408
- Giving rate: 4.8% to 5.4% of assets
Contact Information:
- Address: 16 Niles Lane, Winchester, MA 01890-3550
- Telephone: 781-863-0458
- EIN: 04-6875099
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $131,470,571 | $107,933,032 | $84,724,275 |
| Revenue | $32,169,258 | $29,614,165 | $2,266,574 |
| Expenses | $7,946,719 | $6,560,408 | $16,645,317 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $6,289,312 | $5,223,777 | $4,274,645 |
| Net Investment Income | $31,011,851 | $28,316,765 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $6,702,326 | $5,563,240 | $5,129,925 |
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
207 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Massachusetts Eye & Ear ($2,250,000), Campaign for Catholic Schools ($525,020), Upstream ($300,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CAMPAIGN FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS BRAINTREE, MA | TO STRENGTHEN & SUPPORT CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. | $525,020 |
| CAMP HARBOR VIEW FOUNDATION BOSTON, MA | TO SUPPORT SUMMER CAMPS AND ACTIVITES PROVIDED TO BOSTON'S AT-RISK NEIGHBORHOODS. | $200,000 |
| HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN ROXBURY, MA | TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUNG HOMELESS CHILDREN IN MASSACHUSETTS | $85,000 |
| MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR BOSTON, MA | INCREASE MEDICAL RESEARCH | $2,250,000 |
| NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION NANTUCKET, MA | GENERAL SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES | $50,000 |
| RON BURTON TRAINING VILLAGE HUBBARDSTON, MA | TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF CHALLENGED YOUTH IN AREAS OF CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP | $40,000 |
| UPSTREAM BOSTON, MA | TO IMPROVE AND CHANGE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE | $300,000 |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL BOSTON, MA | ENSURE THAT DIVERSE PATIENTS AND FAMILIES RECEIVE HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE | $10,000 |
| BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BOSTON, MA | TO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AIMED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AND PASSION FOR ORCHESTRAL MUSIC | $35,000 |
| MARANYUNDO INITIATIVE CAMBRIDGE, MA | PROVIDING ACCESS TO AND EXCELLENCE IN GIRLS' EDUCATION IN RWANDA | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is governed by the Atchinson family:
- Robert G. Atchinson — Trustee, co-founder and managing director of Adage Capital Management, chair of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, chair of the board of the Campaign for Catholic Schools
- Michelle Cooke Atchinson — Trustee, volunteer reading tutor at Lower Mills School in Dorchester, serves on the Strategic Advisory Committee for Upstream
- Daniel S. Atchinson — Trustee
- Katherine M. Atchinson — Trustee
- Christine J. Athens — Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT G ATCHINSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MICHELLE COOKE ATCHINSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DANIEL S ATCHINSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KATHERINE M ATCHINSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHRISTINE J ATHENS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson fund?
The foundation's primary giving focuses on: • **Education & Youth Development** — Educational equity initiatives, college access and career readiness programs, youth development and mentoring programs, and Catholic education initiatives • **Children's Services** — Support for children's hospitals and youth organizations • **Health & Medical Research** — General support for medical research and health initiatives • **Social Services** — Human services and community support programs • **Global He…
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $50,000 to $2,000,000+ • Median grant: $25,000 • Average grant: $950 to $1,875,000 (varies by year) • Annual giving: $5.2 million to $6.3 million **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or letters of inquiry. All grants are made to pre-selected charitable organizations through an invitation-only process. The foundation takes a highly selective, proactive approach to grantmaking, with trustees identifying and sele…
Where does The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Greater Boston area and Massachusetts, with additional interests in global health initiatives.
What size grants does The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson award?
In 2024, The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson awarded 58 grants totaling $6.3M — an average of about $108K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson reported a distributable amount of $6.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson's EIN?
The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6875099. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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