The Scarbro Family Foundation
The Scarbro Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Carlisle, Massachusetts. In 2025, it made grants to charitable organizations including Massachusetts organizations and recipients elsewhere in the United States.
The Scarbro Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Scarbro Family Foundation gave $39K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Massachusetts. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $38,550
- -12.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- -23.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,071
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $67,139
- -34.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (83% 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 Scarbro Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 26 Ledgeways, Carlisle, MA 01741
Phone: (978) 371-0108
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Scarbro Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was HGRM (Household Goods Recycliing) ($10K). Together the top 10 received $28K.
Grant Size Distribution
220 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 220 grants of 220 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (5%), Virginia (5%), California (3%), and Maryland (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Scarbro Family Foundation open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 36 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $500 repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 836% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $28K (2021) to $53K (2022). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $39K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| HGRM (Household Goods Recycliing) Acton, MA | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Andrew James Lawson Foundation Norwell, MA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Wbur Boston, MA | General Fund | $2,000 |
| American Diabetes Association Alexadria, VA | General Fund | $2,000 |
| Boston Ballet Boston, MA | General Fund | $2,000 |
| WGBH Boston, MA | General Fund | $2,000 |
| Ne Aquarium Boston, MA | General Fund | $1,500 |
| MSPCC Boston, MA | General Fund | $1,500 |
| Alzheimer's Association Watertown, MA | General Fund | $1,000 |
| National Parks Conservation (NPCA) Washington, DC | General Fund | $1,000 |
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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 | $67,139 | $95,147 | $43,001 | $38,550 | 36 | $40,476 | $3,421 | $4,842 |
| 2024 | $101,927 | $14,557 | $48,437 | $44,150 | 47 | $46,012 | $12,132 | $5,529 |
| 2023 | $135,807 | $5,138 | $50,367 | $46,000 | 48 | $47,930 | $2,701 | $7,989 |
| 2022 | $182,187 | $13,747 | $57,408 | $52,800 | 46 | $54,958 | $11,297 | $9,358 |
| 2021 | $224,697 | $29,267 | $32,213 | $27,800 | 43 | $29,689 | $26,743 | $12,488 |
| 2020 | $227,643 | $15,292 | $54,923 | $50,450 | 43 | — | $9,376 | $11,355 |
| 2019 | $267,274 | $33,607 | $34,741 | $30,300 | 41 | — | $23,718 | $12,134 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Scarbro Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K 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 include support for organizations working in areas such as the arts, health, education, food assistance, housing, and outdoor recreation. For example, Boston Ballet describes its mission as forging human connections through dance, while the Greater Boston Food Bank describes its work as acquiring and distributing food and conducting community outreach. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $38,550. Grants ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median grant of $500. The largest grants included $10,000 to HGRM (Household Goods Recycling) for its general fund and $5,000 to the Andrew James Lawson Foundation for its general fund. WBUR, Boston Ballet, the American Diabetes Association, and WGBH each received $2,000 for their general funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists H David Scarbro and Laura K Scarbro as trustees.
The Scarbro Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
H. David Scarbro
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura K. Scarbro
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Scarbro Family Foundation
How much does The Scarbro Family Foundation give each year?
The Scarbro Family Foundation gave $39K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $44K across 47 grants.
What is The Scarbro Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Scarbro Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,071, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Scarbro Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Scarbro Family Foundation give grants?
The Scarbro Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (5%) and Virginia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (12 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Watertown, MA (2 grants) and Waltham, MA (2 grants).
Does The Scarbro Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Scarbro Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Scarbro Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Scarbro Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include HGRM (Household Goods Recycliing) ($10,000), Andrew James Lawson Foundation ($5,000) and Wbur ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Scarbro Family Foundation?
The Scarbro Family Foundation reported $67K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $40K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Scarbro Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as the arts, health, education, food assistance, housing, and outdoor recreation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Scarbro Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Scarbro Family Foundation's EIN?
The Scarbro Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3543158. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Scarbro Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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