The Single Step Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Waltham, MA EIN: 04-7025935

The Single Step Foundation is a private foundation based in Waltham, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Massachusetts, including organizations working in healthcare, youth services, education, arts, conservation, and hunger relief.

The Single Step Foundation at a glance

In short: The Single Step Foundation gave $50K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Massachusetts. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$50,424
+62.0% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
10
+100.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$5,042
-19.0% vs 2024
Median grant
$2,000
Total assets
$765,602
+1.1% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Massachusetts (100% 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 Single Step Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

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

Contact

Mailing address: Co Fdc 1075 Main Street Suite 200, Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (617) 423-3900

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Single Step Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Beverly Hospital: $15KBeverly Hospital$15KPlummer Youth Promise: $13KPlummer Youth Promise$13KBoston Children's Hospital: $10KBoston Children's Hospital$10KBrooks School: $4KBrooks School$4KTrustee of Reservation: $2KTrustee of Reservation$2KCabot Performing Arts Center: $2KCabot Performing Arts Center$2KSquashbusters: $2KSquashbusters$2KIsabella Stuart Gardner Museum: $1KIsabella Stuart Gardner Museum$1KAccord Food Pantry: $1KAccord Food Pantry$1KThe Community House - so Hamilton MA: $1KThe Community House - soHamilton MA$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Beverly Hospital ($15K). Together the top 10 received $50K.

Grant Size Distribution

55 grants across all recorded years

54<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 55 (98%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Massachusetts.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

Cities

BeverlyBostonSalemSouth HamiltonLawrenceLynnNorth AndoverSanta BarbaraEssexMorrisvilleNew YorkWashingtonDanversGloucester

Is The Single Step Foundation open to new grantees?

40%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $8K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $7K repeat.

  • 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 83% 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

$0$50K$100K$150K13 grants2020 12 grants2021 18 grants2022 10 grants2023 5 grants2024 10 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $31K (2024) to $122K (2023). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $50K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Beverly Hospital Beverly, MATo Deliver Quality Healthcare$15,000
Plummer Youth Promise Salem, MATo Improve Outcomes for Young People$12,900
Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MATo Provide Worldwide Leadership in Pediatric Health Care$10,000
Brooks School North Andover, MAFor Education$3,524
Trustee of Reservation Beverly, MATo preserve scenic, historic, and ecological value of ma$2,000
Cabot Performing Arts Center Beverly, MATo Enrich the Cultural Lives of the Community$2,000
Squashbusters Lawrence, MATo Challenge and Nurture Urban Youth$2,000
Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum Boston, MAFor Education and Enjoyment of the Public$1,000
Accord Food Pantry South Hamilton, MATo Prevent Hunger$1,000
The Community House - so Hamilton MA South Hamilton, MATo Support Community$1,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Single Step Foundation?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$765,602$75,131$66,978$50,42410$51,874$60,027$62,446
2024$757,524$94,129$46,210$31,1275$34,327$82,246$57,602
2023$709,413$58,188$135,902$122,00010$125,885$48,171$51,180
2022$787,127$5,237$59,572$45,00018$48,930$7,526$54,608
2021$841,458$86,994$74,713$51,00012$65,050$78,998$58,535
2020$829,177$76,329$52,287$43,50013—$69,358$50,097

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Single Step Foundation reported a distributable amount of $62K 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

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including hospitals, schools, youth-serving organizations, cultural institutions, a conservation organization, a food pantry, and a community organization.

Among its grantees, Plummer Youth Promise describes its mission as improving outcomes for young people in or at risk of entering state care by developing permanent family relationships, skills, and community connections. Brooks School describes itself as a college preparatory school seeking to provide students with a meaningful educational experience. SquashBusters describes its mission as nurturing urban youth as students, athletes, and citizens, while Cabot Performing Arts Center describes its mission as preserving its historic theater and bringing vibrancy to the community through diverse programming.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $50,424. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $2,000.

The largest reported grants were $15,000 to Beverly Hospital for quality healthcare, $12,900 to Plummer Youth Promise for improving outcomes for young people, and $10,000 to Boston Children’s Hospital for pediatric healthcare. Other grants included $3,524 to Brooks School for education and $2,000 each to the Trustees of Reservation, Cabot Performing Arts Center, and SquashBusters.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Hugh K Foster Jr and Elena I Foster as trustees.

The Single Step Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Elena I. Foster

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Hugh K. Foster Jr.

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

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.

Frequently asked questions about The Single Step Foundation

How much does The Single Step Foundation give each year?

The Single Step Foundation gave $50K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $31K across 5 grants.

What is The Single Step Foundation's typical grant size?

The Single Step Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $5,042, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Single Step Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does The Single Step Foundation give grants?

The Single Step Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Beverly, MA (3 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and South Hamilton, MA (2 grants).

Does The Single Step Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Single Step Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are The Single Step Foundation's largest grantees?

The Single Step Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Beverly Hospital ($15,000), Plummer Youth Promise ($12,900) and Boston Children's Hospital ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Single Step Foundation?

The Single Step Foundation reported $766K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (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 Single Step Foundation fund?

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including hospitals, schools, youth-serving organizations, cultural institutions, a conservation organization, a food pantry, and a community organization. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Single Step Foundation?

The foundation states that it 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 Single Step Foundation's EIN?

The Single Step Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-7025935. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Single Step 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

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 2, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Single Step Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

The Pacer Foundation

Waltham, MA

The Pacer Foundation supports organizations in education, health, and community services, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 and a typical grant of about $5,000. It is based in Massachusetts and has funded organizations in Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Montana, and Georgia. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$5.7M

Grants

32

Total Given

$154K

Van Otterloo Family Foundation

Marblehead, MA

The Van Otterloo Family Foundation funds educational organizations and programs, especially those advancing innovative teaching and learning, meeting unmet needs, or serving young people and other communities; most of its 2025 grant dollars went to Massachusetts, with some support in Florida, California, Maine, and New York. Its 2025 grants ranged from $10,000 to $85,300, with a median of $25,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Education

Assets

$50.4M

Grants

55

Total Given

$1.9M

Essex County Community Foundation Inc

Beverly, MA

Essex County Community Foundation supports nonprofits addressing needs and opportunities in areas such as youth education, essential needs, veterans, women and girls, community response, and digital equity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $16,000, with awards ranging from $5,100 to $576,250, and it primarily serves Essex County, Massachusetts. It accepts applications for specific competitive grant programs through an online process; one listed program is invitation-only.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$150.5M

Grants

302

Total Given

$13.0M

The 1434 Foundation Inc

Boston, MA

The 1434 Foundation funds scholarships, hardship assistance, and organizations working in education, youth development, basic needs, housing, food entrepreneurship, and the arts, primarily in Massachusetts, with some support in New York. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $639,000, with a median of $40,000. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets

$62.0M

Grants

65

Total Given

$3.3M

Riley Mabel Louise Tr Uwill

Pittsburgh, PA

The foundation supports children and youth, education, human services, arts access, job training, foster care, affordable housing, and neighborhood revitalization. Its main grants to Massachusetts nonprofits serving Boston are typically $50,000–$100,000; its Greater Dudley small-grants fund generally awards $500–$5,000. Whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.

Assets

$47.3M

Grants

69

Total Given

$3.7M

The Peter and Elizabeth C Tower

Getzville, NY

The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation funds programs and systems that improve the lives of young people up to age 26 affected by intellectual or learning disabilities, mental health issues, or substance use disorders, as well as organizational capacity and community-change work. It focuses on specified counties in Western New York and Eastern Massachusetts; its 2025 grants had a median of $34,166. Applicants may submit a letter of inquiry, and a full application is required if invited to proceed.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$123.3M

Grants

208

Total Given

$11.6M

More similar funders

More Funders in Massachusetts

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Single Step Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-single-step-foundation-morg_bc4f36812c154fc8afaa96b8c360ec39

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_047025935_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Single Step Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-single-step-foundation-morg_bc4f36812c154fc8afaa96b8c360ec39},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Single Step Foundation'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.

The Single Step Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?