Thee Mustard Seed Foundation
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It makes grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working with youth, providing services to people experiencing homelessness, and supporting people affected by sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation at a glance
In short: Thee Mustard Seed Foundation gave $2.3M across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $152K), top state Massachusetts. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,278,121
- -17.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -34.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $151,875
- +25.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $29,945,052
- +4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thee Mustard Seed 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: 38 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 262-5979
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thee Mustard Seed Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Urban Impact ($493K). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 31 grants of 79 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (38%), Connecticut (22%), Texas (18%), and Illinois (9%). The 2024 grant list also includes a $95,369 award to Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Ghana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thee Mustard Seed Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $153K; repeat grants $151K. How we count
Medians: $82K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 103% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2021) to $2.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Impact Bridgeport, CT | General Fund | $493,435 |
| Jaco Booyens Ministries Arlington, TX | General Fund | $403,462 |
| Ron Burton Training Village Hubbardston, MA | General Fund | $373,000 |
| By the Hand Club for Kids Chicago, IL | General Fund | $200,000 |
| Pine Street Inn Boston, MA | General Fund | $185,000 |
| Elevate New England Inc Lowell, MA | General Fund | $125,000 |
| Terebinth Refuge Waite Park, MN | General Fund | $100,000 |
| The Corey C Griffin Charitable Foundation Framingham, MA | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Ghana) | General Fund | $95,369 |
| St Mary and St Scholastica Priory Petersham, MA | General Fund | $64,050 |
Ready to take the next step with Thee Mustard Seed Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $29,945,052 | $3,860,508 | $2,574,070 | $2,278,121 | 15 | $2,319,159 | $3,729,974 | $2,112,801 |
| 2023 | $28,658,678 | $4,015,324 | $2,906,844 | $2,774,218 | 23 | $2,797,749 | $3,293,370 | $2,095,092 |
| 2022 | $27,550,239 | $-15,112 | $1,851,000 | $1,601,582 | 16 | $1,616,993 | $282,913 | $2,190,658 |
| 2021 | $29,416,351 | $1,895,526 | $1,353,195 | $1,122,895 | 10 | $1,140,248 | $1,602,380 | $2,337,103 |
| 2020 | $28,874,076 | $2,808,663 | $1,792,107 | $1,544,603 | 15 | — | $2,340,444 | $1,718,583 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thee Mustard Seed Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Ron Burton Training Village says its mission is to help youth pursue their purpose through education, leadership, physical wellness, social advancement, and spiritual growth. By The Hand Club for Kids describes itself as a faith-based after-school program that nurtures children’s minds, bodies, and souls.
Pine Street Inn says its mission is to end homelessness through services including street outreach, emergency services, supportive housing, job training, and employment connections. Terebinth Refuge describes itself as a Christ-centered shelter and safe home offering long-term services to sexually exploited and trafficked women. Other 2024 recipients included Elevate New England, which works with urban youth, and Chill Foundation, which inspires young people through boardsports and seeks a more equitable outdoor community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded $2,278,121 across 15 grants. Grants ranged from $13,695 to $493,435, with a median of $100,000. The largest awards included $493,435 to Urban Impact, $403,462 to Jaco Booyens Ministries, $373,000 to Ron Burton Training Village, $200,000 to By The Hand Club for Kids, and $185,000 to Pine Street Inn. Each of these grants was listed for general fund support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Arthur S Demoulas was listed as a director on the 2024 filing.
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation is led by Arthur S. Demoulas, Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Arthur S. Demoulas
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Thee Mustard Seed Foundation
How much does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation give each year?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation gave $2.3M across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.8M across 23 grants.
What is Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's typical grant size?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $151,875, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thee Mustard Seed Foundation that year got $153K on average.
Where does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation give grants?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (22%) and Texas (18%).
Does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's largest grantees?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Urban Impact ($493,435), Jaco Booyens Ministries ($403,462) and Ron Burton Training Village ($373,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Thee Mustard Seed Foundation?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation reported $29.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Ron Burton Training Village says its mission is to help youth pursue their purpose through education, leadership, physical wellness, social advancement, and spiritual growth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thee Mustard Seed 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 Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's EIN?
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0873247. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Thee Mustard Seed 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Suffolk Cares Charitable Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Suffolk Cares Charitable Foundation funds charitable, civic, educational, healthcare, arts, and cultural organizations nationwide, with recent grants concentrated in Massachusetts and New York. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $25,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$2.7M
Grants
27
Total Given
$1.9M
The Herb Chambers Charitable Foundation
Glastonbury, CT
The foundation supports a range of causes, including health care, youth services, homelessness, and the arts, primarily in Massachusetts, with some funding in Connecticut. Its 2024 grants ranged from $300 to $12.6 million, with a median grant of $6,000; it does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$18.2M
Grants
49
Total Given
$13.8M
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
Mass General Brigham Incorporated & Affiliates Group Return
Somerville, MA
Mass General Brigham funds affiliated hospitals and medical groups, along with community health and other community-benefit work addressing health access and disparities. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,851 to $431.9 million, with a median of $78,189; most funding went to Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$32.2B
Grants
164
Total Given
$1.4B
More similar funders
More Funders in Massachusetts
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thee Mustard Seed Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thee-mustard-seed-foundation-morg_8b5b57ee62a243d9987c089121e22af0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260873247_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thee Mustard Seed Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thee-mustard-seed-foundation-morg_8b5b57ee62a243d9987c089121e22af0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Thee Mustard Seed 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.
Thee Mustard Seed Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?