Thee Mustard Seed Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 26-0873247

Thee Mustard Seed Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 2014. The organization holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and operates as a grantmaking foundation supporting philanthropic initiatives across the United States and internationally.

Key facts about Thee Mustard Seed Foundation

EIN: 26-0873247
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $2,278,121
Grants made (2024): 15
Average grant: $151,875
Median grant: $100,000
New grantees (estimate): 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2024)
Total assets: $29,945,052
Primary geography: Massachusetts (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Thee Mustard Seed Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Thee Mustard Seed Foundation's 15 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (38%), Connecticut (22%) and Texas (18%). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

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. 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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$29.9M

+4.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.3M

-17.9% YoY

Grant Count

-34.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$152K

+25.9% YoY

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 April 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with a substantial annual giving program. In 2024, the foundation awarded approximately $2.3 million to $2.8 million in grants across 23 grants. Recent grantees have included Ron Burton Training Village ($380,000), Urban Impact of Black Rock Incorporated ($350,000), and Corey C Griffin Charitable Foundation ($275,000).

Grant Range

s typically range from approximately $3,120 to $493,435, with a median grant amount of $95,000. The foundation appears open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants receiving funding.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports a diverse geographic footprint across the United States and internationally. Documented funding locations include Alpharetta, Chicago, Edinburgh, and Kumasi. Funding extends across multiple states including Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, and Vermont.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $861K (38%)

Connecticut $493K (22%)

Texas $403K (18%)

Illinois $200K (9%)

Minnesota $100K (4%)

All other $220K (10%)

Share of all 15 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Alabama California Colorado Connecticut Georgia Illinois Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland Maine Minnesota New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Texas Vermont

Cities

BraintreeBostonChicagoFraminghamHubbardstonArdmoreAspenBridgeportBurlingtonLaconiaLowellNeedhamPittsburghAlpharettaArlingtonBaltimoreChesterFalmouthHyde ParkLagrange

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue:

Total assets: $29.9 million (2024)
Total revenue: $3.86 million (2024)
Total expenses: $2.57 million (2024)
Net income: $1.29 million (2024)

Revenue Composition (2023):

Grants and contributions: $2.78 million
Investment income and dividends: $590,768
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $590,569

The foundation maintains an expense ratio of 72.4% of total revenue spent on programs, indicating a substantial portion of resources directed toward grantmaking activities.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$29,945,052	$28,658,678	$27,550,239
Revenue	$3,860,508	$4,015,324	$-15,112
Expenses	$2,574,070	$2,906,844	$1,851,000
Qualifying Distributions	$2,319,159	$2,797,749	$1,616,993
Net Investment Income	$3,729,974	$3,293,370	$282,913
Distributable Amount	$2,112,801	$2,095,092	$2,190,658

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

79 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Urban Impact ($493,435), Jaco Booyens Ministries ($403,462), Ron Burton Training Village ($373,000).

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

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Arthur S. Demoulas serves as Director of the foundation and provides support without compensation.

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Arthur S Demoulas	Director	4	—

Contact Information

Address: 38 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116-3210

Phone: 617-262-5979

EIN: 26-0873247

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a grant from Thee Mustard Seed Foundation?

Where does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation make grants?

What size grants does Thee Mustard Seed Foundation award?

In 2024, Thee Mustard Seed Foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $152K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Thee Mustard Seed Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Thee Mustard Seed Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.