The Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Sharon, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including disability recreation, human rights, public policy research, civil rights, children’s well-being, education, parenting support, and civil liberties.
Key facts about Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation
In short: Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 58 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in California. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 22-2559174
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,177,300
- Grants made (2025)
- 58
- Average grant
- $20,298
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (8 of 58, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,966,127
- Primary geography
- California (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.0M
+4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+77.0% YoY
Grant Count
58
-3.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20K
+83.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $627K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 58 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $87K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 165% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 188% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, All Out Adventures says it provides integrated outdoor recreation programs for people with disabilities; T’ruah says it organizes and trains Jewish religious leaders for human rights work; and Tesseract Research Center says it promotes knowledge of public policy through research, publications, and events.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in racial justice and legal advocacy (Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights), children’s rights and well-being in the Middle East (Middle East Children’s Alliance), education and livelihood skills for girls and women in parts of Central and South Asia (Central Asia Institute), support for parents and educators (Parenting Now), and constitutional freedoms through public education and litigation (ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 58 grants totaling $1,177,300. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $670,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest reported grants included $670,000 to Tides Foundation, $40,000 to Environmental Defense Fund, $33,000 to All Out Adventures, $30,000 to T’ruah, and $25,000 each to Feeding America and Oxfam America. Other grants included $20,000 each to Brennan Center for Justice, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Pathfinder International, and Tesseract Research Center.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (59%), Massachusetts (17%), Washington, DC (11%), New York (6%), and Oregon (1%). The listed grants also include recipients in Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 58 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $445K (2022) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 58 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Tides Foudation ($670K). Together the top 10 received $903K.
Grant Size Distribution
275 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 271 grants of 275 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tides Foudation El Monte, CA | General | $670,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Washington, DC | General | $40,000 |
| All Out Adventures Easthampton, MA | General | $33,000 |
| T'ruah New York, NY | General | $30,000 |
| Feeding America Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Oxfam America Boston, MA | General | $25,000 |
| Brennan Center for Justice New York, NY | General | $20,000 |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Washington, DC | General | $20,000 |
| Pathfinder International Watertown, MA | General | $20,000 |
| Tesseract Research Center Washington, DC | General | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,966,127 | $1,446,587 | $1,227,122 | $1,177,300 | 58 |
| 2024 | $4,746,662 | $1,003,443 | $704,639 | $665,300 | 60 |
| 2023 | $4,447,858 | $67,669 | $604,418 | $572,400 | 57 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,966,127 | $4,746,662 | $4,447,858 |
| Revenue | $1,446,587 | $1,003,443 | $67,669 |
| Expenses | $1,227,122 | $704,639 | $604,418 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,181,213 | $669,986 | $577,183 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,277,425 | $817,479 | $70,120 |
| Distributable Amount | $627,208 | $575,682 | $476,780 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ken Olum, Deborah Barer, Rebecca O’Murchadha, and Aviva Galaski as trustees.
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Aviva Galaski
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Barer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca O'Murchadha
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Olum
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Joyce Olum-Galaski (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Kenneth Olum (2020–2023) — Trustee
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 156 Massapoag Ave, Sharon, MA 02067
Phone: (617) 627-2753
Frequently asked questions about Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation
How much does Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation give each year?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 58 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $665K across 60 grants.
What is Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $20,298, across 58 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation that year got $87K on average.
Where does Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation give grants?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation gives mostly in California: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (17%) and District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (12 grants), Boston, MA (8 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Northampton, MA (3 grants).
Does Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (58 of 58) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Tides Foudation ($670,000), Environmental Defense Fund ($40,000) and All Out Adventures ($33,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $627K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement is provided in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable 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 Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2559174. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vivian & Paul Olum Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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