William F Ray Foundation
The William F Ray Foundation is a private foundation based in Sherborn, Massachusetts. It reported 22 grants totaling $19,000 in 2025, including support for organizations in Massachusetts, Maine, Washington, DC, New York, and Tennessee.
William F Ray Foundation at a glance
In short: William F Ray Foundation gave $19K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $863.636), mostly in Massachusetts. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $19,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- -12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $864
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $375
- Total assets
- $288,440
- -3.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (2 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (63% 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 William F Ray 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: 38 Hunting Ln, Sherborn, MA 01770
Phone: (617) 581-7402
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William F Ray Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New England Village Inc ($8K). Together the top 10 received $16K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 109 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts organizations received 63% of grant dollars, Maine organizations 14%, Washington, DC organizations 12%, New York organizations 8%, and Tennessee organizations 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is William F Ray Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 22 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $625; repeat grants $888. How we count
Medians: $625 first-time, $250 repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $19K (2022) to $20K (2023). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $19K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New England Village Inc Pembroke, MA | Unrestricted | $8,000 |
| Cleveland & Woodley Park Village Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Beaver Country Day School Chestnut Hill, MA | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank Auburn, ME | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| The Pilgrim Church Sherborn, MA | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Boston, MA | Unrestricted | $750 |
| AFS Intercultural Programs USA New York, NY | Unrestricted | $500 |
| Alford Lake Camp Scholarship Fund Hope, ME | Unrestricted | $500 |
| All Souls Church Tannersville, NY | Unrestricted | $500 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Corp Lewiston, ME | Unrestricted | $500 |
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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 | $288,440 | $12,689 | $24,116 | $19,000 | 22 | $19,000 | $8,032 | $19,907 |
| 2024 | $299,948 | $21,989 | $24,037 | $19,000 | 25 | $19,000 | $17,411 | $19,345 |
| 2023 | $301,993 | $20,951 | $25,168 | $20,250 | 22 | $20,250 | $16,558 | $18,144 |
| 2022 | $306,213 | $24,989 | $24,049 | $18,750 | 22 | $18,750 | $20,427 | $18,449 |
| 2021 | $305,270 | $39,080 | $25,567 | $20,000 | 18 | $20,000 | $34,236 | $20,351 |
| 2020 | $291,759 | $40,435 | $24,388 | $19,500 | 19 | — | $36,007 | $17,967 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William F Ray Foundation reported a distributable amount of $20K 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 went to organizations with varied missions. For example, New England Village says it empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through programs including residential housing, community-based day services, employment supports, and day habilitation. Good Shepherd Food Bank says its mission is to eliminate hunger in Maine by improving access to nutritious and culturally relevant food. Maine Public Broadcasting says it connects people in Maine to one another and to the world through information, ideas, and cultural content.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $19,000. Grants ranged from $250 to $8,000, with a median grant of $375. Its largest grant was $8,000 to New England Village Inc. Other notable grants included $2,000 to Cleveland & Woodley Park Village, and $1,000 each to Beaver Country Day School, Good Shepherd Food Bank, and The Pilgrim Church. The listed grants were unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William F Ray III as trustee.
William F Ray Foundation is led by William F. Ray III, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William F. Ray III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 William F Ray Foundation
How much does William F Ray Foundation give each year?
William F Ray Foundation gave $19K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $19K across 25 grants.
What is William F Ray Foundation's typical grant size?
William F Ray Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $375, and its average grant was $864, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William F Ray Foundation that year got $625 on average.
Where does William F Ray Foundation give grants?
William F Ray Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maine (14%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and Newcastle, ME (2 grants).
Does William F Ray Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of William F Ray Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are William F Ray Foundation's largest grantees?
William F Ray Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New England Village Inc ($8,000), Cleveland & Woodley Park Village ($2,000) and Beaver Country Day School ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William F Ray Foundation?
William F Ray Foundation reported $288K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $19K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $20K (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 William F Ray Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William F Ray 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 William F Ray Foundation's EIN?
William F Ray Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6271610. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does William F Ray 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Figures come from William F Ray 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.
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