William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee

Private foundation · Grantmaker Westwood, MA EIN: 04-7019049

The William Hodgins Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Westwood, Massachusetts. Its 2022 IRS filing is marked as the organization’s final return, so it appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee at a glance

In short: William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee gave $2.4M across 21 grants in 2022 (avg $113K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2022)
$2,366,684
+23566.8% vs 2021
Grants made (2022)
21
+2000.0% vs 2021
Average grant
$112,699
+1027.0% vs 2021
Median grant
$66,684
Primary geography
Massachusetts (67% of itemized 2022 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2022 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2022; updated October 2026.

How to apply to William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
Contact

Mailing address: 886 Gay Street, Westwood, MA 02090
Phone: (781) 461-9213

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

Who William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2022

Tufts Medical Center: $1.0MTufts Medical Center$1.0MProject Sanctuary: $100KProject Sanctuary$100KThe Gentle Barn: $100KThe Gentle Barn$100K350ORG: $100K350ORG$100KAnimal Haven: $100KAnimal Haven$100KAmerican Humane: $100KAmerican Humane$100KDoctors Without Borders: $100KDoctors Without Borders$100KMercy for Animals: $100KMercy for Animals$100KAmerican Red Cross: $100KAmerican Red Cross$100KNorth Shore Animal Shelter: $70KNorth Shore Animal Shelter$70K

The largest 2022 recipient was Tufts Medical Center ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.

Grant Size Distribution

22 grants across all recorded years

5<$50K8$50–100K8$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 8 grants of 22 (36%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2022, recipients in Massachusetts received 67% of grant dollars, followed by New York (13%), California (8%), Washington, DC (5%), and Colorado (4%).

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2022 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

BostonNew YorkWashingtonAmericusArlingtonEast BrookfieldGranbyLos AngelesLynnMedfordPlymouthSanta ClaritaWatkins Glen

How William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee gives

  • In 2022 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M0 grants2020 1 grant2021 21 grants2022

From 2021 to 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2021) to $2.4M (2022). In 2022 it made 21 grants totaling $2.4M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Tufts Medical Center Boston, MAUnrestricted$1,000,000
Project Sanctuary Granby, COUnrestricted$100,000
The Gentle Barn Santa Clarita, CAUnrestricted$100,000
350ORG Boston, MAUnrestricted$100,000
Animal Haven New York, NYUnrestricted$100,000
American Humane Washington, DCUnrestricted$100,000
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYUnrestricted$100,000
Mercy for Animals Los Angeles, CAUnrestricted$100,000
American Red Cross Medford, MAUnrestricted$100,000
North Shore Animal Shelter Lynn, MAUnrestricted$70,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2022—$9,432$2,366,684$2,366,68421$2,366,684$11,762$55,340
2021$2,357,252$22,533$14,125$10,0001$10,000$18,408$115,622
2020$2,348,454$2,348,463$18,251———$16,588$47,070

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee reported a distributable amount of $55K for 2022 — 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 2022 grants included support for organizations whose own stated missions span several areas. For example, Animal Haven says it finds homes for dogs and cats; Mercy for Animals says it works toward a compassionate food system; and 350.org says it organizes campaigns and public engagement to address the climate crisis. Other grantees included medical, humanitarian, and animal-shelter organizations.

Grantmaking

In 2022, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $2,366,684. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $66,684. The largest awards included $1,000,000 to Tufts Medical Center and $100,000 each to Project Sanctuary, The Gentle Barn, 350.org, Animal Haven, American Humane, Doctors Without Borders, Mercy for Animals, and the American Red Cross. The listed grants were designated unrestricted.

The 2022 filing says the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Because this was its final return, this policy should not be taken as a current application opportunity.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2022 filing lists Karen Hess as trustee.

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee is led by Karen Hess, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2022 filing

  • Karen Hess

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2022. "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 Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee

How much does William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee give each year?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee gave $2.4M across 21 grants in 2022, according to its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2021 it gave $10K across 1 grant.

What is William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's typical grant size?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's median grant in 2022 was $66,684, and its average grant was $112,699, across 21 grants on its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee give grants?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee gives mostly in Massachusetts: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (6 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's 2022 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's largest grantees?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's largest 2022 grantees include Tufts Medical Center ($1,000,000), Project Sanctuary ($100,000) and The Gentle Barn ($100,000), according to its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2022 grant dollars.

What does William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2022 grants included support for organizations whose own stated missions span several areas. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.

How much is William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2022, William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee reported a distributable amount of $55K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's EIN?

William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-7019049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2022.

Does William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee 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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2022

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from William Hodgins Charitable Foundation Ms Karen Hess Trustee'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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