William S Kaiser Family Foundation
The William S Kaiser Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It reported 12 grants totaling $434,999 in 2024, supporting organizations working in areas including dance, youth music, humanitarian relief, and community services.
William S Kaiser Family Foundation at a glance
In short: William S Kaiser Family Foundation gave $435K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $36K), mostly in Massachusetts. 67% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $434,999
- -3.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $36,250
- -27.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $8,667
- Total assets
- $8,425,594
- -2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 67% first-time grantees (8 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (89% 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 William S Kaiser Family 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: 888 Boylston St 1010, Boston, MA 02199
Phone: (617) 204-6422
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William S Kaiser Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation Inc ($300K). Together the top 10 received $425K.
Grant Size Distribution
33 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 33 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 6% to California, 2% to New York, and 1% each to Washington, D.C., and Maine. The listed grants also included a $5,000 award to FareStart in Seattle, Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William S Kaiser Family Foundation open to new grantees?
67%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 12 grantees (67%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 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 (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $200K (2022) to $450K (2023). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $435K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation Inc North Adams, MA | Support | $300,000 |
| Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Inc Becket, MA | Support | $50,000 |
| Palestine Children's Relief Fund Burbank, CA | Support | $16,000 |
| Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras Inc Boston, MA | Support | $10,000 |
| Danspace Project Inc New York, NY | Support | $10,000 |
| Collective Power for Reproductive Justice Amherst, MA | Support | $9,000 |
| A Jewish Voice for Peace Inc Berkeley, CA | Support | $8,333 |
| Bagly Inc Boston, MA | Support | $8,333 |
| Safe Passageinc Northampton, MA | Support | $8,333 |
| World Central Kitchen Inc Washington, DC | Support | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,425,594 | $325,247 | $520,841 | $434,999 | 12 | $441,894 | $246,300 | $466,178 |
| 2023 | $8,621,188 | $126,508 | $569,311 | $450,000 | 9 | $450,000 | $104,034 | $423,737 |
| 2022 | $9,063,991 | $2,118,537 | $259,733 | $199,999 | 12 | $202,969 | $2,079,799 | $401,880 |
| 2021 | $7,361,709 | $665,964 | $66,125 | — | — | $2,570 | $602,409 | $439,181 |
| 2020 | $6,605,348 | $213,234 | $70,843 | — | — | — | $165,862 | $359,619 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William S Kaiser Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $466K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for dance organizations, such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, whose mission is to support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation. Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras describes its work as providing orchestra training and performance opportunities for qualified K–12 musicians, with financial assistance and outreach to make programs accessible to underserved communities.
Other 2024 recipients describe work in child healthcare and humanitarian relief (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund), support for survivors of domestic violence (Safe Passage), and programs and advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth (BAGLY). These are the recipient organizations’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $434,999. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $300,000, with a median of $8,666. The largest grants included $300,000 to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation and $50,000 to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Other grants included $16,000 to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund; $10,000 each to Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and Danspace Project; and $9,000 to Collective Power for Reproductive Justice.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William S. Kaiser as trustee. It also lists William Walser as trustee, with a notation that he resigned on February 28, 2024.
William S Kaiser Family Foundation is led by William S. Kaiser, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William S. Kaiser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: William Walser (2021–2024) — Trustee · Filing note: Resigned 22824
- Former: Mary E. Gilligan (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 William S Kaiser Family Foundation
How much does William S Kaiser Family Foundation give each year?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation gave $435K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $450K across 9 grants.
What is William S Kaiser Family Foundation's typical grant size?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $8,667, and its average grant was $36,250, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William S Kaiser Family Foundation that year got $50K on average.
Where does William S Kaiser Family Foundation give grants?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does William S Kaiser Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on William S Kaiser Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (12 grants).
Who are William S Kaiser Family Foundation's largest grantees?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation Inc ($300,000), Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Inc ($50,000) and Palestine Children's Relief Fund ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William S Kaiser Family Foundation?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation reported $8.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $442K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $466K (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 S Kaiser Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for dance organizations, such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, whose mission is to support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William S Kaiser Family 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 S Kaiser Family Foundation's EIN?
William S Kaiser Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3505536. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does William S Kaiser Family 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William S Kaiser Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-s-kaiser-family-foundation-morg_b42f633119a949f4af9f0d126c391b06
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263505536_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William S Kaiser Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-s-kaiser-family-foundation-morg_b42f633119a949f4af9f0d126c391b06},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 William S Kaiser Family 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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