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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Massachusetts
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 17,509 grantmakers listed 175,649 grants totaling $12.7 billion to 41,738 organizations in Massachusetts. 16,647 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 862 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 2,764 are based in Massachusetts; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Massachusetts organization was $7,000. Suffolk County received the most grants (53,782, from 8,755 funders), followed by Middlesex County (35,212) and Norfolk County (14,022). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (26,517 grants), health & mental health (16,067 grants) and children & youth (11,994 grants).
Eastern Bank Foundation (Wakefield, MA) funded the most different Massachusetts organizations: 1,981, through 2,598 grants with a typical size of $2,500.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Massachusetts organizations
Ranked by the number of different Massachusetts organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to MA organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Bank Foundation Wakefield, MA · EIN 22-3317340 | 2,598 | 1,981 | $2,500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 2 | Barr Foundation Boston, MA · EIN 04-6579815 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 1,137 | 1,134 | $80,004 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 3 | Boston Foundation Inc Boston, MA · EIN 04-2104021 | 1,218 | 1,008 | $25,000 | 2023 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 4 | Berkshire Bank Foundation Inc Pittsfield, MA · EIN 04-3365869 | 1,080 | 828 | $2,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 5 | Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (fka Oneworld Boston Inc) Woburn, MA · EIN 80-0681389 | 1,204 | 766 | $33,334 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation Inc Rockland, MA · EIN 20-2668833 | 643 | 527 | $5,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 7 | United Way Of Massachusetts Bay Inc Boston, MA · EIN 04-2382233 | 664 | 523 | $50,113 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 8 | Salem Five Charitable Foundation Inc Salem, MA · EIN 04-3342405 | 604 | 514 | $2,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 9 | Arbella Insurance Foundation Boston, MA · EIN 05-0613355 | 545 | 493 | $1,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 10 | Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc Boston, MA · EIN 14-1893520 | 1,036 | 439 | $40,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | Institution for Savings in Newburyport & Its Vicinity Charitable Foundation Inc Newburyport, MA · EIN 04-3353621 | 579 | 405 | $2,500 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 12 | Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts Springfield, MA · EIN 22-3089640 | 582 | 386 | $26,850 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 13 | Eversource Energy Foundation Inc Hartford, CT · EIN 06-1527290 | 452 | 378 | $2,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 14 | Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation Inc Cambridge, MA · EIN 48-1307731 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 427 | 360 | $5,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | The Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation Allston, MA · EIN 27-7018900 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 640 | 337 | $10,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County | 53,782 | 8,755 | $5.5 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Middlesex County | 35,212 | 6,950 | $3.7 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Norfolk County | 14,022 | 4,137 | $690.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Essex County | 12,819 | 2,223 | $365.4 million | Top 5 funders |
| Worcester County | 10,175 | 1,909 | $315.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Barnstable County | 6,473 | 1,270 | $130.7 million | Top 5 funders |
| Bristol County | 6,123 | 1,301 | $138.6 million | Top 5 funders |
| Berkshire County | 5,085 | 1,209 | $170.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Plymouth County | 5,008 | 1,171 | $127.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Hampshire County | 4,606 | 1,605 | $293.1 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 26,517 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 16,067 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 11,994 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 10,948 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 5,668 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 5,397 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 3,576 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 2,112 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 1,979 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 1,864 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 1,472 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 982 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 693 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Massachusetts ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.