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Massachusetts · Private foundation

Foundation M

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$922k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
93
Grants FY2025
92
Organizations funded FY2024
18%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$9,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$50,000
Organizations funded a year
51 to 92
FY2019 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
16
Total assets, FY2025
$16M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 18% of the organizations Foundation M funded were first-time grantees, receiving 12% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 88% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $97k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23’24
AnimalsHuman ServicesFood & NutritionEnvironmentCivil RightsInternationalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving91$908k14%
FY202492$834k18%
FY202390$904k37%
FY202269$686k42%
FY202165$605k37%
FY202052$646k25%
FY201951$662kn/a
99% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2025.

Animals$988kEnvironment$573kPhilanthropy$528kHuman Services$506kFood & Nutrition$430kInternational$340kCivil Rights$339kHousing & Shelter$319kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

VT
NH
NY
MA
OR
NV
IA
PA
NJ
CT
CA
UT
CO
MD
AZ
TN
NC
DC
AL
GA
TX

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2019 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 122 grantees
All grantees of Foundation M by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Appalachian Mountain Club$350,00060%
The Union of Concerned Scientists Inc$290,00070%
Samaritan Institute Inc$175,00075%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$170,00070%
Rosie's Place Inc$125,00070%
New England Wildlife Center Inc$110,00041%
National Braille Press Inc$90,50070%
New England Aquarium Corporation$80,00050%
Equine Advocates Incorporated$75,00061%
Dismas House of Massachusetts Inc$71,00071%
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation$70,0003n/a
Pathways for Childreninc$69,00070%
Women's Lunch Place Inc$66,00070%
Rar-Ma Inc$65,00071%
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals$60,00050%
Interfaith Social Services Inc$60,00070%
Lazarus House Inc$59,00070%
NAACP Empowerment Programs Inc$57,00050%
Farm Sanctuary Inc$56,00060%
Merrimack Valley Young Men's Christian Association Inc$56,00040%
Ellis Early Learning Inc$54,00060%
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc$50,00010%
Families First Parenting Program Inc$49,00051%
Community Inroads Inc$49,00075%
Boys & Girls Club of Lynn Inc$47,00070%
International Fund for Animal Welfare Inc$46,00050%
Americares Foundation Inc$45,00040%
Mercy Corps$40,00040%
Greater Boston Food Bank Inc$36,00060%
American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches$35,00030%
Project Learn Inc$32,00061%
Lowell Humane Society$31,50051%
Massachusetts Advocates for Children Inc$30,50051%
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc$30,00020%
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals$30,00030%
Family Services of the Merrimack Valley Inc$30,00020%
Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society Inc$30,00031%
Community Art Center Inc$30,00031%
Merrimack River Watershed Council Inc$30,00041%
Animal Rescue League of Boston$29,50060%
Project Bread-The Walk for Hunger Inc$26,00040%
Women's Educational Center Inc Cambridge Women's Center$25,00052%
Bread & Roses Inc$25,00030%
Xerces Society Inc$25,00050%
Vermont College of Fine Arts Inc$25,00010%
Merrimack Valley Food Bank Inc$24,00030%
Food for Free Committee Inc$24,00040%
Neighbors in Need Inc$23,50041%
Roxbury Stone House Inc$22,00040%
La Colaborativa Inc$22,00030%
Oxfam-America Inc$22,00030%
Community Farms Outreach Inc$21,00021%
Mab Community Services Inc$21,00040%
The Food Project Inc$21,00040%
Ocean Alliance Inc$20,00021%
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc$20,00030%
Live and Let Live Farm Inc$20,00051%
Boston Area Gleaners Inc$20,00040%
Humane Farming Association$20,00020%
Healing Abuse Working for Change Inc$20,00040%
Friends of the World Food Program Inc$20,00020%
Essex Art Center Inc$19,00031%
Girls Inc of the Valley$19,00040%
Feeding America$19,00030%
The Urban Food Initiative Inc$18,00040%
Trustees of Boston University$17,60030%
Lawrence Communityworks Inc$17,50020%
Best Friends Animal Society$17,00040%
Hampshire Regional Young Men's Christian Association$15,50030%
Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services$15,00020%
Pine Street Inn Inc$15,00020%
Community Servings Inc$15,00030%
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts Inc$14,00040%
The Sheffield Land Trust Inc$14,00030%
Andover Committee For A Better Chance$13,50024%
National Urban League Inc$13,00020%
Feeding Pets of the Homeless Aka Pets of the Homeless$13,00030%
Essex County Habitat for Humanity Inc$12,5001n/a
Southern Poverty Law Center Inc$12,00020%
Charity Navigator$12,00020%
The Mary C Schanz Foundation$12,00030%
Merrohawke Nature School Inc$12,00031%
Andover Village Improvement Society$11,00017%
Wikimedia Foundation Inc$11,00020%
South Sudanese Enrichment for Families Inc$10,00021%
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Haverhill Inc$10,00010%
World Central Kitchen Inc$10,00010%
Humane World for Animals Inc$10,00010%
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts Inc$10,00010%
Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc$10,00020%
Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated$10,00020%
Groundwork Lawrence Inc$10,00010%
Open Space Institute Inc$10,00010%
Northeast Wilderness Trust Corporation$10,00010%
Worcester County Food Bank Inc$8,00020%
Animal Legal Defense Fund Inc$8,00020%
Village Food Hub$8,00025%
Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Merrimack Valley Inc$8,00011%
On the Rise Inc$8,00010%
Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Inc$8,00010%
United States Fund for Unicef$8,00010%
Citizens Inn Inc$8,00010%
RESPOND Inc$8,00010%
Woburn Council of Social Concern Inc$6,00010%
National Aquarium Inc$5,50010%
International Institute of New England Inc$5,00010%
Adolescent Consultation Services Inc$5,00010%
Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership Inc$5,00011%
Education Comes First Inc$5,0001n/a
The American Chestnut Foundation$5,00010%
Read to a Child Inc$5,00010%
Partners in Health a Nonprofit Corporation$5,00010%
The Open Pantry of Greater Lowell Inc$5,00011%
Pilots to the Rescue Inc$5,0001n/a
Ufw Foundation$5,00010%
Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center Inc$5,00010%
Northeast Animal Shelter Inc$4,00010%
Top Notch Scholars Inc$4,00011%
Anti-Defamation League$4,00010%
Defenders of Wildlife$4,00010%
Danvers Community Council Inc$3,00011%
Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance$3,00010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 58 recipients with no EIN on record ($1.3M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Foundation M supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetAppalachian Mountain Club: $350,000 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetThe Union of Concerned Scientists Inc: $290,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetSamaritan Institute Inc: $175,000 over 7y, 5.0% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $170,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetRosie's Place Inc: $125,000 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetNew England Wildlife Center Inc: $110,000 over 4y, 1.4% of budgetNational Braille Press Inc: $90,500 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetNew England Aquarium Corporation: $80,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetEquine Advocates Incorporated: $75,000 over 6y, 0.7% of budgetDismas House of Massachusetts Inc: $71,000 over 7y, 1.2% of budgetPathways for Childreninc: $69,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetWomen's Lunch Place Inc: $66,000 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetRar-Ma Inc: $65,000 over 7y, 1.2% of budgetThe American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: $60,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetInterfaith Social Services Inc: $60,000 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetLazarus House Inc: $59,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetNAACP Empowerment Programs Inc: $57,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetFarm Sanctuary Inc: $56,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetMerrimack Valley Young Men's Christian Association Inc: $56,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetEllis Early Learning Inc: $54,000 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetAmerican Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFamilies First Parenting Program Inc: $49,000 over 5y, 1.3% of budgetCommunity Inroads Inc: $49,000 over 7y, 5.0% of budgetBoys & Girls Club of Lynn Inc: $47,000 over 7y, 0.5% of budgetInternational Fund for Animal Welfare Inc: $46,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetAmericares Foundation Inc: $45,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMercy Corps: $40,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetGreater Boston Food Bank Inc: $36,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $35,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetProject Learn Inc: $32,000 over 6y, 1.1% of budgetLowell Humane Society: $31,500 over 5y, 1.2% of budgetMassachusetts Advocates for Children Inc: $30,500 over 5y, 0.7% of budgetPlanned Parenthood Federation of America Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMassachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: $30,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetFamily Services of the Merrimack Valley Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetMerrimack River Feline Rescue Society Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 1.0% of budgetCommunity Art Center Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetMerrimack River Watershed Council Inc: $30,000 over 4y, 1.3% of budgetAnimal Rescue League of Boston: $29,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetProject Bread-The Walk for Hunger Inc: $26,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetWomen's Educational Center Inc Cambridge Women's Center: $25,000 over 5y, 1.7% of budgetBread & Roses Inc: $25,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetXerces Society Inc: $25,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetVermont College of Fine Arts Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetMerrimack Valley Food Bank Inc: $24,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetFood for Free Committee Inc: $24,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetNeighbors in Need Inc: $23,500 over 4y, 0.8% of budgetRoxbury Stone House Inc: $22,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 118.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (Fka Oneworld Boston Inc)MA79.3× affinity39 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (Fka Oneworld Boston Inc) · Eastern Bank Foundation · Boston Foundation Inc · Essex County Community Foundation Inc · United Way Of Massachusetts Bay Inc · Rogers Family Foundation · Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation Inc · Highland Street Connection and Subsidiaries · Salem Five Charitable Foundation Inc · Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation Inc · Arbella Insurance Foundation · Agnes M Lindsay Trust

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Foundation M with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Foundation M?

Find your warmest path to Foundation M through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Foundation M

How much does Foundation M give?
Foundation M reported 93 grants totaling $922,000 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 51 and 92 organizations a year over FY2019 to FY2024.
What does Foundation M fund?
By grant dollars over FY2019 to FY2025, its largest causes are Animals (17%), Environment (10%), Philanthropy (9%).
Who are Foundation M's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2019 to FY2025: Appalachian Mountain Club ($350k), The Union of Concerned Scientists Inc ($290k), Samaritan Institute Inc ($175k).
Does Foundation M fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 18% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Foundation M accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Foundation M?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (Fka Oneworld Boston Inc), Eastern Bank Foundation, Boston Foundation Inc.
Where is Foundation M based?
Foundation M is based in MA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 185 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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