The Henry David Thoreau Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation takes no unsolicited requests, so do not send a cold proposal; the only route stated is its Faculty Grant Program, and proposals are by invitation only.
- Your work fits best if it is a Massachusetts or U.S. project centred on undergraduate students and environmental leadership, ideally a new branch of an environmental programme at a college or university or a sustainable partnership with a community organisation, government body or business.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $3,250 and $36,000, and the median is $6,500, so a request in that typical range suits it, though its largest grant was $40,000.
- Because 53% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in the previous two filings, it is fairly relationship-led, so a new applicant should weigh that established competition before approaching it.
Overview
The Henry David Thoreau Foundation is a US private foundation based in Somerville, MA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation supports environmental leadership through scholarships and grants. It awards scholarships to outstanding Massachusetts high school seniors pursuing interdisciplinary environmental studies, and seed-funds visionary programmes at U.S. undergraduate institutions. Its Faculty Grant Program supports programmes centred on undergraduates and environmental leadership and engaged scholarship. It favours hands-on research and leadership opportunities, initiatives that can be sustained at their home institutions, new branches of environmental programmes, and partnerships with community organisations, institutions, governmental organisations or businesses. Scholarship students connect environmental study with fields such as business, economics, education, public health and policy.
Themes
- Environmental leadership
- Interdisciplinary environmental studies
- Environmental partnerships
Geographic Focus
Massachusetts; U.S.
How to apply
Organisations can seek support through the Faculty Grant Program; proposals are by invitation only.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 53% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 79 grants to organisations were $6,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Faculty Grant proposals must focus on undergraduate students, with more undergraduates involved being better.
- The foundation seeks projects that can grow institutional legs rather than one-hit wonders.
- It favours programmes that provide hands-on research and leadership opportunities.
- It is particularly interested in projects that develop new branches of environmental programmes at colleges and universities.
- It is particularly interested in initiatives that require start-up funding and can then be sustained at the home institution with future funding.
- It is particularly interested in programmes that build sustainable collaborations between colleges or universities and community organisations, institutions, governmental organisations or businesses.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 20%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 53% of grant dollars went to organisations The Henry David Thoreau Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 27 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $6,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Savannah State University · Grant$40,0002024 tax year
- Cornell University · Grant$40,0002024 tax year
- University of Vermont Foundation · Grant$38,3002024 tax year
- Harvard College · Scholarship$26,0002024 tax year
- Dartmouth College · Scholarship$25,8852024 tax year
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Scholarship$13,0002024 tax year
- Yale University · Scholarship$13,0002024 tax year
- Smith College · Scholarship$6,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Scott Ellis — Trustee
- David R Magnussen — Scholarship Committe
- Marilee Jones — Scholarship Committe
- Jennifer P Galvin — President, Secretary, Trustee & Executive
- John R Galvin — Treasurer & Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $659,217 | $309,273 | $11,082,608 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $655,400 | $301,398 | $11,755,025 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $696,839 | $317,735 | $12,426,374 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Henry David Thoreau Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 666-6900
- jackie@thoreauscholar.org
- jennifer@thoreauscholar.org
- Somerville, MA
- thoreauscholar.org
Applying to The Henry David Thoreau Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 666-6900
- jackie@thoreauscholar.org
- jennifer@thoreauscholar.org
- Somerville, MA
- thoreauscholar.org