Benjamin D and Ruby G Schulman Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts no unsolicited requests and works by invitation to preselected charitable organisations, so a small charity without an existing connection to it should not send a cold application.
- If you already have a relationship that could lead to an invitation, make that the route in, and keep any ask modest, since half of its 17 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
- About 8 in 10 of those grants fall between $10,000 and $400,000, which is a typical band rather than a ceiling, and the median grant was $50,000.
- Because 97% of its grant dollars in the latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in the earlier filings, it appears to be a repeat-giving funder, so your relationship with it will likely matter more than the size of your request.
- Its recorded gifts span social services, education, memorial activity and community institutions, and it names no single funding field as its priority, so judge fit by how closely your mission matches those recipient types.
Overview
Benjamin D and Ruby G Schulman Foundation is a US private foundation based in Boston, MA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (legacy.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation's giving is described as support for a variety of institutions and charities. Its recorded unrestricted charitable gifts have gone to family and children's services charities, a Hillel, universities, a school, memorial associations, and a library and arts foundation. These recipient types span social services, education, memorial activity and community institutions; the foundation does not name a particular funding field as its priority. Its filing says it makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The available information does not set out broader eligibility criteria or a formal geographic boundary for its grants.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts and Tennessee.
How to apply
Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations; unsolicited requests are not accepted.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% 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 17 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 51% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations Benjamin D and Ruby G Schulman 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 8 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Jewish Family & Children's Services · Unrestricted charitable gift$400,0002024 tax year
- Vanderbilt Hillel · Unrestricted charitable gift$280,0002024 tax year
- Northeastern University · Unrestricted charitable gift$50,0002024 tax year
- Carlsbad Library and Arts Foundation · Unrestricted charitable gift$10,0002024 tax year
- Winsor School · Unrestricted charitable gift$10,0002024 tax year
- USS Missouri Memorial Association · Unrestricted charitable gift$10,0002024 tax year
- Stanford University · Unrestricted charitable gift$10,0002024 tax year
- USS Massachusetts Memorial Committee · Unrestricted charitable gift$10,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Francis A Digiovanna — Trustee
- Karen Schulman — Trustee
- Steven C Goodwin — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $885,766 | $565,000 | $11,398,688 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,182,533 | $930,000 | $15,037,537 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,279,505 | $780,000 | $21,682,070 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to Benjamin D and Ruby G Schulman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA
Applying to Benjamin D and Ruby G Schulman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA