The Lynch Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Lynch Foundation focuses on Massachusetts and funds work across education, health care and wellness, cultural and historic assets, open space, Roman Catholic Church efforts, and housing and homelessness, so only 501(c)(3) organisations whose work is primarily in Massachusetts should apply.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $6,600 and $170,000, and the median grant is about $37,500, so a request in that range is realistic, though the largest grant was about $2,100,000.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through an online concept paper describing the organisation and the request, and proposals should explain how the organisation shares the Foundation's mission to create sustainable social change; a site visit typically follows review.
- A large share, 73%, of grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the prior two years, so this looks like a relationship-led funder where ongoing contact matters.
- The Foundation does not fund more than 5% of an organisation's total budget, emergency or immediate funding, or individual events, so organisations seeking support for these should not apply.
Overview
The Lynch 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 its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Lynch Foundation names five tenets: education; health care and wellness, including social determinants of health; preservation and access to cultural and historic assets and open space; the religious and educational efforts of the Roman Catholic Church; and housing and homelessness. It supports early-stage and scaling non-profit organisations across these areas, providing catalytic funding and strategic guidance for long-term success. The Foundation describes giving as an investment in human potential and supports organisations ranging from innovative start-ups to established institutions. The filing says eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organisations whose work is primarily in Massachusetts. Its grants include schools, hospitals, museums and Catholic organisations.
Themes
- Education
- Health care and wellness
- Cultural and historic assets
- Open space
- Roman Catholic Church efforts
- Housing and homelessness
Geographic Focus
Massachusetts.
What They Don't Fund
- More than 5% of an organization’s total budget
- Emergency and/or immediate funding
- Individual events
How to apply
Applicants submit requests electronically through the Foundation’s website using the concept paper, which asks for information about the organisation, a description of the request and its objectives.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 73% 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 311 grants to organisations were about $37,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It supports early-stage and scaling non-profit organisations across its stated areas.
- Proposals should explain how the organisation shares the Foundation’s mission to create sustainable social change.
- Foundation staff and trustees conduct a site visit after reviewing an application and contact the organisation to schedule it.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to organisations The Lynch Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 107 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Lawrence Catholic Academy · Capital campaign and early childhood support$512,5762024 tax year
- Mission Grammar School · Early childhood program$510,5762024 tax year
- Children's Services of Roxbury · Capital campaign$400,0002024 tax year
- Fidelity Charitable · Discretionary grants$400,0002024 tax year
- Harvard Medical School · Global health equity fellowships$300,0002024 tax year
- Esperanza Academy · Capital campaign$250,0002024 tax year
- FamilyAid Boston · Capital campaign$250,0002024 tax year
- Saint Mary's Center for Women and Children · Capital campaign$250,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Amanda Fernandez — Trustee
- Anne Lukowski — Vice President
- Elizabeth De Montrichard — Secretary
- John Regan — Trustee
- Marie-Claude Tanny — Trustee
- Mary Witkowski — Trustee
- Nancy Coolidge — Trustee
- Peter S Lynch — President And Chairman
- Ralph C Sweetland MD — Trustee
- Richard Spillane — Treasurer
- Kathryn M Everett — Executive Director
- Victoria Prudden — Chief Operations Officer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $11,270,902 | $8,804,863 | $115,314,269 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $9,990,132 | $7,723,164 | $130,010,432 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,135,719 | $8,250,254 | $146,827,858 | 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 Lynch Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 639-1280
- victoria@thelynchfoundation.com
- Boston, MA
- thelynchfoundation.com
Applying to The Lynch Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 639-1280
- victoria@thelynchfoundation.com
- Boston, MA
- thelynchfoundation.com