Turning Leaf Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations, so if your organisation has no existing link to it, there is no open route to apply and a cold request is unlikely to be considered.
- Its grants are chiefly for education, with some for medical research and donated legal assistance, and the foundation describes its own purpose as providing post-secondary education to students for whom it would not otherwise be available, so education work should lead any approach.
- Most of its grants fall between $13,000 and $100,000, with a median of $50,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though its largest grant was about $170,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Repeat giving is significant, with 22% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded, so an organisation it has supported before is a stronger prospect.
Overview
Turning Leaf Foundation is a US private foundation based in Natick, MA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation reports grants to 501(c)(3) or equivalent organisations. The grant purposes recorded are chiefly education, with additional grants for medical research and donated legal assistance. Its own description of direct charitable activity is to provide opportunities for post-secondary education to students for whom such education would not otherwise be available. The filings show grants to organisations, but they do not state the foundation’s general eligibility criteria or a geographic rule. Contributions are limited to preselected charitable organisations, and the filing gives no public process for submitting an unsolicited request.
Themes
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Education
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts and California.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 22% 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 10 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 29% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 22% of grant dollars went to organisations Turning Leaf 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 6 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $100k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Massachusetts General Juvenile Batten Disease Research · Medical research$168,5542024 tax year
- Pioneer Public Interest Law Center · Donated legal assistance$100,0002024 tax year
- Nantucket Atheneum · Education$100,0002024 tax year
- Pioneer Institute · Education$100,0002024 tax year
- Room to Read · Education$50,0002024 tax year
- Alakra - Tanzania · Education$18,5172024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Thomas M Vaubel — Director
- Joseph C Jacobson — Director
- Nancy L Jacobson — Treasurer & Director
- Michael J Jacobson — President, Secretary & Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $54,819 | $46,606 | $11,832,606 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $220,065 | $118,000 | $11,388,062 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $583,012 | $537,071 | $16,312,154 | 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 Turning Leaf Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Natick, MA
Applying to Turning Leaf Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Natick, MA