Roberts Family 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 its contributions only to organisations it has preselected, so an organisation without an invitation should not send an application.
- Its giving is heavily repeat support: 99% of its grant dollars in the filing for its most recent year went to organisations it had also funded in one of the two filings before, so new organisations face a steep climb.
- Where grants are made, about 8 in 10 of its grants to organisations fall between $100 and $1,350,000, and half were about $1,050 or less, so any request should be sized modestly; that band is typical rather than a ceiling, as its largest grant was about $1,500,000.
- The filings show its grants mainly in Massachusetts and New Jersey, but no geographic focus or wider funding remit is stated, and the available sources do not explain how organisations are selected, so a small charity should not assume its work fits.
Overview
Roberts Family 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 (alumni.hbs.edu), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The grant record is dominated by support for a university-based undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund. Other recorded grants were largely unrestricted contributions to public charities, including a university, churches and schools, alongside smaller gifts to other charitable organisations. The public description of the fellowship says that it develops entrepreneurial skills and provides selected Harvard College students with mentorship and programme resources; that describes the funded programme, not a general statement of the foundation’s wider priorities. The available sources do not state a broader funding remit or explain how organisations are selected.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 27 grants to organisations were about $1,050 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 67% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations Roberts Family 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 12 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $4,560 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Harvard Business School · Hbs roberts family undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund$1,347,5342024 tax year
- Harvard Business School · Hbs roberts family undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund$758,9402024 tax year
- Harvard Business School · Hbs roberts family undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund$219,7122024 tax year
- Harvard Business School · Hbs roberts family undergraduate technology innovation fellowship fund$167,6252024 tax year
- Revolutionary Spaces · Unrestricted$10,0002024 tax year
- Pan-Mass Challenge · Unrestricted$8,0802024 tax year
- Gary Sinise Foundation · Unrestricted$1,0402024 tax year
- ST Edwards Catholic Church · Unrestricted$1,0402024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Thomas S Roberts — Trustee
- Kristen Roberts — Trustee
- Robert G Bannish — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,565,835 | $2,252,675 | $49,628,739 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,230,269 | $2,940,052 | $53,850,180 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,700,209 | $2,516,336 | $61,811,593 | 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
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Roberts Family 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 Roberts Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA