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Popplestone Foundation

Annual Giving
$145.3M
Grant Range
$50K - $12.5M
Success Rate
10%

Popplestone Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $145,306,337 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $78,164,469 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Very low - only 10% of recent recipients were new grantees
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $12,500,000
  • Median Grant: $2,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Massachusetts (60%), Washington D.C., New York, Alabama, California

Contact Details

  • Address: c/o Sullivan & Worcester LLP, One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-2106
  • Phone: 617-338-2839
  • Website: None - the foundation does not maintain a public website
  • Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Popplestone Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2000 by Alan Dworsky, a former mutual fund portfolio manager at Putnam Investments and founder of Mt. Auburn Management, and his wife Suzanne Werber Dworsky, who had a career in urban design and landscape architecture. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the foundation experienced dramatic growth in 2023, distributing over $145 million in grants compared to an average of approximately $5 million annually from 2011-2022. Between 2017 and 2022, the foundation made $56 million in total contributions. Alan Dworsky passed away in January 2021, but the foundation continues under the leadership of Suzanne Dworsky and co-trustee Sally Rubin. The foundation's assets are substantially funded through contributions from the Alan J. Dworsky Irrevocable Trust, which contributed $20 million in 2022 alone.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation funds across three primary strategic areas:

Music Education - $50,000 to $12,500,000

  • Supporting orchestras, youth music programs, music conservatories, and music instruction
  • Kodaly-based music education programs
  • Choral singing initiatives
  • Notable grants include $12.5 million to New England Conservatory of Music

Democracy & Civic Engagement - $50,000 to $10,000,000

  • Voting rights organizations
  • Legal justice initiatives
  • Campaign finance reform
  • Government accountability
  • Notable recipients include NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund ($10M), Voter Participation Center ($10M), Brennan Center for Justice ($10M)

Early Childhood Development & Human Services - Variable amounts

  • Early childhood education
  • Family support programs
  • Hunger relief initiatives

Priority Areas

  • Environmental advocacy
  • Social justice organizations
  • Public policy research
  • Tax policy research (e.g., Tax Policy Center)
  • Human services and food security

What They Don't Fund

The foundation has indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Based on giving patterns, the foundation does not appear to fund:

  • Individuals
  • For-profit organizations
  • Organizations without established track records
  • Organizations outside their core focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Suzanne Werber Dworsky - Co-founder and Trustee

  • Background in urban design and landscape architecture before turning to photography in 1977
  • Former Vice President at David L. Babson and Company investment firm
  • Married to Alan Dworsky for 40 years until his death in 2021
  • Resides in Cambridge, MA

Sally L. Rubin - Trustee

  • Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker
  • Associate Professor at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
  • Director of documentary films including Hillbilly, Deep Down, and The Last Mountain
  • Born in Newton, Massachusetts; graduate of Tufts University and Stanford University

Alan J. Dworsky (1930-2021) - Co-founder (Deceased)

  • Career: Security analyst and portfolio manager at Putnam Investors (1966-1983); founder of Mt. Auburn Management (1984-2007)
  • Education: Yale College (AB 1952), MIT (B Arch 1957), Harvard Business School (MBA 1966)
  • Previously served as Trustee of Taconic Foundation (1980-2013) and Boston Symphony Trustee (2008-2020)

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly stated it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

The foundation:

  • Does not maintain a public website
  • Does not publish grantmaking guidelines
  • Does not accept unsolicited proposals
  • Identifies grantees through trustee relationships and networks

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's documented approach:

  • Board Connections: Sally Rubin's background in documentary filmmaking and academia may provide pathways for organizations working in media, education, and social justice
  • Existing Grantee Networks: The foundation maintains strong relationships with established partners; introductions through current grantees may be the most viable pathway
  • Boston/Cambridge Networks: The foundation has strong ties to Cambridge institutions, including Cambridge Public Schools (which received grants for the Kodaly Music Program) and local hunger relief organizations
  • Music Community: Alan Dworsky served as a Boston Symphony Overseer and Trustee; the Dworsky Fund for Voice and Chorus supports the Tanglewood Festival Chorus

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation does not publish information about decision timelines.

Success Rates

Extremely competitive. Data shows only 10% of recent recipients were new grantees, indicating the foundation maintains tight relationships with established partners. New applicants rarely succeed without existing connections through current grantees or board members.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Given this foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

Alignment with Founder Values

  • The foundation was shaped by Alan Dworsky's interests in music (particularly choral singing and Kodaly method education), public policy research, social justice, and environmental causes
  • His wife Suzanne continues these priorities, with particular interest in early childhood education and Cambridge community organizations

Geographic Presence

  • Strong preference for Massachusetts-based organizations (60% of grants), particularly in Cambridge and Boston
  • Secondary focus on Washington D.C. (20% of grants) for policy-focused organizations

Established Track Record

  • Recipients tend to be well-established organizations with significant operational history
  • Notable recipients include MIT, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Greater Boston Food Bank, and New England Conservatory

Scale of Impact

  • The foundation makes relatively few grants but at significant amounts
  • Median grant of $2 million suggests preference for major institutional gifts rather than small project grants

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. No public application process exists - The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited requests and only supports preselected organizations

  2. Relationship-dependent giving - Only 10% of recipients are new grantees; existing connections through board members or current grantees are essential

  3. Major gift capacity - With a median grant of $2 million and maximum grants of $12.5 million, this is a significant funder for organizations that can access it

  4. Geographic focus on Massachusetts - 60% of grants go to Massachusetts organizations, with strong concentration in Cambridge and Boston

  5. Three core areas - Music education, democracy/civic engagement, and human services drive most giving

  6. Administered through law firm - Sullivan & Worcester LLP manages foundation administration, suggesting minimal staff and trustee-directed giving

  7. Legacy of founder - Understanding Alan Dworsky's interests (Boston Symphony, Kodaly music education, environmental causes, social justice) provides insight into giving priorities

References

Information compiled December 2025

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