The Reeder Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3,010,000 (2023)
• Total Assets: $48,644,317 (2023)
• Grant Range: $40,000 – $800,000
• Median Grant: $250,000
• Average Grant: $273,636
• Number of Grants: 10-12 per year
• Geographic Focus: Massachusetts and District of Columbia (primary)
• Application Process: No public application; preselected organisations only

Contact Details

• Address: 200 Clarendon Street, 48th Floor, Boston, MA 02116-5373
• Phone: 617-526-8994
• EIN: 04-3542100
• Website: None publicly available

Overview

The Reeder Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in October 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts. The foundation was created by Paul A. Reeder III, founder and president of PAR Capital Management, a private investment partnership focused primarily on travel and online media industries. With total assets of approximately $48.6 million (2023), the foundation has demonstrated consistent growth over its history.

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on education and youth development, with a particular emphasis on workforce development programmes that help underserved populations access career opportunities. The Reeder Foundation operates with minimal overhead—the sole director Paul Reeder III dedicates approximately one hour per week to foundation activities and receives no compensation. Annual grantmaking has ranged from $2.3 million to $4.7 million in recent years, supporting approximately 10-12 organisations annually through unrestricted grants to preselected charitable organisations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The Reeder Foundation makes unrestricted grants to preselected organisations:

• Major Grants: $500,000 – $800,000 (for large-scale workforce development and education organisations)
• Mid-Level Grants: $250,000 – $500,000 (typical grant size for established nonprofits)
• Standard Grants: $40,000 – $250,000 (for smaller organisations or specific projects)

Application Method: Invitation only—the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Priority Areas

Based on recent grant recipients, the foundation prioritises:

• Workforce Development: Programmes that help low-income adults access career pathways, particularly in technology and high-growth sectors
• Education Reform: Organisations working to improve K-12 education outcomes and teacher effectiveness
• Youth Development: Programmes serving low-income children and youth in the Boston area
• Social Innovation: Venture philanthropy and social enterprise organisations
• Higher Education: Support for Oberlin College and MIT (founder's alma maters)

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it:

• Does not accept unsolicited requests for funds
• Only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations
• Does not appear to fund individuals, scholarships (directly), capital campaigns, or general operating support for organisations outside their strategic focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Director

Paul A. Reeder III – Sole Director (1 hour/week, no compensation)

• Background: Founder and President of PAR Capital Management, Inc. (founded 1990) and PAR Capital Ventures LLC (founded 2009)
• Education: B.A. from Oberlin College (1983); M.S. from MIT Sloan School of Management (1985)
• Career: Former airline analyst at Loomis Sayles & Co. before founding PAR Capital Management, which focuses on travel and online media investments
• Philanthropic Profile: Paul Reeder has maintained relatively low public visibility regarding his philanthropic activities

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Reeder Foundation explicitly states it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds." Grants are made at the discretion of the director to organisations identified through the foundation's own research and networks.

Decision Timeline

• Grant decisions appear to be made throughout the year
• The foundation typically makes 10-12 grants annually
• No formal application cycle or deadlines exist

Recent Grant Recipients (2023)

Based on available 990-PF data, recent recipients include:

Organisation	Grant Amount	Focus Area
Year Up	$800,000	Workforce development
Merit America	$500,000	Workforce development/tech careers
Duet Inc	$300,000	Human services
Greenlight Fund	$250,000	Social innovation/venture philanthropy
Social Finance	$250,000	Social innovation
Teach for America	$250,000	Education reform

Historical Recipients

Additional organisations that have received support include:

• Cradles to Crayons (serving low-income Boston-area children)
• Teach Plus (teacher leadership development)
• New Profit (nonprofit social innovation)
• Oberlin College
• MIT

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's invitation-only model, organisations that have successfully received funding share these characteristics:

1. Strong Workforce Development Focus: Recent large grants to Year Up and Merit America demonstrate clear interest in programmes that help low-income adults access career pathways, particularly in technology

2. Evidence-Based Approaches: Grantees tend to be established organisations with proven track records and measurable outcomes

3. Boston Area Connection: Many grantees have Boston-area presence or operations, reflecting the foundation's local roots

4. Venture Philanthropy Alignment: Support for organisations like Greenlight Fund, New Profit, and Social Finance suggests interest in innovative, scalable social solutions

5. Education System Change: Interest in systemic education reform rather than direct service alone (Teach for America, Teach Plus)

6. Scale Potential: Preference for organisations that can achieve significant impact and demonstrate scalability

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No direct application pathway exists—the foundation operates entirely through preselected giving and does not accept unsolicited proposals
• Focus is narrow and strategic—primarily workforce development, education reform, and youth services, with emphasis on Boston-area impact
• Grant sizes are substantial—median grant of $250,000 suggests the foundation prefers fewer, larger investments in established organisations
• Venture philanthropy model—interest in social innovation organisations suggests appreciation for evidence-based, scalable approaches
• Low public profile—limited public information available; founder has not spoken publicly about philanthropic priorities
• Organisations seeking funding should focus on building relationships through shared networks, particularly in the Boston education and workforce development ecosystem
• Track record matters—grantees tend to be established organisations with demonstrated impact rather than newer or smaller nonprofits

References

• Instrumentl 990 Report - The Reeder Foundation - Grant amounts, recipient data, and financial overview
• Grantmakers.io Profile - Reeder Foundation - 2023 grant recipients and amounts
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Reeder Foundation - Tax filings and financial data (2001-2023)
• Cause IQ - Reeder Foundation - Historical financial data
• Inside Philanthropy - Paul A. Reeder III - Founder biography and philanthropic focus areas
• Charity Navigator - Reeder Foundation - Foundation profile