The Hyams Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Hyams Foundation funds frontline, constituent-led organising and movement-building work in working-class communities in Massachusetts, covering economic, racial and social justice, so fit depends on whether your work is organising, leadership development or movement infrastructure in this vein.
- Most grants are modest: about eight in ten of its 301 grants fall between $515 and $135,000, and half were $45,000 or less, so a request in that range is realistic, though the largest grant was around $480,000.
- The IRS filing gives no deadlines, but the Foundation looks relationship-led: 97% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded in its two previous filings, suggesting it works mainly with established partners rather than running an open contest for new entrants.
- Only organisations with IRS 501(c)(3) status or a fiscally sponsored project can apply, and it does not fund individuals or individual projects, direct services or self-help programmes, municipal, state or federal agencies, religious organisations unless organising work is part of their programme, capital campaigns, electoral work promoting specific candidates, or union organising unless it benefits the wider community; curriculum development, workshops and legal or research expenses are only funded when part of a wider organising or movement-building strategy.
Overview
The Hyams 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 Hyams Foundation’s mission is to increase economic, racial and social justice and power within working-class communities in Massachusetts. It prioritises frontline, constituent-led organisations and coalitions using leadership development and base-building to address root causes and build movements, centring communities most impacted by injustice. It also supports nonprofits that partner with and follow the lead of frontline base-building groups on systems change and movement-building work driven by community organising and constituent decision-making. Its Core Support grants provide general or project operating support to movement base-building groups, coalitions and movement-support organisations. Building Movement Infrastructure Project grants support movement infrastructure across movement-identified domains. Eligible applicants are organisations with IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or fiscally sponsored projects that are not private foundations.
Themes
- Economic justice
- Racial justice
- Social justice
- Movement building
- Community organising
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals or individual projects (e.g. research, fellowships, or scholarships)
- Direct services or individual empowerment or self-help programs
- Municipal, state, or federal agencies
- Religious organizations, unless they are part of community organizing programs of faith-based organizations
- Curriculum development, workshops, classes and video and film production unless they are part of an organizing strategy or an initiative to build movement or field capacity
- Legal or research expenses unless they are part of an overall organizing strategy and constituent-led efforts
- Capital campaigns
- Electoral work that promotes specific candidates
- Union organizing work, unless it is a campaign involving and benefitting the wider community (including non-union members)
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% 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 301 grants to organisations were $45,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It prioritises frontline, constituent-led organisations and coalitions using leadership development and base-building to address root causes and build movements.
- Its strategies centre people most impacted by injustice and multiracial working-class communities, supporting them to identify root causes and solutions and take collective action.
- It supports nonprofits that partner with and follow the lead of frontline base-building groups on systems change and movement building.
- Service organisations can apply for a project-specific organising grant when there is a fit with the Foundation’s criteria.
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 9% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations The Hyams Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 10% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 109 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Alternatives for Community and Environment · General support$420,0002024 tax year
- Third Sector New England · HUBS Movement Infrastructure Project$325,0002024 tax year
- Urban Revival · Homes for All Massachusetts Project$205,0002024 tax year
- Resist · General support$202,5002024 tax year
- Urban Revival · General support$190,0002024 tax year
- Resist · MassCOSH - Immigrant and Youth Worker Justice$159,0002024 tax year
- Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Education Fund · General support$151,0002024 tax year
- Center for Labor Education and Research · Digital Empowerment for Social Justice Project$142,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Mark Watson — Trustee
- Karen L Mapp — Trustee
- Lucas H Guerra — Vice Treasurer / Trustee
- Lily Mendez-Morgan — Vice Chair / Vice Treasurer / Trustee
- Julie Goodridge — Treasurer / Trustee
- Iris Gomez — Clerk / Trustee
- Lisa Owens — Executive Director
- Maria Elena Letona — Trustee
- Rahsaan D Hall — Trustee
- Gerardo Espinoza — Trustee
- Penn Loh — President / Chair / Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $11,301,868 | $5,637,752 | $130,800,910 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $8,878,862 | $5,980,865 | $137,975,556 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $8,554,850 | $6,193,092 | $144,329,982 | 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
🎯 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 The Hyams Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 426-5600
- info@hyamsfoundation.org
- Grants@hyamsfoundation.org
- Boston, MA
- hyamsfoundation.org
Applying to The Hyams Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 426-5600
- info@hyamsfoundation.org
- Grants@hyamsfoundation.org
- Boston, MA
- hyamsfoundation.org