The Ellison Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Ellison Foundation makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it a cold application, and the filing gives no public application steps.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $30,000 and $415,000, with a median of $100,000, but its largest grant was about $790,000, so that band describes typical grants rather than a ceiling, and half of its grants were $100,000 or less.
- Around 72% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, which suggests it is relationship-led and that renewals take up much of its money.
- No geographic focus is stated, but its grants have mainly gone to Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, so a group based in either place matches its past giving more closely.
Overview
The Ellison Foundation is a US private foundation based in Boston, 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
Across the filings, grants went to charitable organisations; most were recorded as programme support, with others recorded as general-fund support. Recipients included hospitals, cancer-research organisations and medical schools, alongside primary and secondary schools, youth-serving charities, homelessness and other human-services organisations, music and arts institutions, a maritime school, a museum and a beach-reservation organisation. The grant records span Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, with Massachusetts accounting for nearly all recorded recipient-state dollars. These recipient types describe the Foundation's past giving; the filings do not state formal thematic priorities or detailed eligibility criteria.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts and District of Columbia.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; the filing gives no public application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 72% 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 57 grants to organisations were $100,000 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 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to organisations The Ellison Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 17 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $169k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- American Cancer Society · Program support$792,0002024 tax year
- Tufts University School of Medicine · Program support$675,0002024 tax year
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Program support$650,0002024 tax year
- Beth Israel Lahey Health · Program support$507,2722024 tax year
- Brigham & Womens Hospital · Program support$414,9282024 tax year
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · Program support$350,4682024 tax year
- Boston Childrens Hospital Trust · Program support$250,0002024 tax year
- Massachusetts General Hospital · Program support$170,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- William G Speciale — Trustee
- Martin Hall — Trustee
- Elton F Drew — Trustee
- Andrew Silverman — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,336,466 | $2,583,300 | $76,012,638 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,068,791 | $2,430,000 | $84,014,260 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $5,353,371 | $4,648,656 | $90,369,091 | 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 The Ellison 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 The Ellison Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA