Fidelity Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 04-6131201 · since 1992fidelityfoundation.org·Albuquerque, Boston, Cincinnati, Covington, Dallas, Denver, Durham, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Jersey…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$156M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$100 to $60,000
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$400
Typical grant (median)
4,428 grants in the latest filing
Open to applications
Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Overview

Fidelity 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 Foundation is a private, nonoperating foundation focused on strengthening nonprofit organizations and their long-term effectiveness. It supports work in arts and culture, conservation, education, health, and social and economic mobility. Its capacity-building grants back capital investments, planning initiatives, and high-impact technology projects intended to improve an organisation's impact, efficiency, or sustainability. It takes an investment approach, assessing the organisation, its proposed project, management, and finances for measurable value. It considers community projects in regions around employee sites in specified metropolitan areas, while organisations of national importance and high-impact projects that may inform the nonprofit sector are also of interest. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities with operating budgets of at least $1 million and proposed projects budgeted at $100,000 or more.

Themes

  • Arts and culture
  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Health
  • Social and economic mobility

Geographic Focus

Priority: Albuquerque, NM; Boston, MA; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Covington, KY/Cincinnati, OH; Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX; Denver, CO; Jacksonville, FL; Jersey City, NJ; Merrimack, NH; Smithfield, RI; Salt Lake City, UT.

What They Don't Fund

  • Start-up organizations
  • Sectarian organizations
  • Civic organizations
  • Disease-specific associations
  • Individuals
  • Operating support
  • Sponsorships
  • Galas or benefits
  • Scholarships
  • Corporate memberships
  • Video and film projects
  • Event sponsorship
  • Volunteerism
  • Community initiatives
  • In-kind support

How to apply

Organisations begin with a Letter of Inquiry; if invited, they proceed to a full proposal.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 59% 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 10,785 grants to organisations were $500 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • The Foundation assesses the overall organisation, the proposed project, and its likelihood of success.
  • A proposal should demonstrate the organisation's financial health, leadership, strategic direction, and supporting business plan and operating budget.
  • The Foundation looks for Board commitment, a realistic budget, an implementation plan, performance measurement, and post-implementation operating projections.
  • For capital campaigns, the Foundation looks for significant community support, including at least half the goal already attracted.
  • Program staff may ask for further information or a site visit to learn about the organisation, its management team, and its proposal.
  • Grantees are expected to submit a full post-grant report, typically one year after receiving an award.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Massachusetts36%
Texas8%
New York8%
Maine6%
North Carolina5%
New Hampshire4%

6 other states: 18%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 16%

  • The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to organisations Fidelity Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • <1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
  • 1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

4,428 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $400

How much do they typically give?

Share of 4,428 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k60%
$1k–$2.5k18%
$2.5k–$5k5%
$5k–$10k8%
$10k–$25k<1%
$25k–$50k<1%
$50k–$100k<1%
$100k–$250k3%
$250k–$500k4%
$500k–$1M1%
$1M and over<1%

Median $400 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges · General operating / annual support
    $10,000,0002024 tax year
  • Pine Street Inn · Endowment
    $5,050,0002024 tax year
  • Northeast Wilderness Trust · Endowment
    $3,300,0002024 tax year
  • Cox Science Center and Aquarium · Construction
    $2,500,0002024 tax year
  • St. Lawrence University · Endowment
    $2,500,0002024 tax year
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County · Land / building acquisition
    $2,500,0002024 tax year
  • New England Aquarium · Discovery research (science)
    $2,500,0002024 tax year
  • Adopt-a-Student Foundation · Campaign / fundraising plan
    $2,000,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

  • Kevin Saunders — Secretary
  • Daniel M Ardito — Treasurer
  • Maura Marx — President
  • Edward C Johnson IV — Director
  • Elizabeth L Johnson — Director
  • Abigail P Johnson — Director / Vice President
  • Ross E Sherbrooke — Director / Vice President

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$171,982,325$160,625,871$3,071,221,455Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$159,217,067$146,970,213$4,162,997,059Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$171,848,038$156,206,272$5,552,869,585Filing 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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