The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation

• The foundation's stated priority is Greater Boston, and its areas are arts and culture, health and hospitals, early childhood education, disability inclusion and human services, with social justice work through community-based partnerships, so a group working in these fields in the Boston area fits best.
• The filing says the foundation accepts requests by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold proposal is unlikely to be considered; build a connection first.
• Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $3,750 and $39,500, and the median is $20,000, so a request in that range is realistic, though its largest grant was $870,000, which is not a guide for a small group.
• Repeat funding is strong, with 92% of its grant dollars to organisations going to groups it had funded in earlier filings, so a new group should not count on a first grant.
• The filing gives no application steps or deadlines, so do not plan around a cycle.

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

• Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital · General purposes of the organization
  $870,0002025 tax year
• Musuem Of Fine Arts Boston · General purposes of the organization
  $382,0002025 tax year
• Brimmer and May School · General purposes of the organization
  $101,0002025 tax year
• Combined Jewish Philanthropies · General purposes of the organization
  $100,0002025 tax year
• Huntington Theater · General purposes of the organization
  $70,0002025 tax year
• Boston Symphony Orchestra · General purposes of the organization
  $55,0002025 tax year
• Theater Offensive · General purposes of the organization
  $50,0002025 tax year
• Full Spectrum Features · General purposes of the organization
  $39,2502025 tax year

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

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.