J M R Barker Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $3,817,150 (2023)
• Total Assets: $84.5 million (2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Varies widely (from smaller grants to multi-million dollar commitments)
• Average Grant: ~$238,572 (based on 16 awards in 2023)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily MA, NH, NY, and VA; also supports organizations in VT, TX, and select international locations

Contact Details

Address:
c/o Ballentine Partners, LLC
230 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor
Waltham, MA 02451

Phone: (781) 314-1300

EIN: 13-6268289

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Overview

Established in 1968, the J M R Barker Foundation is a private family foundation based in Waltham, Massachusetts, with total assets of $84.5 million and annual giving of approximately $3.8 million. Founded by Robert R. Barker to honor his father (who suffered from Alzheimer's disease), the foundation operates with a focused approach to grantmaking, supporting organizations that are well-known to one or more of its directors. The foundation emphasizes three primary areas: education, environment, and cultural programs. The foundation is administered by Ballentine Partners, LLC and operates as a classic private foundation funded primarily through investment income (dividends, interest, and asset sales). The foundation made 16 grants in 2023, continuing a consistent pattern of selective but substantial grantmaking.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with application deadlines. Instead, it makes strategic grants to organizations known to its directors, typically ranging from smaller grants to multi-million dollar commitments.

Notable Recent Grants:

• McLean Hospital Corporation Employee and Retiree Medical Trust: $1,040,000
• Austin Achieve Public Schools: $395,000
• Open Door Cape Ann Food Pantry: $380,000
• UT Health San Antonio: $2.5 million (2019) for biobank establishment
• Harvard University: $5 million (2004) for the Robert R. Barker Fund for Small-Group Instruction

Types of Support Provided:

• Annual campaigns
• Capital and infrastructure
• Capital campaigns
• Continuing support
• Endowments
• General operating support
• Program support
• Research
• Seed money

Priority Areas

Education: The foundation has demonstrated strong commitment to educational institutions and programs, including support for Harvard University's small-group instruction programs and Austin Achieve Public Schools.

Environment: Environmental organizations and programs are among the foundation's stated priorities, though specific examples were not publicly documented in recent filings.

Cultural Programs: Support for arts, cultural, and community enrichment programs, particularly those with connections to foundation directors.

Healthcare and Medical Research: Recent grants indicate interest in healthcare institutions and biomedical research, particularly related to Alzheimer's disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and aging research.

Community Services: Support for food pantries and social service organizations serving local communities.

Geographic Focus

Primary: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Virginia

Secondary: Vermont, Texas, and select international locations (including Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil)

What They Don't Fund

• Grants to individuals
• Scholarships or fellowships
• Matching gifts
• Loans
• Organizations not previously known to the directors
• Unsolicited proposals

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by a board of directors that includes members of the Barker family. Key individuals associated with the foundation include:

• Kathryn E Barker - President
• William S Barker - Vice President
• James R Barker - Trustee
• Margaret Barker Clark - Trustee
• Gregory D Barker - Director
• Troy Y Murray - Director
• J Barry Tubman - Director
• Adam P Kahn - Director
• William L Braman - Director
• Dr. Ben Barker - Board member (also serves on UT Health San Antonio Development Board)

All board members and officers serve without compensation, reinforcing the foundation's family-oriented philanthropic mission.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The J M R Barker Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

The foundation gives primarily to organizations that are well-known to one or more directors. This means that grant decisions are made based on existing relationships and the directors' direct knowledge of potential grantees rather than through an open application process.

Getting on Their Radar

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations may become known to the foundation through:

Board Connections: Directors serve on boards of various organizations and identify potential grantees through these relationships. For example, Dr. Ben Barker's service on the UT Health San Antonio Development Board led to the foundation's $2.5 million biobank grant.

Geographic Proximity: The foundation shows preference for organizations in Massachusetts (where it is based) and the surrounding New England states, as well as New York and Virginia where family members may have connections.

Long-term Relationships: The foundation's approach emphasizes "organizations that are well-known to one or more Directors," suggesting that long-term relationships and demonstrated impact are more important than formal proposals.

Shared Mission Alignment: Organizations working in education, environment, and cultural programs that align with the Barker family's values and interests, particularly those with connections to Alzheimer's research (honoring Robert R. Barker's father).

Decision Timeline

The foundation does not publish information about decision timelines. As grants are made to pre-selected organizations, the timeline varies based on director discussions and organizational needs rather than fixed application cycles.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept applications. Continued support appears to be based on ongoing relationships and the organization's continued alignment with foundation priorities.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, the traditional application success factors do not apply. However, for organizations seeking to understand this funder's priorities:

Relationship-Driven Philanthropy: The foundation operates on a relationship model where personal connections and direct knowledge of organizations by board members drive funding decisions. This is evidenced by their explicit statement about funding "organizations that are well-known to one or more Directors."

Alignment with Founder's Values: The foundation was established to honor Robert R. Barker's father who suffered from Alzheimer's. The $2.5 million grant to UT Health San Antonio for Alzheimer's research demonstrates continued commitment to this founding mission.

Educational Excellence: The $5 million grant to Harvard for small-group instruction shows the foundation values educational innovation and close faculty-student relationships. As noted by Jeremy Knowles, "Bob Barker was a friend, and a princely alumnus who understood what we most needed."

Substantial, Strategic Grants: The foundation makes relatively few grants (16 in 2023) but these are often substantial. Individual grants have ranged from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, suggesting they prefer making meaningful impact through larger commitments rather than spreading resources thinly.

Diverse Portfolio: Despite the narrow application process, the foundation supports a diverse range of causes - from food pantries ($380,000 to Open Door Cape Ann) to medical research ($2.5 million to UT Health San Antonio) to educational innovation ($5 million to Harvard).

Multi-Year Vision: The Harvard grant's purpose to "expand and enrich" programs and the biobank grant's research focus suggest the foundation values long-term impact over short-term projects.

Community Connection: Support for local organizations like the Open Door Cape Ann Food Pantry and McLean Hospital suggests directors maintain strong connections to their Massachusetts community.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation exclusively funds organizations pre-selected by its directors and does not accept unsolicited proposals under any circumstances.

• Relationship-Driven: Success depends entirely on having a personal connection with one or more board members who can champion your organization internally.

• Substantial Commitments: When the foundation does fund an organization, grants tend to be substantial (often six or seven figures), reflecting their preference for meaningful impact.

• Family Foundation Values: The foundation was created to honor Robert R. Barker's father, and causes connected to Alzheimer's disease, education, and community service align with the family's philanthropic vision.

• Geographic Preference: Organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Virginia are most likely to be within the foundation's scope, though exceptional opportunities in other locations may be considered.

• Long-Term Perspective: The foundation's major grants (Harvard, UT Health San Antonio) focus on building lasting infrastructure and programs rather than funding one-time events or short-term needs.

• Board Diversity Creates Opportunities: With multiple board members serving in various capacities, different types of organizations may gain access through different board connections - from healthcare to education to community services.

References

• Charity Navigator Profile: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/136268289 (Accessed February 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136268289 (Accessed February 2026)
• Cause IQ Profile: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/j-m-r-barker-foundation,136268289/ (Accessed February 2026)
• Candid Foundation Directory: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=BARK001 (Accessed February 2026)
• Harvard Gazette, June 2004: "Barker Foundation supports small-group instruction" https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2004/06/barker-foundation-supports-small-group-instruction/ (Accessed February 2026)
• UT Health San Antonio, February 22, 2019: "J.M.R. Barker Foundation donates $2.5 million for biobank to study diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's" https://news.uthscsa.edu/j-m-r-barker-foundation-donates-2-5-million-for-biobank-to-study-diseases-including-cancer-and-alzheimers/ (Accessed February 2026)
• IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2023 and 2024