The Sidney A Swensrud Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it a cold application and should first look for a route in through someone who already knows it.
- Its stated priority is affordable access to early mental-health treatment and prevention for young people, with parent education and community support, so youth mental-health work is the clearest fit, though its filings also record grants for education, health, the environment and public policy.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 80 grants to organisations fall between $15,000 and $150,000, and half were $50,000 or less, so a request in that region is a sensible starting point, although the largest grant was $500,000.
- Repeat giving is very strong, with 99% of its grant dollars to organisations in its recent filings going to groups it had already funded, which suggests its giving is relationship-led and that a first grant may be hard to win without a connection.
- The filing states no geographic focus, so location is not a rule, although its grants have mainly gone to Massachusetts, California, District of Columbia and Florida.
Overview
The Sidney A Swensrud 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 web pages about the foundation (philanthropyroundtable.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation describes its mental-health priority as affordable access to early treatment and prevention for young people, with parent education and community support as part of that approach. It says it has funded resources and curricula for parents, families and providers, alongside workshops for parents, clergy, teachers, school staff and nurses. Its representatives describe a preference for programmes with promising results and projected outcomes. The filings also record grants for education, health, the environment and public policy, including support to schools and education organisations, health charities, environmental organisations and policy groups.
Themes
- Youth mental health
From its grants, not stated by the foundation:
- Education
- Environment
- Public policy
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts, California, District of Columbia and Florida.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 80 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It prioritises affordable access to early mental-health treatment and prevention for young people, alongside parent education and community support. (as reported in other published sources)
- It favours programmes with strong promise of effective results and projected outcomes. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations The Sidney A Swensrud Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 23 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $75,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Upstream USA · Health$500,0002024 tax year
- Federation for American Immigration Reform · Public policy$150,0002024 tax year
- Naples Botanical Garden · Environment$150,0002024 tax year
- Cure Alzheimer's Fund · Health$125,0002024 tax year
- Pioneer Institute · Public policy$125,0002024 tax year
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Health general$100,0002024 tax year
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida · Environment$100,0002024 tax year
- Epiphany School · Education$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Francis Brown — Trustee
- Nancy S Anthony — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,295,670 | $1,900,000 | $31,225,718 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,542,030 | $2,217,500 | $33,345,552 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,362,647 | $1,985,500 | $35,935,426 | 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 Sidney A Swensrud 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 Sidney A Swensrud Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA