Mabel Louise Riley Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Check first that your organisation is incorporated in Massachusetts and serves people in Boston, since the main programme is limited to that, and that your request is not for a government agency other than a school, an individual, a sponsorship, multi-year support, or to cover an annual deficit or build an endowment.
- Where your project fits the main programme, size the request within $50,000 to $100,000, because the filing shows about 8 in 10 of its 214 grants to organisations fell between $50,000 and $87,000 and the median was $50,000.
- If your work is in the Greater Dudley area and builds families, the Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives $500 to $5,000, but large social service agencies, community-based organisations and for-profit entities are excluded from it.
- Start with a letter of intent by 10 February, 10 May, 10 August or 10 November, since the foundation invites selected applicants to a full proposal, and note that the trustees favour programmes that can become self-sufficient or serve as models elsewhere.
- About 19% of grant dollars to organisations in its latest filing went to groups it had also funded in the two filings before that, so a first-time applicant is not shut out, though the filing does not say how competitive the process is.
Overview
Mabel Louise Riley Foundation is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, BNY Mellon NA, in Pittsburgh, PA.
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 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation is a general-purpose foundation with a special interest in supporting the needs of low-income children and youth and their families. It supports a broad range of programmes, particularly in education and human services, and neighbourhood revitalisation. Its more specialised interests include arts access for underserved communities, foster care children and those ageing out of the system, vocational education and job training, and affordable housing and shelter for vulnerable families. Its main grant programme considers Massachusetts charitable organisations whose work serves people living in Boston, including new projects, programme expansion and capital projects, and favours programmes that can become self-sufficient or serve as models elsewhere. A separate Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund supports activities and projects in the Greater Dudley area that build, strengthen and support families.
Themes
- Low-income children and youth
- Education and human services
- Neighborhood revitalization
- Arts access
- Foster care
- Vocational education
- Affordable housing
Geographic Focus
City of Boston; Greater Dudley area.
What They Don't Fund
- Riley Foundation only: Multi-year support; Support to defray annual deficits or to build endowments; Support for governmental agencies other than schools, for political purposes, or for individuals; Support for organizations incorporated outside of Massachusetts; Smaller programs for which the Foundation would be the sole source for a project support (this restriction does not apply to the Small Grants Program); Sponsorships
- Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund only: Large social service agencies, community-based organizations, and for-profit entities; salaries
How to apply
Eligible applicants first submit a letter of intent (LOI); the foundation invites selected applicants to submit a full proposal.
Deadlines:
- LOI deadline: 10 February.
- LOI deadline: 10 May.
- LOI deadline: 10 August.
- LOI deadline: 10 November.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 19% 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 214 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The trustees favour programmes that can become self-sufficient or serve as models in other geographic areas.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to mending the social fabric of the neighbourhood.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to building, strengthening, and supporting personal and family development.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to broadening the horizons of individuals and families.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to removing barriers to employment.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to increasing parental involvement.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to beautifying outdoor spaces.
- The Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund gives high priority to community engagement.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
4 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 2% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 19% of grant dollars went to organisations Mabel Louise Riley 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 69 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Health Imperatives · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- The BASE · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- East Boston Social Centers · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- Boston Food Forest Coalition · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- InnerCity Weightlifting · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- Latinos for Education · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- Institute of Technology · General operating$100,0002024 tax year
- UTEC · General operating$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
- Joanne Y Jaxtimer — Co-Trustee
- Grace K Fey — Co-Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,816,087 | $4,027,250 | $67,007,473 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,721,806 | $3,580,190 | $73,557,368 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,864,161 | $3,746,449 | $78,999,689 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Mabel Louise Riley Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 722-7246
- ccmadyun@yahoo.com
- nsaunders@gmafoundations.com
- Pittsburgh, PA (office of its trustee, BNY Mellon NA)
- rileyfoundation.com
Applying to Mabel Louise Riley Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (617) 722-7246
- ccmadyun@yahoo.com
- nsaunders@gmafoundations.com
- Pittsburgh, PA (office of its trustee, BNY Mellon NA)
- rileyfoundation.com