The Once Here Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Once Here Foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a grant writer should not send it a cold proposal; an approach only makes sense if the organisation is first invited or introduced.
- Its typical grants, about 8 in 10 of its 43 grants to organisations, fall between $75,000 and $225,000, with a median of $100,000, so a request near that level fits its past giving.
- That band is not a ceiling, since its largest grant was $900,000, to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, an organisation it pays every year that regrants to other organisations.
- No geographic focus is stated, and its filings list purposes only as general support or charitable, so judge fit by whether your work falls within charitable purposes.
- Repeat giving is strong: 100% of its grant dollars to organisations in its most recent filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so a relationship with the foundation is likely to matter more than an open application.
Overview
The Once Here Foundation is a US private foundation based in Cambridge, MA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filings show the foundation making general-support and charitable grants to a varied group of organisations, with most recorded grant dollars going to Massachusetts. Recipients include hospitals and a divinity school, alongside community and family-service organisations, groups working on justice and peace, prison outreach, camps, literacy and special-needs recreation. It also supports organisations beyond Massachusetts, including a charitable gift fund in Ohio and an organisation in Colorado. The filings list purposes as general support or charitable rather than naming a narrower field. Its stated approach is to make contributions to preselected charitable organisations rather than accept unsolicited requests.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Massachusetts and Ohio.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% 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 43 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 28% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations The Once Here Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 31% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 14 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $138k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund · General Support$900,0002024 tax year
- Harvard Divinity School · General Support$225,0002024 tax year
- Shooting Touch · General Support$200,0002024 tax year
- Massachusetts General Hospital · General Support$200,0002024 tax year
- McLean Hospital · General Support$150,0002024 tax year
- Mothers for Justice and Equality · General Support$150,0002024 tax year
- Friends of Matenwa · General Support$150,0002024 tax year
- Calling All Crows · General Support$125,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Farley Urmston — Trustee
- Karl Bandtel — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,814,075 | $1,750,000 | $76,194,956 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,765,498 | $2,625,000 | $46,765,854 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,807,715 | $2,750,000 | $62,245,700 | 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 Once Here Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Cambridge, MA
Applying to The Once Here Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Cambridge, MA