Barr Foundation
Invitation OnlyBoston, Massachusetts · EIN 04-6579815 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$123.2M
Organizations funded903
Typical grant$80,000
Total assets$2.8B
Half of its grants to organizations were between $5,000 and $187,500.
From the return
How to apply
On its return for tax year 2024 the foundation checked the box saying it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
34% of grants went outside Massachusetts.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| (855) United States Energy Foundation | San Francisco, CA | To accelerate the transition to clean energy in the northeast | $3,275,000 |
| (219) Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts | Springfield, MA | To support the valley creates initiative | $2,900,000 |
| (552) National Center for Civic Innovation Inc | New York, NY | To continue to lead the technical assistance for the schools in the beyond ene (engage new england) cohort | $1,550,000 |
| (126) Boston Ujima Project Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core support | $1,200,000 |
| (551) National Center for Civic Innovation Inc | New York, NY | To build organizational capacity to scale school observation visits and to provide capacity-building support for barr grantee school leaders | $1,180,000 |
| (239) Conservation Law Foundation Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition | $1,100,000 |
| (735) Sri International | Menlo Park, CA | To continue the developmental evaluation and conduct an efficacy study of the beyond engage new england initiative | $1,100,000 |
| (238) Conservation Law Foundation Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition | $1,000,000 |
| (263) Double Edge Theatre Productions Inc | Ashfield, MA | To participate in barr's cultural evolution grants program | $1,000,000 |
| (490) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency | Boston, MA | To support real estate and capital investments in transformative development initiative districts | $1,000,000 |
| (896) World Music Inc | Cambridge, MA | To participate in barr's cultural evolution grants program | $1,000,000 |
| (489) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency | Boston, MA | To support intensive arts-based economic development programming in transformative development initiative districts | $805,000 |
| (245) Creative Hub Worcester | Worcester, MA | To support the first phase of construction of the creative hub worcester community arts center | $750,000 |
| (482) Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Inc | Boston, MA | To provide continued support for the delivering on equity collective | $750,000 |
| (576) New England Foundation for the Arts Inc | Boston, MA | To further instill a spatial justice lens in the public art programs | $750,000 |
| (853) United States Artists Inc | Chicago, IL | To support the 2025 fellowship program and continue trestle and policy research, discovery, and planning efforts in new england | $750,000 |
| (240) Conservation Law Foundation Inc | Boston, MA | To support advocacy and communications efforts to achieve an accessible, equitable, and climate-resilient boston waterfront | $705,000 |
| (415) Institute for Nonprofit Practice Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core operating support during multi-year growth | $650,000 |
| (575) New England Foundation for the Arts Inc | Boston, MA | To support strategic planning and early implementation | $650,000 |
| (587) New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | To provide core support to leading now to provide programming to superintendents in new england | $650,000 |
| (357) Greater Worcester Community Foundation Inc | Worcester, MA | To support the creative worcester initiative | $600,000 |
| (414) Institute for Nonprofit Practice Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core operating support during multi-year growth | $600,000 |
| (763) the Education Trust | Washington, DC | To provide core support for the organization's massachusetts work | $600,000 |
| (328) Friends of the Lynn Historical Society Inc | Lynn, MA | To support the lynnarts infrastructure and renovation project | $580,000 |
| (579) New England Grassroots Environment Fund Inc | Newmarket, NH | To support a regional federal funding resource hub | $565,000 |
| (177) City of Boston | Boston, MA | To support the cultural access program ("museum sundays"): 60% to innovation fund and 40% to unrestricted project expenses | $500,000 |
| (410) Inquilinos Boricuas En Accion Inc | Boston, MA | To support the campaign and construction of LA casa: the center for arts, self-determination, and activism | $500,000 |
| (496) Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation Inc | North Adams, MA | To support the first phase of long-term planning, community development, and sustainability initiatives | $500,000 |
| (499) Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation Inc | North Adams, MA | To support the second phase of its community development and sustainability initiatives strategy | $500,000 |
| (522) Metropolitan Area Planning Council | Boston, MA | To support mobility, clean energy, and climate resiliency planning | $500,000 |
| (544) National Arts Strategies Inc | Alexandria, VA | To support the implementation phase of the project pilot | $500,000 |
| (567) Nectar Community Investments Inc | Lawrence, MA | To support community and economic development programming | $500,000 |
| (669) Prx Inc | Cambridge, MA | To support strategic planning | $500,000 |
| (721) Smart Growth America | Washington, DC | To inform federal transportation policy and educate and engage massachusetts stakeholders | $500,000 |
| (757) the Center for Cultural Innovation | Los Angeles, CA | To support ambitious and research 2 impact | $500,000 |
| (854) United States Artists Inc | Chicago, IL | To support the 2024 fellowship program and trestle research, discovery, and planning efforts in new england | $500,000 |
| (505) Massachusetts School Administrators Association Inc | Franklin, MA | To continue support for the implementation of m.a.s.s.'s strategy for advancing racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, including the new… | $475,000 |
| (92) Boston Foundation Inc | Boston, MA | To provide core support to the aapi arts & culture collaborative program | $450,000 |
| (208) College Bound Dorchester Inc | Dorchester, MA | For unrestricted core support for new england work and system strengthening | $450,000 |
| (566) Nectar Community Investments Inc | Lawrence, MA | To support community and economic development programming | $450,000 |
| (138) Brown University of Providence State of Ri and Prov Plantations | Providence, RI | For the annenberg institute to prepare and launch research exploring the developmental arcs of highly effective educators | $440,000 |
| (814) Third Sector New England Inc | Boston, MA | To support core operations and implementation of strategic growth plan for design studio for social intervention | $428,571 |
| (74) Bikes Not Bombs Inc | Jamaica Plain, MA | To support increased access to bike shop services and community engagement on transportation issues in dorchester, mattapan, and roxbury | $420,000 |
| (759) the Chisholm Legacy Project Inc | Burtonsville, MD | To support community-based leaders in new england to advance equity-centered climate solutions | $415,000 |
| (9) Acadia Center | Rockport, ME | To advance energy and building decarbonization policies in new england, through research and non-partisan analysis, stakeholder engagement… | $405,000 |
| (550) National Center for Civic Innovation Inc | New York, NY | To design and host an inspirational study tour to support meeting the moment cohort grantees in dreaming about what might be possible for… | $405,000 |
| (602) Now and There Inc | Boston, MA | To support operations | $405,000 |
| (7) Abundant Housing Massachusetts | Jamaica Plain, MA | To support mbta communities organizing, advocacy, and communications | $400,000 |
| (100) Boston Globe Media Partners LLC | Boston, MA | To continue support for the great divide | $400,000 |
| (101) Boston Globe Media Partners LLC | Boston, MA | To support the boston globe's racial wealth equity coverage | $400,000 |
| (217) Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts | Springfield, MA | To support valley creates grants | $400,000 |
| (297) Essex County Community Foundation Inc | Beverly, MA | To support the sustainability phase (2023-26) of eccf's creative county initiative | $400,000 |
| (397) Hyams Foundation | Boston, MA | To support climate justice movement building infrastructure in massachusetts | $400,000 |
| (470) Maine People Resource Center | Portland, ME | To provide general operating support | $400,000 |
| (695) Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | New York, NY | To provide a final round of core support for its fund for shared insight program | $400,000 |
| (727) Southcoast Community Foundation Inc | New Bedford, MA | To support the creative southcoast initiative | $400,000 |
| (755) the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Inc | Sheffield, MA | To support the arts build community initiative | $400,000 |
| (781) the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation Inc | Wellesley, MA | To support a re-granting and technical assistance program for greenways in greater boston | $400,000 |
| (822) Third Sector New England Inc | Boston, MA | To build leadership capacity through cohort programming with an equity lens that is supported by an organizational equity plan and… | $400,000 |
| (248) Cropcircle Kitchen Inc | Dorchester, MA | To support the creation of replicable, scalable, and equitable strategies to advance its charitable purposes related to small business… | $395,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 903 grants to organizations.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $123,235,702 | 903 |
| 2023 | $106,878,904 | 844 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 17, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202503219349105335
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 04-6579815
- Profile updated Nov 4, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.