Who funds Boston Symphony Orchestra?
159 private foundations reported grants to Boston Symphony Orchestra in Boston, Massachusetts totaling $5.6 million across 164 grants in tax years 2023 to 2025. The largest funder was Martha Dana Mercer Trust, with $1.2 million.
From the funders' IRS Form 990-PF filings.
- Foundation funders159
- Grants reported164
- Total received$5.6 million
- Funders taking applications20
Foundations that fund Boston Symphony Orchestra
| Foundation | Purpose given | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha Dana Mercer Trust | Unrestricted general | 1 | $1.2 million |
| Cecile Higginson Murphy Charitable Foundation | General Purpose | 1 | $500,000 |
| The 1916 Foundation | General support | 1 | $350,000 |
| Berry Drew Family Foundation | Charitable purposes | 1 | $200,000 |
| Highland Street Connection | For arts and culture. | 3 | $116,000 |
| Richard K Lubin Family Foundation | To provide support for the needs of the organization. | 1 | $110,000 |
| The Oxford League Inc | Business partners/pres at the pops | 1 | $105,600 |
| Linde Family Foundation | Support for tanglewood learning center's non-orchestral community programing | 1 | $100,000 |
| The Gregory E Bulger Foundation | Support boston & tanglewood funds | 2 | $100,000 |
| Li-Qiu Family Foundation | 2025 concert for the city fall 2025(boston) | 1 | $100,000 |
| Miriam Shaw Fund UW | Unrestricted general | 1 | $97,780 |
| Arbella Insurance Foundation | Unrestricted operating funds | 1 | $89,750 |
| The New England Foundation | General welfare | 1 | $81,000 |
| TBD Foundation | To provide needed monetary assistance to the charity | 1 | $77,000 |
| The Grossman Family Charitable Foundation | Operations budget assistance | 1 | $75,863 |
| Meeker Children's Charitable Trust FBO Boston | General charitable purpose | 1 | $73,000 |
| Chessie Foundation Inc | Charitable distribution | 1 | $70,000 |
| KMD Foundation | Promotion of the arts | 1 | $66,758 |
| Tr Uind Edward B Galligan | General purpose | 1 | $63,152 |
| E Evan Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $56,453 |
| Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation | General purposes of the organization | 1 | $55,000 |
| The Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation Inc | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $55,000 |
| King-White Family Foundation Inc | Unrestricted | 1 | $55,000 |
| Perles Family Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $53,000 |
| Fieldcrest Aspiration Foundation | General | 1 | $52,815 |
| Kingsbury Road Charitable Foundation | General charitable purposes | 1 | $52,500 |
| Gerald Flaxer Charitable Foundation | To foster and maintain an organization dedicated to the making of music consonant with the highest aspirations of the musical art, creating performance and providing educational and training programs at the highest level of excellence. | 1 | $50,000 |
| Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation | General support | 1 | $50,000 |
| Janey Fund Charitable Trust | Unrestricted | 1 | $50,000 |
| Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc | Fy25 sensory friendly concerts | 2 | $50,000 |
| John W Henry Family Foundation Inc | To fund operations | 1 | $50,000 |
| Stemberg Thomas G Char Fnd | General charitable purposes | 1 | $50,000 |
| Ting Tsung & Wei Fong Chao Foundation | Program/project support | 1 | $50,000 |
| The Alfred and Hanna Fromm Fund | General fund | 1 | $45,000 |
| The Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation | Public welfare | 1 | $40,000 |
| Yawkey Foundation II | Enhanced access/outreach for arts & culture programs | 1 | $40,000 |
| Grew Family Charitable Foundation | General purposes | 1 | $40,000 |
| Edith H Overly Foundation | General Support | 1 | $40,000 |
| Edwin S Webster Foundation | General operating support | 1 | $35,000 |
| The Robert and Michelle Cooke Atchinson Foundation | To support education and community programs aimed to increase access to and passion for orchestral music | 1 | $35,000 |
| Lovett-Woodsum Foundation Inc | Unrestricted | 1 | $30,000 |
| The Roger and Myrna Landay Foundation Charitable Foundation | Primary purpose of the foundation to meet irs minimum distribution | 1 | $30,000 |
| Saquish Foundation | Charitable | 1 | $30,000 |
| Leaves of Grass Fund | Charitable | 1 | $30,000 |
| Walter F & Alice Gorham Foundation Inc | Music tanglewood annual fund | 1 | $30,000 |
| E & L Campbell Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $30,000 |
| James & Melinda Rabb Family Foundation | Charity | 1 | $28,000 |
| The William & Lia G Poorvu Family Foundation | Operating support | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Kandell Fund | To further donee's exempt purpose | 1 | $25,000 |
| Frelinghuysen Foundation | Fellow sponsor | 1 | $25,000 |
| Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation | General | 1 | $25,000 |
| Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation | Cultural vitality | 1 | $25,000 |
| Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Bobby and Peggy O'Connor Foundation | To further entity's exempt purpose. | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Vantzelfde Family Foundation | To support a public charity | 1 | $25,000 |
| The George F and Elsie Barnard Hodder Classic | Unrestricted general | 1 | $24,274 |
| Ocf Foundation Inc | Charitable support | 1 | $20,000 |
| The Edward Lee and Slocumb Hollis Perry Foundation | General fund | 2 | $19,500 |
| Dixie Wonders Trust | Unrestricted gift | 1 | $17,039 |
| Tamarack Foundation | Social | 1 | $17,000 |
| Hinda L & Arthur Marcus Foundation | Charitable contribution | 1 | $15,000 |
| Gerald R Jordan Foundation | General fundraising | 1 | $15,000 |
| Jean C Tempel Foundation | To support charitable purposes | 1 | $15,000 |
| The High Pointe Foundation | General welfare | 1 | $15,000 |
| Lucia B Morrill Charitable Fdn | Unrestricted general | 1 | $15,000 |
| The Ohrn Family Charitable Foundation | General | 1 | $15,000 |
| The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust | General operating support | 1 | $12,500 |
| Colton Family Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $11,144 |
| Karp Family Foundation Stephen R and Jill E Karp Trustees | Charitable contribution | 1 | $10,000 |
| The John & Katherine Morris Foundation | Support of the arts | 1 | $10,000 |
| Sea Breeze Foundation-Tr | General operating | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Bressler Family Foundation | General | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Mooney-Reed Charitable Foundation | Annual gala support | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Charles A Dana Foundation | Director recommended - general operating support | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Howard Gilman Foundation Inc | Trustee grant - tanglewood fund | 1 | $10,000 |
| Eagan Family Foundation Inc | Support for general use | 1 | $10,000 |
| Elizabeth T Fessenden Charitable Fdn | General funds | 1 | $10,000 |
| Bear-Sontz Family Foundation | General | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Ruane Family Foundation | To support the organization's goal of making music consonant with the highest aspirations of the musical art, creating performance opportunities, and providing educational and training programs at the highest level of excellence. | 1 | $10,000 |
| Five Stones Fund Inc Fka Albert Shapiro Fund | Educational | 1 | $10,000 |
| Ruth & Peter Metz Family Foundation | Provide operating funds | 1 | $10,000 |
| Crawley Family Foundation | Annual fund | 1 | $10,000 |
| Peter and Ann Lambertus Family Foundatio | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Cathy and George Sakellaris Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Hearn Family Foundation | General operating support for tanglewood annual fund. | 1 | $10,000 |
| Frank M Barnard Foundation Inc | Digitization of boston pops recordings. | 1 | $8,000 |
| The Roxe Foundation | General purpose | 1 | $7,602 |
| Jackson & Irene Golden 1989 Charitable Trust | General & unrestricted | 1 | $7,500 |
| Mattina R Proctor Foundation | Grant- barber's vanessa | 1 | $7,500 |
| The Buchwald Family Foundation | To further donee organization goals. | 1 | $7,500 |
| Needham Bank Charitable Foundation Inc | Exempt purpose | 1 | $7,500 |
| Edna Talbot for Boston Symphony | Unrestricted general | 1 | $7,057 |
| The Colburn Foundation | General cash donation | 1 | $7,000 |
| The Amphion Foundation Inc | Encourage the performance of contemporary concert music | 1 | $6,500 |
| King Spruce Company | Unrestricted gift | 1 | $6,000 |
| Katharine LW and Winthrop M Crane 3d Charitable Foundation | General purposes (for Day in the Arts Program) | 1 | $6,000 |
| Beard Family Charitable Trust | General purpose | 1 | $6,000 |
| The Dudley H and Sally S Willis Charitable Foundation | General support | 1 | $6,000 |
| Jodi and Paul Tartell Family Foundation Inc | To enable the organization to perform its charitable function | 1 | $5,700 |
| Tridan Foundation Inc | Support of operations | 1 | $5,500 |
Using this list
A foundation that already gives to Boston Symphony Orchestra gives in its field and region, so the list doubles as a prospect list for similar organizations in Boston. Open a foundation to see its application rules, typical grant and every other grant it paid.
Questions people ask
Who funds Boston Symphony Orchestra?
Martha Dana Mercer Trust, Cecile Higginson Murphy Charitable Foundation, The 1916 Foundation, Berry Drew Family Foundation and Highland Street Connection, and 154 more, according to their IRS Form 990-PF filings.
How much does Boston Symphony Orchestra get from foundations?
$5.6 million in 164 reported grants from 159 private foundations in tax years 2023 to 2025. Government grants and gifts from individuals are not included.
Which of these funders accept applications?
Berry Drew Family Foundation, Linde Family Foundation, The New England Foundation, TBD Foundation and Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation say in their filings that they accept applications.