Funding search · EIN 046579815 · Boston, MA

Barr Foundation

Name: Barr Foundation grants, 2022–2024
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A private foundation (files IRS Form 990-PF). Most private foundations do not take unsolicited applications; the route in is usually a program officer.

2,520
grants reported: $338.6M
total given: 2022–2024
filing years: $66,250
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2022–2024. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

matching gifts climate education arts creativity massachusetts core

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

Arts and creative sector capacity in Massachusetts cities and Gateway regions
Clean energy, decarbonization, and climate resilience policy in New England
High school redesign and school system leadership across New England
Transportation, mobility, and equitable waterfront/greenway development in Greater Boston
Community wealth building, economic development, and nonprofit leadership pipelines

Typical grant

Median grant is $66,250, with the middle half spanning $1,500 to $180,000, so a very large share of the record is small matching or employee-directed gifts. The strategic checks cluster between $330,000 and $1.1 million, going to core support, multi-year capacity building, and named cohort initiatives like Cultural Evolution and Beyond Engage New England. Repeat funding is the norm: Conservation Law Foundation, National Center for Civic Innovation, Mass Development, Mass MoCA, and Nectar all appear more than once with staged or consecutive grants.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“TO PROVIDE CORE SUPPORT”
“TO INVEST RISK CAPITAL IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP”
“TO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT”
“CLIMATE RESILIENCE”
“EQUITY-CENTERED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS”

Positioning adjacent work

Anchor to a named Barr initiative: Beyond Engage New England, Cultural Evolution, Valley Creates, or Transformative Development Initiative districts.
Ask $350,000 to $600,000 for multi-year core or capacity support rather than a narrow project budget.
Frame research as directly serving New England practitioners, the way Brown's Annenberg and SRI grants do.
Name the specific Massachusetts city or Gateway region and the equity lens; statewide abstractions get less traction.

Worth knowing: This is a Massachusetts funder first: 1,628 of 2,514 recipients are in state, and out-of-state grantees like SRI, Arizona State's CRPE, and Smart Growth America are funded explicitly for their New England or Massachusetts work. The largest checks go to a small set of long-standing partners and intermediaries, which suggests relationship-driven giving where a cold researcher is better off connecting through an existing grantee.

6 grants matching “climate adaptation” · $175,000

$75,000
(860) University of Massachusetts Foundation · Newton, MA · 2024
To support mass ecosystem climate adaptation network to expand learning networks for climate resilience
$7,500
(230) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2024
To support the climate adaptation forum organized quarterly by the environmental business council of new england and the university of massachusetts boston - sustainable solutions lab
$7,500
(189) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to support the climate adaptation forum organized quarterly by the environmental business council of new england and the university of massachusetts boston - sustainable solutions lab
$62,500
(247) University of Massachusetts Foundation · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to support mass ecosystem climate adaptation network to expand learning networks for climate resilience
$15,000
(150) Ecoadapt · Bainbridge Island, WA · 2022
Climate: to provide support for the national adaptation forum in baltimore, maryland and attendance support by individuals from the greater boston area
$7,500
(144) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to support the climate adaptation forum organized quarterly by the environmental business council of new england and the university of massachusetts boston - sustainable solutions lab

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

(298) United States Energy Foundation1 grant · $3.4M
(245) United States Energy Foundation1 grant · $3.3M
(855) United States Energy Foundation1 grant · $3.3M
(219) Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts1 grant · $2.9M
(42) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency1 grant · $1.8M
(430) Tntp1 grant · $1.6M
(552) National Center for Civic Innovation1 grant · $1.6M
(87) New Venture Fund1 grant · $1.5M
(58) New Venture Fund1 grant · $1.5M
(328) National Center for Civic Innovation1 grant · $1.5M

Giving over time

$108.5M

2022

$106.9M

2023

$123.2M

2024

Grant history

The 100 largest of 2,520 grants.

$3.4M
(298) United States Energy Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2023
Climate: to accelerate the transition to clean energy in the northeast
$3.3M
(855) United States Energy Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2024
To accelerate the transition to clean energy in the northeast
$3.3M
(245) United States Energy Foundation · San Francisco, CA · 2022
Climate: to accelerate the transition to clean energy in the northeast
$2.9M
(219) Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts · Springfield, MA · 2024
To support the valley creates initiative
$1.8M
(42) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency · Boston, MA · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support art-based strategies and investments in transformative development initiative (tdi) districts
$1.6M
(430) Tntp · New York, NY · 2023
Education: to support the implementation plans for local education agencies engaged in the driving towards diversity cohort
$1.6M
(552) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2024
To continue to lead the technical assistance for the schools in the beyond ene (engage new england) cohort
$1.5M
(87) New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support culture and creativity powering community change, an initiative of a funder collaborative of barr, kresge, and william penn foundations
$1.5M
(328) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2022
Education: to continue to lead the technical assistance for the schools in the engage new england cohort
$1.5M
(373) Tntp · New York, NY · 2022
Education: to support the implementation planning phase for grantees in the driving towards diversity cohort
$1.5M
(58) New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support culture and creativity powering community change, an initiative of a funder collaborative of barr, kresge, and william penn foundations
$1.3M
(179) Institute for Transportation and Development Policy · New York, NY · 2022
Climate: to support implementation of bus rapid transit in greater boston
$1.2M
(126) Boston Ujima Project · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide core support
$1.2M
(56) New England Foundation for the Arts · Boston, MA · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support the new england foundation for the arts to recenter its public art program around concepts of spatial justice
$1.2M
(551) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2024
To build organizational capacity to scale school observation visits and to provide capacity-building support for barr grantee school leaders
$1.1M
(239) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide core support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition
$1.1M
(735) Sri International · Menlo Park, CA · 2024
To continue the developmental evaluation and conduct an efficacy study of the beyond engage new england initiative
$1.1M
(383) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2023
Education: to build organizational capacity to scale school observation visits and to provide capacity-building support for barr grantee school leaders
$1.1M
(329) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2022
Education: to support springpoint in the implementation of one cohort of a teacher to leader fellowship
$1.1M
(384) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2023
Education: to support the planning and piloting of transformative learning experiences to prepare to scale
$1.0M
(238) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide core support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition
$1.0M
(263) Double Edge Theatre Productions · Ashfield, MA · 2024
To participate in barr's cultural evolution grants program
$1.0M
(490) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency · Boston, MA · 2024
To support real estate and capital investments in transformative development initiative districts
$1.0M
(896) World Music · Cambridge, MA · 2024
To participate in barr's cultural evolution grants program
$1.0M
(137) Zeiterion Theatre · New Bedford, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support the renovation of the zeiterion theatre
$1.0M
(191) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to provide core support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition
$1.0M
(235) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to support mobility, clean energy, and climate resiliency planning
$1.0M
(62) Jacob'S Pillow Dance Festival · Becket, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support construction of a new dance theater
$1.0M
(67) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency · Boston, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support real estate and capital investments in transformative development initiative districts
$1.0M
(723) Third Sector New England · Boston, MA · 2023
Racial wealth equity: to provide project support for the tsne shared services launch
$1.0M
(78) National Arts Strategies · Alexandria, VA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support the creative community fellows: new england and design of a new leadership program
$1.0M
(192) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to support mobility, clean energy, and climate resiliency planning
$1.0M
(40) Jacob'S Pillow Dance Festival · Becket, MA · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support construction of a new dance theater
$1.0M
(51) National Arts Strategies · Alexandria, VA · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support the creative community fellows: new england and design of a new leadership program
$1.0M
(57) New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2022
Arts & creativity: to support culture and creativity powering community change, an initiative of a funder collaborative of barr, kresge, and william penn foundations
$900,000
(145) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to provide general operating support
$850,000
(187) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to provide general operating support
$850,000
(49) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2022
Arts & creativity: to deepen the work of its arts & culture department and to strategically raise the priority and integration of arts and the department internally across sectors
$805,000
(489) Massachusetts Development Finance Agency · Boston, MA · 2024
To support intensive arts-based economic development programming in transformative development initiative districts
$800,000
(236) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to support a climate resilience mini-grant program
$800,000
(386) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2023
Education: to support the planning and launch programming of the second cohort of transformative leaders of massachusetts
$800,000
(143) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to provide program support for the transportation for massachusetts coalition
$800,000
(725) Ebcdc · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to support ebcdc's participation in projects that act as a source of stable housing in east boston
$785,000
(708) Boston Harbor Now · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to provide core support for the coalition for a resilient and inclusive waterfront
$750,000
(245) Creative Hub Worcester · Worcester, MA · 2024
To support the first phase of construction of the creative hub worcester community arts center
$750,000
(482) Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide continued support for the delivering on equity collective
$750,000
(576) New England Foundation for the Arts · Boston, MA · 2024
To further instill a spatial justice lens in the public art programs
$750,000
(853) United States Artists · Chicago, IL · 2024
To support the 2025 fellowship program and continue trestle and policy research, discovery, and planning efforts in new england
$750,000
(72) Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation · North Adams, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support the first phase of long-term planning, community development, and sustainability initiatives
$750,000
(743) Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center · Boston, MA · 2023
Sector effectiveness: to provide continued support for the delivering on equity collective
$750,000
(77) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to deepen the work of its arts & culture department and to strategically integrate the arts across the agency
$750,000
(834) Mystic River Watershed Association · Arlington, MA · 2023
Waterfront: to support the next phase of the little mystic annex parcel harborwalk and creation of a publicly accessible dock
$750,000
(85) New England Foundation for the Arts · Boston, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to further instill a spatial justice lens in the public art programs
$750,000
(706) Boston Globe Media Partners Llc · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to support the boston globe's racial wealth equity coverage
$750,000
(748) Mystic River Watershed Association · Arlington, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to support the final phase of the little mystic annex parcel harborwalk and charlestown sprouts community garden project
$750,000
(770) Trustees of Reservations · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to support the trustees of reservations' one waterfront initiative to develop signature, equitable, and climate-resilient parks on the boston waterfront
$720,000
(332) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2022
Education: to build organizational capacity to scale school observation visits and to provide capacity-building support for barr grantee school leaders
$705,000
(240) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2024
To support advocacy and communications efforts to achieve an accessible, equitable, and climate-resilient boston waterfront
$700,000
(695) Black Economic Council of Massachusetts · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to provide general operating support
$675,000
(831) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2023
Waterfront: to support advocacy and communications efforts to achieve an accessible, equitable, and climate-resilient boston waterfront
$675,000
(723) Conservation Law Foundation · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to support advocacy and communications efforts to achieve an accessible, equitable, and climate-resilient boston waterfront
$650,000
(415) Institute for Nonprofit Practice · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide core operating support during multi-year growth
$650,000
(575) New England Foundation for the Arts · Boston, MA · 2024
To support strategic planning and early implementation
$650,000
(587) New Venture Fund · Washington, DC · 2024
To provide core support to leading now to provide programming to superintendents in new england
$640,000
(333) National Center for Civic Innovation · New York, NY · 2022
Education: to support the planning and piloting of transformative learning experiences to prepare to scale
$625,000
(197) Mystic River Watershed Association · Arlington, MA · 2022
Climate: to jointly manage an extreme heat task force to implement covid-safe cooling strategies in the most covid impacted communities of greater boston
$610,000
(375) Transcend · Hastingsonhudson, NY · 2022
Education: to conduct and coordinate continued research on the impact of covid-19 on new england public high schools
$600,000
(357) Greater Worcester Community Foundation · Worcester, MA · 2024
To support the creative worcester initiative
$600,000
(414) Institute for Nonprofit Practice · Boston, MA · 2024
To provide core operating support during multi-year growth
$600,000
(763) the Education Trust · Washington, DC · 2024
To provide core support for the organization's massachusetts work
$600,000
(124) Third Sector New England · Boston, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support core operations and implementation of strategic growth plan for design studio for social intervention
$600,000
(147) Alternatives for Community and Environment · Roxbury, MA · 2023
Climate: to provide general operating support
$600,000
(701) Center for Economic Democracy · Boston, MA · 2023
Racial wealth equity: to provide core support for its boston ujima project program
$600,000
(88) Newvue Communities · Fitchburg, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support development of the fitchburg arts community, an artist-preference affordable housing complex
$600,000
(108) Alternatives for Community and Environment · Roxbury, MA · 2022
Climate: to provide general operating support
$600,000
(289) Faithacts for Education · Fairfield, CT · 2022
Education: to provide general operating support
$580,000
(328) Friends of the Lynn Historical Society · Lynn, MA · 2024
To support the lynnarts infrastructure and renovation project
$580,000
(157) Boston Harbor Now · Boston, MA · 2023
Climate: to provide general operating support
$580,000
(707) Boston Harbor Now · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to provide general operating support
$565,000
(579) New England Grassroots Environment Fund · Newmarket, NH · 2024
To support a regional federal funding resource hub
$562,500
(243) Mystic River Watershed Association · Arlington, MA · 2023
Climate: to support projects and efforts to develop climate resilience, greenways, and waterfront access
$550,000
(740) Institute for Nonprofit Practice · Boston, MA · 2023
Sector effectiveness: to provide core operating support during multi-year growth
$550,000
(236) Third Sector New England · Boston, MA · 2022
Climate: to support core operations and implementation of strategic growth plan for design studio for social intervention
$540,000
(828) Boston Harbor Now · Boston, MA · 2023
Waterfront: to provide core support for the coalition for a resilient and inclusive waterfront
$522,000
(693) Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology · Boston, MA · 2022
Special initiatives: to provide general operating support
$510,000
(137) Community Initiatives · Oakland, CA · 2022
Climate: to support community-based leaders in new england to advance equity-centered climate solutions
$500,000
(177) City of Boston · Boston, MA · 2024
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 · Boston, MA · 2024
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 · North Adams, MA · 2024
To support the first phase of long-term planning, community development, and sustainability initiatives
$500,000
(499) Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation · North Adams, MA · 2024
To support the second phase of its community development and sustainability initiatives strategy
$500,000
(522) Metropolitan Area Planning Council · Boston, MA · 2024
To support mobility, clean energy, and climate resiliency planning
$500,000
(544) National Arts Strategies · Alexandria, VA · 2024
To support the implementation phase of the project pilot
$500,000
(567) Nectar Community Investments · Lawrence, MA · 2024
To support community and economic development programming
$500,000
(669) Prx · Cambridge, MA · 2024
To support strategic planning
$500,000
(721) Smart Growth America · Washington, DC · 2024
To inform federal transportation policy and educate and engage massachusetts stakeholders
$500,000
(757) the Center for Cultural Innovation · Los Angeles, CA · 2024
To support ambitious and research 2 impact
$500,000
(854) United States Artists · Chicago, IL · 2024
To support the 2024 fellowship program and trestle research, discovery, and planning efforts in new england
$500,000
(134) World Music · Cambridge, MA · 2023
Arts & creativity: to support 585 arts, a new cultural facility
$500,000
(281) Smart Growth America · Washington, DC · 2023
Climate: to inform federal transportation policy and educate and engage massachusetts stakeholders
$500,000
(690) Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology · Boston, MA · 2023
Racial wealth equity: to provide a one-time general operating support during an inflection point for organization

View all 2,520 grants →

Who else funds this kind of work

Same state

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Similar purposes

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Similar grant size

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Grants already paid are the record; PaperOrbit reads your paper and finds the funders whose record matches it — then explains why.

Search funders like this one

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, Part XV, as filed by the foundation. These are grants already paid — a record of what this funder backs, not an open call.