Ad Astra Foundation concentrates most of its limited grantmaking on medical research—particularly lymphoma/cancer work at a major hospital—while making smaller, targeted gifts to urban land/public policy groups and Harvard-affiliated activities. Their grants are few but sizeable, often repeat or multi-part awards to the same organizations, indicating a preference for depth over breadth. The foundation appears to favor established institutions (large hospitals, national professional bodies, and elite universities) rather than grassroots groups.
Concentrated and selective: a small number of relatively large grants with repeat funding to core institutional grantees rather than many one-off awards to new recipients.
Ad Astra Foundation 7549-xxxxxx00157 shows a clear pattern of concentrated support for lymphoma research, with three of the largest recent awards going to Mass General Hospital in Boston for that purpose: $50,000 in 2024, $45,000 in 2024, and $45,000 in 2025. That repeated backing suggests a commitment to sustaining a specific research program rather than spreading gifts across many causes. Beyond medical research, the foundation also makes selective grants to institutions tied to urban land policy and Harvard-connected activities. Recent recipients include the Urban Land Institute Foundation, Friends of Harvard Polo C/o President & Fellows of Harvard Colle, Work to Ride Center, Essex County Trail Association, and Ukranian Catholic Education Foundation. The overall grant pattern is modest in number but meaningful in size, with awards often landing at established organizations and in some cases recurring across multiple years. That mix points to a funder that favors continuity, targeted institutional support, and a limited roster of beneficiaries.
Medical research is the foundation’s central theme. In 2024 and 2025, it gave multiple awards to Mass General Hospital for lymphoma research, including a $50,000 grant and two $45,000 grants. It also supports broader cancer biomedical work through the same hospital-based channel. Outside medicine, Ad Astra Foundation 7549-xxxxxx00157 has backed urban land and real estate policy through the Urban Land Institute Foundation, giving $22,775 in 2024 and $13,500 in 2023 for general support. Its interest in Harvard-affiliated activities appears in a $10,000 grant to Friends of Harvard Polo C/o President & Fellows of Harvard Colle for general support. The foundation also made smaller gifts to Work to Ride Center and the Ukranian Catholic Education Foundation, showing a mix of research, education, and community-oriented support.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-five-figure range, with a p25 of $5,500, a median of $13,500, and a p75 of $33,888. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years, especially Mass General Hospital and the Urban Land Institute Foundation, which points to follow-on funding rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a private grantmaker with a regional giving scope and no grants to individuals. Its recent awards are primarily programmatic or general support grants, including unrestricted language such as general support and maintenance & preservation.
$55K
$427K
$94K
$71K
Most grants fall between $6K and $34K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$34K
About 43% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Notable grantees: Massachusetts General Hospital, Urban Land Institute Foundation, Friends of Harvard Polo / President & Fellows of Harvard College
Giving is centered in Massachusetts, which accounts for 43% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Boston appears repeatedly through Mass General Hospital and Friends of Harvard Polo C/o President & Fellows of Harvard Colle. Outside Massachusetts, recent recipients include the Urban Land Institute Foundation in Washington, DC; Work to Ride Center in Philadelphia, PA; Essex County Trail Association in Hamilton, MA; and Ukranian Catholic Education Foundation in Chicago, IL. All recent grants in the dataset went to US recipients.
The strongest focus is lymphoma and cancer research, especially at Mass General Hospital in Boston. The foundation also supports urban land and real estate policy through the Urban Land Institute Foundation and has made selective gifts tied to Harvard-affiliated activities and preservation-oriented community organizations.
Typical grants are mid-sized for a private foundation of this scale: the p25 is $5,500, the median is $13,500, and the p75 is $33,888. Recent awards also include larger research gifts such as $50,000 and $45,000 grants.
Yes. Mass General Hospital received three separate lymphoma research grants in the recent record, and the Urban Land Institute Foundation appears in two different years as well. That pattern suggests repeated support for selected organizations rather than one-off giving.
Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, with 43% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Boston is a recurring city in the recipient list, but the foundation also gives to organizations in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
The recent grants go to established institutions: a major hospital, a national policy foundation, Harvard-linked programming, a riding and youth-development center, a trail association, and an education foundation. The pattern favors institutional recipients rather than individuals.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL | Boston, MA | $45,000 | 2025 | LYMPHOMA RESEARCH |
| WORK TO RIDE CENTER | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ESSEX COUNTY TRAIL ASSOCIATION | HAMILTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | MAINTENANCE & PRESERVATION |
| MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL | Boston, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | LYMPHOMA RESEARCH |
| MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL | Boston, MA | $45,000 | 2024 | LYMPHOMA RESEARCH |
| URBAN LAND INSTITUTE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $22,775 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT - GREATEST |
| UKRANIAN CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT TO |
| URBAN LAND INSTITUTE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $13,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT - GREATEST |
| FRIENDS OF HARVARD POLO C/O PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT FOR |
| UKRANIAN CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT TO |
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$45,000LYMPHOMA RESEARCH
WORK TO RIDE CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ESSEX COUNTY TRAIL ASSOCIATION
$5,000MAINTENANCE & PRESERVATION
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$50,000LYMPHOMA RESEARCH
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$45,000LYMPHOMA RESEARCH
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE FOUNDATION
$22,775GENERAL SUPPORT - GREATEST
UKRANIAN CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT TO
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE FOUNDATION
$13,500GENERAL SUPPORT - GREATEST
FRIENDS OF HARVARD POLO C/O PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT FOR
UKRANIAN CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT TO