The Afeyan Family Foundation makes a small number of large, strategic grants focused on higher education, research, humanitarian relief and Armenian civic initiatives. Grants are often general/unrestricted and directed to universities and Armenia-related organizations, with a clear interest in strengthening research, student education, mental health/psychosocial support, and post-conflict humanitarian efforts. The foundation favors institutional partners (universities and established NGOs) over many small community grants.
A defining pattern in Afeyan Family Foundation grantmaking is concentrated support for Armenia-linked education, research, and humanitarian response, with several six-figure awards to institutional partners. The largest recent grant on file is $1,030,000 to Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation Inc for general and unrestricted support, followed by $667,000 to Friends of Fast for general and unrestricted support and $600,000 to Massachusetts Institute of Tech, also unrestricted. Those awards sit alongside major gifts to Armenia 2020 Inc, Friends of Mcgill University Inc, and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, showing a preference for organizations that can absorb large, strategic funding. The foundation’s portfolio includes higher education, research capacity building, mental health and psychosocial support, and Armenian civic and humanitarian initiatives. It also funds programs tied to displaced people from Artsakh, including education, scholarships, and relief efforts. Across the recent grants list, university partners, established nonprofits, and Armenia-focused organizations appear repeatedly, often with general support or broad program support rather than tightly restricted project funding.
Higher education is a steady thread in the Afeyan Family Foundation’s giving. In 2025, it gave $200,000 to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the MISTI Armenia Fund within the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives program, and another $200,000 to American University of Armenia Corporation to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and research excellence through research supplements, short-term collaboration funds, and seed grants. Education in Armenia also appears through $250,000 to Uwc Dilijan International School in Armenia and $60,000 to Armenian Educational Foundation for education in Armenia. The foundation also backs student support for Artsakhi learners, including scholarship funds at Armand Hammer United World College of the American and scholarship support through Vem USA Inc. Humanitarian and cultural work is another clear area, with grants to World Central Kitchen Incorporated and Global Arm Foundation for public information on Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the South Caucasus region.
$3M
$10.3M
$12.9M
$3M
Most grants fall between $5K and $100K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Afeyan Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 75 | $6.9M | 96.2% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Concentrated portfolio of a few large grants (mostly six gifts) with substantial, often general/unrestricted funding to institutional grantees; mix of US and Armenia-focused recipients; favors repeat-style investments in research, university programs, and Armenia-related civic/humanitarian projects.
Notable grantees: Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Friends of FAST, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Armenia 2020, Friends of McGill University
Recent gifts cluster around round-number grants at several sizes, with a typical range centered on $25,000 median, a $5,220 p25, and $100,000 p75. The pattern includes many unrestricted awards alongside targeted program and scholarship grants. Recipients recur across years: Beacon Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and Armand Hammer United World College of the American each appear more than once in the recent grants list. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF, and it also funds individuals. The portfolio suggests institutional grantmaking rather than many small awards, with a small number of large strategic grants making up much of the activity.
Grantmaking is national, but it clusters most often in California. Recent California recipients include North Hollywood, Glendale, Los Angeles, Tarzana, Santa Ana, and Alameda. New England is also prominent, especially Cambridge, Boston, Belmont, Wellesley, and Winchester. Outside the U.S., grants land in Armenia, including Dilijan, and the recipient country distribution shows 96.2% of grants to U.S. recipients, 2.6% to Canada, and 1.3% to Armenia. The foundation’s recent giving is broad in geography but still anchored by a few U.S. metropolitan and Armenian-linked hubs.
The recent grants list shows a strong tilt toward universities, university-affiliated entities, and Armenian civic or humanitarian organizations. Examples include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, American University of Armenia Corporation, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation Inc. Several grants are general or unrestricted, suggesting support for institutional capacity as well as specific programs.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is centered around a $25,000 median, with a $5,220 p25 and a $100,000 p75. The recent list also includes several six-figure awards, including grants of $200,000, $250,000, $400,000, $600,000, and more than $1 million.
Yes. Education appears across multiple grants, including support for MIT student programming, the MISTI Armenia Fund, education in Armenia at Uwc Dilijan International School in Armenia and Armenian Educational Foundation, and scholarship funds for Artsakhi students at Armand Hammer United World College of the American. The foundation also gave to Beacon Academy for student education and capital support.
The foundation gives nationally, with 96.2% of recent grants going to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count, and recent California recipients include Glendale, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Tarzana, Santa Ana, and Alameda. Outside the U.S., the recipient country distribution includes Canada and Armenia.
Yes. Recent grants include support for education in Armenia, displaced people of Artsakh in Armenia, shipping medicines and supplies for victims of the Artsakh war and forced deportation, public information on Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and scholarship support for Artsakhi students. The foundation also funds Armenia-linked higher education and research initiatives.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 2 |
| $9K |
2.6% |
| 3 | Armenia | 1 | $250K | 1.3% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRIENDS OF FAST | NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA | $667,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRIENDS OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | MOA for the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Implementation Research Program |
| ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | the displaced people of Artsakh in Armenia |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION | GLENDALE, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | To promote interdisciplinary collaboration and research excellence at AUA through new-hire research supplements; short-term collaboration funds; seed grants for existing AUA faculty; building capacity for establishing a PhD program; student-incentive awards; and private sector internships |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | MISTI Armenia Fund within the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) Program |
| ARMENIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOC INC | WELLESLEY, MA | $155,040 | 2025 | for HENAR the Mobile Primary Care Unit in Kapan and the Rural Family Medicine Fellowship Program; for AAMA the Overview Hypertension Management Program in Rural Armenia, Establishing the Children's Rehabilitation Centre at the Meghri hospital, Introducing newborn hearing screenings at Meghri maternity, and Introducing Long-Term Cardiac Monitoring for Ischemic Stroke Patients |
| ARMAND HAMMER UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF THE AMERICAN | MONTEZUMA, NM | $140,000 | 2025 | Two 2-year scholarship funds for eligible enrolled Artsakhi students at UWC Dilijan |
| BEACON ACADEMY INC | BOSTON, MA | $115,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BEACON ACADEMY INC | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | Capital campaign |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HAKAWATI | TARZANA, CA | $80,000 | 2025 | AZAD (the rabbit and the wolf) |
| VEM USA INC | GLENDALE, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | Ayb Educational Foundation for scholarship funds for 10 students from Artsakh |
| ARMENIA ARTSAKH FUND INC | NORTHRIDGE, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | for shipping medicines and other supplies to help the victims of the Artsakh war and more recent ethnic cleansing/forced deportation |
| GLOBAL ARM FOUNDATION | SANTA ANA, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Providing public information on Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the South Caucasus region |
| FRIENDS OF TEACH FOR ARMENIA INCORPORATED | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Education in Emergencies program to support displaced people from Artsakh |
| ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARMAND HAMMER UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF THE AMERICAN | MONTEZUMA, NM | $50,000 | 2025 | to support 10 Artsakhi students at the UWC Dilijan summer camp programs |
| YERAZART INC | WATERTOWN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ST STEPHENS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF GREATER B | WATERTOWN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School |
| DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate-related project |
| LETS BREAKTHROUGH INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Women Emerging |
| NETWORK OF ENGAGED INTERNATIONAL DO NORS GLOBAL IN | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BRAC USA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BREAKTIME UNITED INC | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | Breaktime Community Fund |
| THE POSSIBLE PROJECT INC | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAMP HARBOR VIEW FOUNDATION INC | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HOLY TRINITY ARMENIAN APOSTLE CHURCH OF GREATER BO | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | CIVITTA "Future of Artsakh Refugees in Armenia Study" needs assessment |
| LIFE SCIENCE CARES INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,250 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION | GLENDALE, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOSTON COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| EVERY ORG | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Karim Slaoui |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION | GLENDALE, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | to support English language courses run in conjunction with the United States Embassy in Armenia |
| COMMUNITY OF CARING | KENNEBUNK, ME | $4,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| STEPPINGSTONE FOUNDATION INC | BOSTON, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AURORA HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE FOUNDATION INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | BETHESDA, MD | $500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SCIENCE CLUB FOR GIRLS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES OF GREATER BOSTON I | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AURORA HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE FOUNDATION INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,030,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECH | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $600,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BEACON ACADEMY INC | BOSTON, MA | $215,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| TEKEYAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC | WATERTOWN, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | Armenian Mirror Spectator fund |
| YERAZART INC | WATERTOWN, MA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,750 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION | PASADENA, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE H HOVNANIAN FAMILY FOUNDATION | TINTON FALLS, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | Expenditure Responsibility grant |
FRIENDS OF FAST
$667,000General & Unrestricted
FRIENDS OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY INC
$400,000MOA for the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Implementation Research Program
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
$250,000the displaced people of Artsakh in Armenia
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION
$200,000To promote interdisciplinary collaboration and research excellence at AUA through new-hire research supplements; short-term collaboration funds; seed grants for existing AUA faculty; building capacity for establishing a PhD program; student-incentive awards; and private sector internships
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$200,000MISTI Armenia Fund within the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) Program
ARMENIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOC INC
for HENAR the Mobile Primary Care Unit in Kapan and the Rural Family Medicine Fellowship Program; for AAMA the Overview Hypertension Management Program in Rural Armenia, Establishing the Children's Rehabilitation Centre at the Meghri hospital, Introducing newborn hearing screenings at Meghri maternity, and Introducing Long-Term Cardiac Monitoring for Ischemic Stroke Patients
ARMAND HAMMER UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF THE AMERICAN
$140,000Two 2-year scholarship funds for eligible enrolled Artsakhi students at UWC Dilijan
BEACON ACADEMY INC
$115,000General & Unrestricted
BEACON ACADEMY INC
$100,000Capital campaign
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED
$100,000General & Unrestricted
HAKAWATI
$80,000AZAD (the rabbit and the wolf)
VEM USA INC
$70,000Ayb Educational Foundation for scholarship funds for 10 students from Artsakh
ARMENIA ARTSAKH FUND INC
$60,000for shipping medicines and other supplies to help the victims of the Artsakh war and more recent ethnic cleansing/forced deportation
GLOBAL ARM FOUNDATION
$50,000Providing public information on Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the South Caucasus region
FRIENDS OF TEACH FOR ARMENIA INCORPORATED
$50,000Education in Emergencies program to support displaced people from Artsakh
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
$50,000General & Unrestricted
ARMAND HAMMER UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF THE AMERICAN
$50,000to support 10 Artsakhi students at the UWC Dilijan summer camp programs
YERAZART INC
$25,000General & Unrestricted
ST STEPHENS ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF GREATER B
$25,000St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School
DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA
$25,000Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate-related project
LETS BREAKTHROUGH INC
$20,000Women Emerging
NETWORK OF ENGAGED INTERNATIONAL DO NORS GLOBAL IN
$15,000General & Unrestricted
BRAC USA INC
$15,000General & Unrestricted
BREAKTIME UNITED INC
$10,000Breaktime Community Fund
THE POSSIBLE PROJECT INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
CAMP HARBOR VIEW FOUNDATION INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
HOLY TRINITY ARMENIAN APOSTLE CHURCH OF GREATER BO
$10,000General & Unrestricted
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
$8,000CIVITTA "Future of Artsakh Refugees in Armenia Study" needs assessment
LIFE SCIENCE CARES INC
$5,250General & Unrestricted
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION
$5,000General & Unrestricted
BOSTON COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS
$5,000General & Unrestricted
EVERY ORG
$5,000Karim Slaoui
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA CORPORATION
$5,000to support English language courses run in conjunction with the United States Embassy in Armenia
COMMUNITY OF CARING
$4,000General & Unrestricted
STEPPINGSTONE FOUNDATION INC
$2,000General & Unrestricted
AURORA HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE FOUNDATION INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
$500General & Unrestricted
SCIENCE CLUB FOR GIRLS INC
$500General & Unrestricted
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES OF GREATER BOSTON I
$500General & Unrestricted
AURORA HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE FOUNDATION INC
$1,030,000General & Unrestricted
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECH
$600,000General & Unrestricted
BEACON ACADEMY INC
$215,000General & Unrestricted
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC
$100,000General & Unrestricted
TEKEYAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC
$50,000Armenian Mirror Spectator fund
YERAZART INC
$30,000General & Unrestricted
CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND INC
$30,000General & Unrestricted
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA INC
$25,750General & Unrestricted
ARMENIAN GENERAL BENEVOLENT UNION
$25,000General & Unrestricted
THE H HOVNANIAN FAMILY FOUNDATION
$25,000Expenditure Responsibility grant