The Alan and Terri Spoon Family Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education and arts education, providing substantial general operating and capital-style support to a small number of institutions. The foundation repeatedly funds MIT (multiple entries) and also directs large grants to a prominent art and design college, indicating an interest in STEM and arts infrastructure and program support at established colleges. Grants are sizable and targeted rather than broadly distributed, suggesting a preference for deep investments in a few trusted institutions.
The Alan and Terri Spoon Family Foundation’s largest recent grant went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with $520,000 in 2023, and that single relationship captures the foundation’s pattern of concentrated support for higher education. Recent grants show repeated giving to MIT, along with a separate commitment to MIT Music Building Fund, which points to both academic and campus-infrastructure priorities. The foundation also backs Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota with multiple grants, including a $203,200 award in 2025, showing that arts and design education sits alongside its university support. Its grant record is not broad-based. Instead, the foundation makes targeted awards to a small set of colleges, museums, and Jewish communal organizations, often using general support. In addition to institutional higher education, the recent list includes gifts to Museum of Fine Arts, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and Jewish Federation Sarasota Manatee. The pattern suggests a donor advised by long-standing institutional relationships rather than a wide-open application pool, with giving aimed at established organizations that can use flexible operating dollars or project support.
Higher education is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s giving. In 2024, it awarded $137,500 to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 2025 it gave another $20,000 to MIT, indicating repeat support for the same university. A separate $99,543 grant to MIT Music Building Fund in 2025 shows interest in campus facilities as well as academic programs. Arts education and cultural institutions form a second cluster. The foundation gave $25,000 to Ringling College of Art Design in 2024 and another $25,000 in 2025, plus $3,000 in 2025, pointing to continued support for that college. It also supported Sarasota Art Museum with $2,500 in 2024 and $1,000 in 2023. A third area is Jewish communal philanthropy. Recent gifts include $25,000 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies in 2023 and $15,000 to Jewish Federation Sarasota Manatee in 2025.
Typical grant sizes are modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: p25 is $1,000, median is $3,000, and p75 is $6,250. The recent record also includes several much larger grants, which suggests a two-tier pattern of smaller community or cultural gifts alongside major institutional awards. The foundation’s grantmaking is relationship-based: MIT, Ringling College of Art Design, Museum of Fine Arts, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies each appear more than once in the recent list. The foundation is a family foundation, and the grants are overwhelmingly listed as general support.
$396K
$4.8M
$1.6M
$418K
Most grants fall between $1K and $6K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$6K
About 28% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Highly concentrated: very few, large grants focused on a small set of higher-education and arts institutions, with repeat support to MIT and preference for general/undesignated funding.
Notable grantees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), MIT Music Building Fund, Ringling College of Art and Design
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, with 43 grants recorded there. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and 28% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state of Florida. City-level concentration is visible in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Sarasota, Florida; and Boston, Massachusetts, which appear repeatedly across the recent grants list. Other recipient locations include Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, and Newton Centre, showing a national footprint anchored by a few recurring cities.
Its recent grants center on higher education, arts education, and Jewish communal organizations. The list includes repeated support for Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ringling College of Art Design, Museum of Fine Arts, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and Jewish Federation Sarasota Manatee.
Yes. MIT appears in multiple recent grants, including $520,000 in 2023, $137,500 in 2024, and $20,000 in 2025. Ringling College of Art Design also appears multiple times, and Museum of Fine Arts and Combined Jewish Philanthropies each recur in the recent list.
The distribution is relatively small for many grants: p25 is $1,000, median is $3,000, and p75 is $6,250. That sits alongside occasional large grants, including $520,000 to MIT and $203,200 to Ringling College of Artdesign.
Massachusetts is the top state by grant count. Florida accounts for 28% of grants to recipients in the HQ state, and recent recipient cities include Cambridge, Sarasota, and Boston.
The foundation gives nationally within the United States. The recipient-country distribution shows 43 grants, or 100.0%, in the US, with recipients located in places such as Cambridge, MA; Sarasota, FL; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; New York, NY; and Los Angeles, CA.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN | SARASOTA, FL | $203,200 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MIT MUSIC BUILDING FUND (3709310) | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $99,543 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN | SARASOTA, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MIT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| JEWISH FEDERATION SARASOTA MANATEE | SARASOTA, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITEE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN | SARASOTA, FL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS | BOSTON, MA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHILDREN'S GUARDIAN FUND | SARASOTA, FL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CONGREGATION ADAT SHALOM | NORTH CHELMSFORD, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE BETH ELOHIM | WELLESLEY, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL | LONGBOAT KEY, FL | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BELMONT GOLF SCHOLARSHIP FUND | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| METROPOLITAN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $100 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MIT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $137,500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN | SARASOTA, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS | BOSTON, MA | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL MENORAH ORGANIZATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,600 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| STAND WITH US | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | SARASOTA, FL | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DANNY'S PLACE | ACTON, MA | $500 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $520,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS | BOSTON, MA | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| TEMPLE EMMANEUL | NEWTON CENTRE, MA | $3,600 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| ARTS AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| LOVIN' SPOONFULS | NEWTON, MA | $1,500 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | SARASOTA, FL | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | SARASOTA, FL | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FUND | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | SARASOTA, FL | $990 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| FRESHMAN FRESH START | WELLESLEY HILLS, MA | $750 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| DANNYS PLACE | ACTON, MA | $502 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | SARASOTA, FL | $10 | 2023 | GENERAL |
RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN
$203,200GENERAL
MIT MUSIC BUILDING FUND (3709310)
$99,543GENERAL
RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN
$25,000GENERAL
MIT
$20,000GENERAL
JEWISH FEDERATION SARASOTA MANATEE
$15,000GENERAL
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH
$5,000GENERAL
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
GENERAL
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
$5,000GENERAL
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITEE
$5,000GENERAL
RINGLING COLLEGE OF ARTDESIGN
$3,000GENERAL
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
$3,000GENERAL
CHILDREN'S GUARDIAN FUND
$2,500GENERAL
CONGREGATION ADAT SHALOM
$1,000GENERAL
TEMPLE BETH ELOHIM
$1,000GENERAL
TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL
$1,000GENERAL
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
$1,000GENERAL
BELMONT GOLF SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$500GENERAL
METROPOLITAN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION
$100GENERAL
MIT
$137,500GENERAL
RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART DESIGN
$25,000GENERAL
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
$8,000GENERAL
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
$5,000GENERAL
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LUBAVITCH
$4,000GENERAL
NATIONAL MENORAH ORGANIZATION
$3,600GENERAL
STAND WITH US
$2,500GENERAL
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
$2,500GENERAL
PEF ISRAEL ENDOWMENT FUNDS INC
$2,500GENERAL
DANNY'S PLACE
$500GENERAL
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$520,000GENERAL
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
$25,000GENERAL
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
$7,500GENERAL
COMBINED JEWISH PHILANTHROPIES
$5,000GENERAL
TEMPLE EMMANEUL
$3,600GENERAL
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
$2,500GENERAL
ARTS AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$2,000GENERAL
LOVIN' SPOONFULS
$1,500GENERAL
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
$1,000GENERAL
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
$1,000GENERAL
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL FUND
$1,000GENERAL
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
$990GENERAL
FRESHMAN FRESH START
$750GENERAL
DANNYS PLACE
$502GENERAL
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM
$10GENERAL