Eastern Cambridge Foundation (formerly Cambridge Trust Charitable Foundation) appears to make concentrated, place-based charitable investments, favoring general operating or pass-through funding rather than program-specific grants. Their recent giving consists of a large, non-designated disbursement and a gift to the Cambridge Community Foundation, indicating a preference for supporting local philanthropic infrastructure and broad community needs in the Cambridge/Boston area.
Highly concentrated and infrequent: very few grants, including at least one large unrestricted or pass-through payment and a smaller grant to a local community foundation. Emphasis on broad, flexible support rather than many small targeted grants.
Notable grantees: Cambridge Community Foundation, Grants & Contributions Paid (general/exempt-purpose disbursement)
Eastern Cambridge Foundation Inc f/k/a Cambridge Trust Charitable Foundation shows a clear preference for place-based exempt-purpose giving in the Cambridge and Boston area, with one very large 2025 disbursement labeled Grants & Contributions Paid at $360,685. Beyond that large payment, the foundation’s recent record includes support for Cambridge Community Foundation and a steady stream of smaller grants to local organizations serving housing, education, health, arts, and community needs. The pattern suggests a funder that works through broad community support as well as direct grants to nonprofit intermediaries and service providers. The foundation’s recent grants include repeated support for Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Just a Start Corporation, and several Boston-area organizations. It also appears to back nonprofit infrastructure and general exempt-purpose work rather than narrowly restricted projects. The grant list includes both Cambridge-based and nearby regional recipients, such as Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, HomeStart Inc in Boston, and NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire in Manchester. Across the file, the giving is rooted in local institutions and community-serving organizations rather than individuals or program-related investments.
A major theme in the recent record is community infrastructure. The foundation gave $25,000 to Cambridge Community Foundation for exempt purpose, indicating support for a local philanthropic intermediary. Education and youth-serving work also appear repeatedly. It awarded $20,000 to Just a Start Corporation in Cambridge in 2023 and again $20,000 in 2024, plus $7,500 to Cambridge Public Library Foundation in both 2023 and 2024. Those grants point to sustained backing for educational access and community learning institutions. Health and human services are another visible area. In 2024, the foundation gave $10,743 to Casa Myrna Vazquez Inc in Boston and $5,743 to Ellie Fund in Needham. It also granted $10,000 to Springwell in Waltham in 2024, alongside other exempt-purpose support for service organizations. Arts and culture show up as well, including $10,000 to Handel and Haydn Society and $10,000 to Boston Arts Academy Foundation.
$5.5M
$15K
$134K
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $1K and $3K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$3K
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Typical grants are modest: the p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $2,500, and p75 is $3,248. The recent record also includes several repeated awards across 2023 and 2024, such as grants to Just a Start Corporation, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Handel and Haydn Society, Longy School of Music of Bard College, NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, and Boston Arts Academy Foundation. That repetition points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not make program-related investments. The largest item in the file is an exempt-purpose payment rather than a named operating grant.
Giving is highly concentrated in Massachusetts, which accounts for 75% of grants in the foundation’s recent record and is the top state by grant count. Cambridge and Boston are the most visible recipient cities, with additional grants in Waltham, Needham, Newton, Wellesley, and Natick. The portfolio also reaches nearby regional recipients in New Hampshire, including Manchester, Concord, and Portsmouth. All recorded recipient-country activity is in the US, with 414 grants there.
The recent grant list centers on exempt-purpose support for community-serving nonprofits. Examples include Cambridge Community Foundation for philanthropic infrastructure, Just a Start Corporation for repeated Cambridge-based support, and service organizations such as Casa Myrna Vazquez Inc, Springwell, and Ellie Fund. Arts and education groups also appear, including Handel and Haydn Society and Boston Arts Academy Foundation.
The foundation’s typical gifts are relatively small. The p25 is $1,000, the median grant is $2,500, and the p75 is $3,248. Recent examples include grants of $7,500, $10,000, and $20,000, but most awards cluster below those larger figures.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Just a Start Corporation, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Handel and Haydn Society, Longy School of Music of Bard College, NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, and Boston Arts Academy Foundation. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than isolated one-time grants.
Massachusetts is the clear center of its giving, accounting for 75% of grants in the file. Cambridge and Boston appear most often among recipient cities, with additional Massachusetts grants in Waltham, Needham, Newton, Wellesley, and Natick.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EASTERN BANK FOUNDATION | WAKEFIELD, MA | $5,501,200 | 2026 | TRANSFER OF ALL NET ASSETS ON DISSOLUTION PURSUANT |
| Grants & Contributions Paid | BURLINGTON, MA | $360,685 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| JUST A START CORPORATION | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CASA MYRNA VAZQUEZ INC | BOSTON, MA | $10,743 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEIGHBORWORKS SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE | MANCHESTER, NH | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SPRINGWELL | WALTHAM, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LONGY SCHOOL OF MUSIC OF BARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| EASTER SEALS NEW HAMPSHIRE INC | MANCHESTER, NH | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $7,500 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ELLIE FUND | NEEDHAM, MA | $5,743 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,500 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HILDEBRAND FAMILY SELF-HELP CENTER INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,297 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| URBAN EDGE | ROXBURY, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOMERVILLE-CAMBRIDGE ELDER SERVICES | SOMERVILLE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NH CENTER FOR NONPROFITS | CONCORD, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CASPAR INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE HUMANITIES | CONCORD, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOSTONECOLE BILINGUE INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HEALTH CARE FOR ALL | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MASS INSIGHT | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SUMMER SEARCH | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMBRIDGE TRUST COMPANY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF WELLESLEY COUNCIL ON AGING | WELLESLEY, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MASSACHUSETTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALLIANCE (MAHA) | DORCHESTER, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL OF NEW HAMPSHIRE | PORTSMOUTH, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMBRIDGE BRANCH NAACP | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COOPERATIVE PRODUCTION INC | NORTH DIGHTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAPITOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS | CONCORD, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PHILLIPS BROOKS HOUSE ASSOCIATION | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LAWRENCE CATHOLIC ACADEMY | PARKER STREET, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE CHARLES RIVER CENTER | NEEDHAM, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ASIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LIFE SCIENCE CARES INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMBRIDGE CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION (CCAE) | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HACKDIVERSITY FUND | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HEADING HOME | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HOMESTART INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ONE FAMILY INC | SOUTH BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| RIAN IMMIGRANT CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SEE SCIENCE CENTER INC | MANCHESTER, NH | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| INSTITUTE FOR NONPROFIT PRACTICE | DEDHAM, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CITIZENS' HOUSING AND PLANNING ASSOCIATION | BOSTON, MA | $4,500 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SCHECHTER BOSTON | NEWTON, MA | $4,000 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CENTRE STREET FOOD PANTRY | NEWTON CENTRE, MA | $3,832 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WEBSTER HOUSE | MANCHESTER, NH | $3,500 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LAWRENCE COMMUNITYWORKS | LAWRENCE, MA | $3,243 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| GATHER | PORTSMOUTH, NH | $3,243 | 2024 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
EASTERN BANK FOUNDATION
$5,501,200TRANSFER OF ALL NET ASSETS ON DISSOLUTION PURSUANT
Grants & Contributions Paid
$360,685EXEMPT PURPOSE
HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY
EXEMPT PURPOSE
SPRINGWELL
$10,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$7,500EXEMPT PURPOSE
MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL
$5,500EXEMPT PURPOSE
HILDEBRAND FAMILY SELF-HELP CENTER INC
$5,297EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOMERVILLE-CAMBRIDGE ELDER SERVICES
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NH CENTER FOR NONPROFITS
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CASPAR INC
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW HAMPSHIRE HUMANITIES
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BOSTONECOLE BILINGUE INC
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
MASS INSIGHT
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CAMBRIDGE TRUST COMPANY
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
FRIENDS OF WELLESLEY COUNCIL ON AGING
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CAMBRIDGE BRANCH NAACP
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
COOPERATIVE PRODUCTION INC
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
PHILLIPS BROOKS HOUSE ASSOCIATION
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
LAWRENCE CATHOLIC ACADEMY
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE CHARLES RIVER CENTER
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CAMBRIDGE CENTER FOR ADULT EDUCATION (CCAE)
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
SEE SCIENCE CENTER INC
$5,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
SCHECHTER BOSTON
$4,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
WEBSTER HOUSE
$3,500EXEMPT PURPOSE