The John and Frances Strachan Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving in the Boston-area education sector and basic needs social services. Major gifts go to a mix of independent K–12 and higher education institutions, while a smaller but recurring stream supports homeless services and food pantries serving vulnerable populations. Most grants are unrestricted general contributions.
Concentrated, repeat support to a handful of midsize grantees — several multi-year or multiple gifts to the same organizations — with relatively few but meaningful general operating grants rather than many small, one-off awards.
A $71,025 general contribution to Pine Cobble School stands out in the John and Frances Strachan Charitable Foundation’s recent giving and points to a pattern of large, unrestricted support for education in western Massachusetts. The foundation’s grants also show repeated support for Boston College, suggesting a steady commitment to higher education alongside K–12 funding. In the same period, it backed Williamstown and Boston-area nonprofits serving basic needs, including homeless services, food assistance, and support for women and families. The giving pattern is not limited to one type of institution: independent schools, Catholic higher education, shelters, pantry programs, and family-support groups all appear in the recent grants list. Most awards are described as general contributions, which indicates flexibility in how recipient organizations use the funds. The foundation’s portfolio includes both larger multi-year support at the $10,000 to $15,000 level and smaller gifts for community organizations. That mix suggests a funder that balances institutional education support with local human-services grantmaking.
Education is the clearest theme. The foundation gave $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 to Boston College as a general contribution, and it also supported Pine Cobble School with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Beyond schools, it funds basic needs organizations. Pine Street Inn received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, reflecting sustained support for homelessness services in Boston. Family and community support also appear in the grant list. Rosie's Place received general contributions in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Room to Grow National Inc received $5,000 in each of those same years. In the northern Berkshires, the foundation backed Berkshire Nursing Families Inc in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and gave to Williamstown Food Pantry in 2025. Those awards show attention to both city-based social services and smaller local organizations.
Grant size clusters around a few clear levels: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $10,000. That means most awards fall at either $5,000 or $10,000, with occasional larger outliers such as the $71,025 gift to Pine Cobble School. The recent record also shows repeat support across multiple years for several recipients, including Boston College, Pine Street Inn, Rosie's Place, Room to Grow National Inc, and Berkshire Nursing Families Inc. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals.
$297K
$940K
$142K
$88K
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: Pine Cobble School, Boston College, Rosie's Place, Saint Patrick and Raphael Pantry
Giving is concentrated in Massachusetts, which accounts for the largest share of grants, while the recipient country mix is entirely U.S.-based. Within Massachusetts, the grants cluster around Boston, Williamstown, North Adams, and Jamaica Plain, with additional support in Chestnut Hill and Sterling, Virginia, appearing in the list as an out-of-state recipient location. The western Massachusetts communities of Williamstown and North Adams show up repeatedly alongside Boston-area recipients, indicating a regional pattern that links the Berkshires and the Boston metro area.
The recent grants center on independent K–12 education, Catholic and private higher education, homeless services, food assistance, and support for women and families. Those themes appear through general contributions to schools, shelter providers, pantries, and family-support organizations.
Yes. The recent grants are repeatedly described as general contributions, including awards to schools and social-service organizations. That pattern indicates flexible, unrestricted support is a regular part of its giving.
The typical grant size is $10,000, with the p25 at $5,000 and the p75 also at $10,000. Recent awards therefore cluster between $5,000 and $10,000, with a larger one-time outlier of $71,025.
Yes, but its recent grant list is still overwhelmingly Massachusetts-focused. One recipient, Foster Care to Success in Sterling, Virginia, appears in the recent grants, while all listed grants are to U.S. organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHEASTNUT HILL, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROSIES PLACE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE COBBLE SCHOOL | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| WILLIAMSTOWN FOOD PANTRY | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS | STERLING, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE STREET INN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BOTTOM LINE | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHEASTNUT HILL, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| SAINT PATRICK AND RAPHAEL PANTRY | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $11,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS | STERLING, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE STREET INN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE COBBLE SCHOOL | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROSIES PLACE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BOTTOM LINE | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE COBBLE SCHOOL | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $71,025 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHEASTNUT HILL, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS | STERLING, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| PINE STREET INN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROSIES PLACE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| BOTTOM LINE | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| MASS MOCA | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| IMAGES CINEMA | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
| AFFIRM | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL CONTRIBUTION |
BOSTON COLLEGE
$15,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROSIES PLACE
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE COBBLE SCHOOL
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
WILLIAMSTOWN FOOD PANTRY
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE STREET INN
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC
GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BOTTOM LINE
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BOSTON COLLEGE
$15,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
SAINT PATRICK AND RAPHAEL PANTRY
$11,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE STREET INN
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE COBBLE SCHOOL
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROSIES PLACE
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BOTTOM LINE
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE COBBLE SCHOOL
$71,025GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BOSTON COLLEGE
$15,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
PINE STREET INN
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROSIES PLACE
$10,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
ROOM TO GROW NATIONAL INC
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BERKSHIRE NURSING FAMILIES INC
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
BOTTOM LINE
$5,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
MASS MOCA
$2,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
IMAGES CINEMA
$2,000GENERAL CONTRIBUTION
AFFIRM
$500GENERAL CONTRIBUTION