The Lunder Foundation concentrates large, strategic gifts in New England, primarily to premier medical and higher-education institutions and museum art initiatives. Their giving emphasizes endowed support and multi-year pledge payments (notably to Mass General and Colby College) alongside targeted project funding such as art acquisition and eldercare. The foundation repeatedly funds a small set of flagship organizations, often underwriting named initiatives or chairs.
Lunder Foundation C/o Kenilworth Inc. gives in large, repeat commitments to a narrow set of institutions, with the biggest recent grants concentrated at Massachusetts General Hospital and Colby College. Its recent records show a pattern of pledge payments, endowed funds, and named initiatives rather than one-off operating support. At Massachusetts General Hospital, the foundation funded the Lunder Learning Initiative in 2025 for $4,826,495 and a separate Lunder Learning Initiative grant for two chairs in 2024 for $4,768,750. Colby College also appears as a core recipient, including $2,742,858 in 2024 for the LIAA Endowment Fund and $2,385,715 in 2025 for the Endowment Fund. The grant history points to a mix of academic medicine, higher education, and museum-related support, often attached to named funds or long-running commitments. Hebrew Seniorlife is another recurring recipient, including project support in Boston and nursing-related support in Roslindale, showing that the foundation also funds eldercare and workforce training alongside its institutional gifts.
Higher education is a major thread in the foundation’s giving. Colby College received $2,742,858 for the LIAA Endowment Fund in 2024 and $2,385,715 for the Endowment Fund in 2025, while Thomas College received $503,059 for the Lunder Scholars Fund in 2023 and $501,104 for Lunders Scholars in 2024. Museum support is equally visible: Colby College Museum of Art received $1,249,288 in 2025 for the Art Purchase Fund and $1,116,690 in 2025 for the same fund under a separate grant line. Health and eldercare are another area of support, including $2,200,000 to Hebrew Seniorlife for project support in 2025 and $533,528 in 2024 for the A. Leland Nursing Endowment & CNA Training. The foundation also backed academic medicine through Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with a $1,056,055 grant in 2024 for Farber Endowed Chair/LL Research.
Typical grants are relatively small at the low end but can scale into multimillion-dollar commitments: p25 is $100, median grant size is $1,000, and p75 is $22,506. The recent record also shows a few very large payments that reflect pledge fulfillment and endowed support. Recipients appear across multiple years, especially Colby College, Massachusetts General Hospital, Colby College Museum, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Hebrew Seniorlife, and Thomas College, indicating sustained relationships rather than isolated awards. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals. Its pattern leans toward operating through named funds, endowments, chairs, scholarship funds, and time-limited project support.
$24.4M
$380K
$57.7M
$24.7M
Most grants fall between $100 and $23K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$100
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$23K
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Highly concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small number of repeat grantees; mix of pledge/endowment payments and targeted project gifts; regionally focused in New England with emphasis on institutional, named initiatives.
Notable grantees: Massachusetts General Hospital, Colby College, Colby College Museum, Hebrew SeniorLife
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly domestic, with 479 grants, all in the US. By count, the foundation gives most often in DC, while 51% of grants go to recipients in Maine, the headquarters state. Recent grants cluster in Boston, Waterville, Cambridge, Roslindale, Lewiston, and Portland. That pattern reflects a mix of Maine-based higher education and museum gifts alongside Boston-area hospital and eldercare funding.
The recent record centers on colleges and universities, hospital and academic medicine institutions, museums, and eldercare organizations. Named recurring recipients include Colby College, Massachusetts General Hospital, Colby College Museum of Art, Hebrew Seniorlife, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Thomas College.
Yes. Colby College received $2,742,858 for the LIAA Endowment Fund in 2024 and $2,385,715 for the Endowment Fund in 2025. Thomas College also received $503,059 for the Lunder Scholars Fund in 2023 and $501,104 for Lunders Scholars in 2024.
Yes. Colby College Museum of Art received $1,249,288 in 2025 for the Art Purchase Fund and $1,116,690 in 2025 for the same fund under a separate grant line. The museum also appears in earlier grants through the Lunder Art Purchase Fund.
The typical grant profile is skewed small at the middle of the distribution: p25 is $100, median is $1,000, and p75 is $22,506. At the same time, recent records include multimillion-dollar pledge payments and endowment commitments.
By count, the top state is DC, while 51% of grants go to recipients in Maine. Recent city-level grants also concentrate in Boston, Waterville, Cambridge, Roslindale, Lewiston, and Portland.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $4,801,875 | 2026 | LEARNING INITIATIVE |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITYROUX INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $3,062,856 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $2,385,715 | 2026 | ENDOWMENT FUND |
| HEBREW SENIORLIFE | BOSTON, MA | $1,266,697 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING | LEWISTON, ME | $1,004,292 | 2026 | PROGRAMMING FUND |
| LESLEY UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,002,985 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $800,313 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| DANA-FARBER | BOSTON, MA | $754,244 | 2026 | CHAIR/LL RESEARCH |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $727,500 | 2026 | ALUMNI FUND LUNDER SCHOLARS |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $714,285 | 2026 | CCMA LUNDER COLLECTION FUND |
| HEBREW SENIORLIFE | BOSTON, MA | $702,000 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN | PORTLAND, ME | $607,135 | 2026 | LUNDER SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2024 |
| NORTON MUSEUM OF ART | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $601,809 | 2026 | PLEDGE |
| MAINE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN | PORTLAND, ME | $600,000 | 2026 | LUNDER SCHOLARSHIP FUND 2025 |
| THOMAS COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $577,187 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $550,449 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $452,316 | 2026 | COLBY ARTS BUILDING |
| HEBREW SENIORLIFE | BOSTON, MA | $400,000 | 2026 | LELAND NURSING ENDOWMENT |
| COX SCIENCE CENTER | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $336,666 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND | PORTLAND, ME | $336,566 | 2026 | FINANCIAL AID |
| BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION | WATERVILLE, ME | $332,602 | 2026 | RABBI ENDOWMENT FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $224,066 | 2026 | CCMA LIAA ANNUAL FUNDING SUPPORT |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $220,533 | 2026 | CONSERVATION FUND |
| THOMAS COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $174,468 | 2026 | GOLF TOURNAMENT MATCH |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $156,205 | 2026 | TATE BRITAIN "WHISTLER'S FINISH" |
| PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | PORTLAND, ME | $141,208 | 2026 | 2025 PLEDGE |
| CHILDREN'S MUSEUM & THEATRE OF MAINE | PORTLAND, ME | $131,873 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $102,035 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| STRIVE | SOUTH PORTLAND, ME | $101,269 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM | WASHINGTON, DC | $101,079 | 2026 | VIRGINIA MECKLENBERG |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $100,078 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHESTNUT HILL, MA | $63,562 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CHALLENGER LEANRING CENTER - BANGOR | BANGOR, ME | $51,040 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $50,247 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| JACKSON LABORATORY | BAR HARBOR, ME | $50,150 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $50,088 | 2026 | ART PURCHASE FUND |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND IHO BARBARA HASKELL |
| COUSE FOUNDATION | TAOS, NM | $49,667 | 2026 | ART MUSEUM |
| TWO TEN FOOTWEAR FOUNDATION | WALTHAM, MA | $42,822 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BANGOR YMCA - CAMP JORDAN | BANGOR, ME | $40,000 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $39,400 | 2026 | WHISTLER STUDIES |
| GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK | AUBURN, ME | $35,528 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION | WATERVILLE, ME | $35,000 | 2026 | SECURITY SYSTEM |
| INDIGO ARTS ALLIANCE | PORTLAND, ME | $25,856 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| GEORGES RIVER LAND TRUST | ROCKLAND, ME | $25,856 | 2026 | LANGLAIS ART PRESERVE |
| KRAVIS CENTER | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $25,000 | 2026 | PRESIDENT'S FUND/1813 SOCIETY |
| MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL | PORTLAND, ME | $21,008 | 2026 | PROJECT SUPPORT |
| BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $20,151 | 2026 | OSHER CENTER FOR INTEGRATED MEDICINE |
| PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART | PORTLAND, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | DAVID C. DRISKELL: COLLECTOR EXHIBITION |
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$4,801,875LEARNING INITIATIVE
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITYROUX INSTITUTE
$3,062,856ANNUAL FUND
HEBREW SENIORLIFE
$1,266,697PROJECT SUPPORT
MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING
$1,004,292PROGRAMMING FUND
LESLEY UNIVERSITY
$1,002,985ANNUAL FUND
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$800,313ART PURCHASE FUND
HEBREW SENIORLIFE
$702,000PROJECT SUPPORT
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$550,449ART PURCHASE FUND
HEBREW SENIORLIFE
$400,000LELAND NURSING ENDOWMENT
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
$336,566FINANCIAL AID
BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION
$332,602RABBI ENDOWMENT FUND
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$220,533CONSERVATION FUND
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$156,205TATE BRITAIN "WHISTLER'S FINISH"
PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$141,2082025 PLEDGE
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$102,035ART PURCHASE FUND
STRIVE
$101,269ANNUAL FUND
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$100,078ART PURCHASE FUND
CHALLENGER LEANRING CENTER - BANGOR
$51,040ANNUAL FUND
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$50,247ART PURCHASE FUND
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$50,088ART PURCHASE FUND
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$50,000ANNUAL FUND IHO BARBARA HASKELL
COUSE FOUNDATION
$49,667ART MUSEUM
BANGOR YMCA - CAMP JORDAN
$40,000PROJECT SUPPORT
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$39,400WHISTLER STUDIES
GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK
$35,528PROJECT SUPPORT
BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION
$35,000SECURITY SYSTEM
GEORGES RIVER LAND TRUST
$25,856LANGLAIS ART PRESERVE
KRAVIS CENTER
$25,000ANNUAL FUND
COLBY COLLEGE
$25,000PRESIDENT'S FUND/1813 SOCIETY
MAINE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
$21,008PROJECT SUPPORT
BRIGHAM & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
$20,151OSHER CENTER FOR INTEGRATED MEDICINE
PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART
$15,000DAVID C. DRISKELL: COLLECTOR EXHIBITION