The Mentor Charitable Fund gives modest, locally focused grants in the Greater Boston/Massachusetts area to community-based nonprofits addressing youth development, food access/urban agriculture, therapeutic arts and animal-assisted programs, and basic needs like housing and immigrant integration. They favor grassroots organizations and direct-service programs—often funding the same organizations repeatedly—suggesting a relationship-driven approach to sustaining neighborhood-level impact.
Mentor Charitable Fund Inc C/o Choate Hall & Stewart LLP gives in a tight local pattern: 49 of 49 recorded grants went to U.S. recipients, and 97% of grants were made to organizations in Massachusetts. The funder’s recent checks point to steady support for neighborhood-based nonprofits rather than large institutions, with repeated awards to organizations such as Trinity Boston Connection, Breaktime, and Healthy Waltham. Its funding profile centers on direct-service groups working on youth development, food access, housing support, immigrant integration, and community-based arts or therapeutic programs. The foundation’s recent activity also shows a recurring relationship with the same Massachusetts organizations across multiple years, including grants to Metro Housing Boston and Three Sisters Garden Project, alongside newer awards to Green Roots and Youth Development Org. The result is a grantmaking pattern that appears small in size but consistent in purpose, with a broad mix of basic needs and community wellness work anchored in Greater Boston and nearby Massachusetts communities.
Youth development appears throughout the funder’s recent grants. It gave $7,000 to The Bike Connector Inc in Lowell for charitable purposes and $7,000 to For Kids Only Afterschool in Winthrop for charitable purposes, showing support for youth-serving programs in different Massachusetts communities. Food access and urban agriculture are also present. The funder awarded $3,400 to Three Sisters Garden Project in Ipswich for charitable purposes, $3,400 to Mill City Grows in Lowell for charitable purposes, and $3,400 to Backyard Growers in Gloucester for charitable purposes. Community health and basic-needs work is another thread: Healthy Waltham received $3,400 in 2023 and again in 2024, while Heading Home received $3,400 in 2025 for charitable purposes. Immigrant integration and racial equity also show up through a $7,000 grant to Mira Coalition in Boston and a $7,000 grant to Immigrant Learning Center in Malden.
The grant size profile is tightly clustered: p25, median, and p75 are all $3,400, even though several 2025 grants were made at $7,000. That points to a foundation that uses a standard small-grant amount, with some larger awards layered on top. The recent record also shows repeat giving: We Can, Hands on Nature, Healthy Waltham, Trinity Boston Connection, Breaktime, and others received support in more than one year. The funder is not individual-facing and does not make program-related investments, so its activity is limited to grantmaking rather than loans or investments.
$213K
$419K
$67K
$93K
Most grants fall between $3K and $3K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$3K
About 97% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Relatively small-to-moderate grants (commonly $6.8k–$10.4k) with many repeat awards to the same local grantees; geographically concentrated in Massachusetts and distributed across several complementary community-service themes rather than large multi-year flagship gifts.
Notable grantees: Three Sisters Garden Project, Mill City Grows, Brain Arts Project, Heading Home, Immigrant Learning Center
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Massachusetts-based: 97% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state. Boston appears repeatedly, with grants to Mira Coalition, Youth Development Org, Metro Housing Boston, Trinity Boston Connection, Breaktime, Healthy Waltham, Heading Home, and Friday Night Supper Inc. Other Massachusetts recipients include Lowell, Malden, Chelsea, Gloucester, Waltham, Ipswich, Winthrop, and Hyannis. Outside Massachusetts, the recent grants list includes only one non-Massachusetts recipient city, Woolwich, Maine, through Rescue Charlie's Friends.
The recent grants show support for youth development, food access and urban agriculture, housing and homelessness services, immigrant integration, and arts or therapeutic programs. Examples include The Bike Connector Inc, Three Sisters Garden Project, Heading Home, Mira Coalition, and Brain Arts Project.
The typical grant size is $3,400, and the p25, median, and p75 are all the same. The recent list also includes several $7,000 grants, so the funder appears to use a standard smaller award with some higher awards as well.
Yes. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and 97% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Massachusetts recipients include organizations in Boston, Lowell, Malden, Chelsea, Gloucester, Waltham, Ipswich, Winthrop, and Hyannis.
Yes. The recent grants list includes repeat awards to Healthy Waltham, Trinity Boston Connection, Breaktime, We Can, Hands on Nature, and others across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMMIGRANT LEARNING CENTER | MALDEN, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEANNE GEIGER CRISIS CENTER | BEWBURYPORT, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HANDS ON NATURE | BERLIN, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOR KIDS ONLY AFTERSCHOOL | WINTHROP, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WE CAN | HYANNIS, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORG | BOSTON, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| EQUINE THERAPY | TEWKSBURY, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HEART AND SOIL | LANESBOROUGH, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GREEN ROOTS | CHELSEA, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MIRA COALITION | BOSTON, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| RESCUE CHARLIE'S FRIENDS | WOOLWICH, ME | $7,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE BIKE CONNECTOR INC | LOWELL, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PETTENGILL HOUSE | SALISBURY, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| EQUINE THERAPY | TEWKSBURY, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BRAIN ARTS PROJECT | FIELDS CORNER, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE BIKE CONNECTOR INC | LOWELL, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HEART AND SOIL | LANESBOROUGH, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PETTENGILL HOUSE | SALISBURY, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| OUR NEIGHBOR'S TABLE | AMESBURY, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| WE CAN | HYANNIS, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HANDS ON NATURE | BERLIN, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BACKYARD GROWERS | GLOUCESTER, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HEADING HOME | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOR KIDS ONLY AFTERSCHOOL | WINTHROP, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MILL CITY GROWS | LOWELL, MA | $3,400 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MERIMACK BLACK AND BROWN VOICES | NORTH ANDOVER, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT | IPSWICH, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| METRO HOUSING BOSTON | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT | IPSWICH, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| TRINITY BOSTON CONNECTION | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BREAKTIME | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HEALTHY WALTHAM | WALTHAM, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MILL CITY GROWS | LOWELL, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BACKYARD GROWERS | GLOUCESTER, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HEADING HOME | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BRAIN ARTS PROJECT | FIELDS CORNER, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER INC | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND | GARNDENA, CA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| MERIMACK BLACK AND BROWN VOICES | NORTH ANDOVER, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| METRO HOUSING BOSTON | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT | IPSWICH, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| LAST MILE HEALTH | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BRAIN ARTS PROJECT | FIELDS CORNER, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| INNER CITY WEIGHT LIFTING | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| TRINITY BOSTON CONNECTION | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FAMILY SVCS OF MERRIMACK VALLEY | LAWRENCE, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BREAKTIME | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HEALTHY WALTHAM | WALTHAM, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER INC | BOSTON, MA | $3,400 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
IMMIGRANT LEARNING CENTER
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
JEANNE GEIGER CRISIS CENTER
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
HANDS ON NATURE
$7,000CHARITABLE
FOR KIDS ONLY AFTERSCHOOL
$7,000CHARITABLE
WE CAN
$7,000CHARITABLE
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORG
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
EQUINE THERAPY
CHARITABLE
HEART AND SOIL
$7,000CHARITABLE
GREEN ROOTS
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
MIRA COALITION
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
RESCUE CHARLIE'S FRIENDS
$7,000UNRESTRICTED
THE BIKE CONNECTOR INC
$7,000CHARITABLE
PETTENGILL HOUSE
$7,000CHARITABLE
EQUINE THERAPY
$3,400CHARITABLE
BRAIN ARTS PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
THE BIKE CONNECTOR INC
$3,400CHARITABLE
HEART AND SOIL
$3,400CHARITABLE
PETTENGILL HOUSE
$3,400CHARITABLE
OUR NEIGHBOR'S TABLE
$3,400CHARITABLE
WE CAN
$3,400CHARITABLE
HANDS ON NATURE
$3,400CHARITABLE
BACKYARD GROWERS
$3,400CHARITABLE
HEADING HOME
$3,400CHARITABLE
FOR KIDS ONLY AFTERSCHOOL
$3,400CHARITABLE
MILL CITY GROWS
$3,400CHARITABLE
MERIMACK BLACK AND BROWN VOICES
$3,400CHARITABLE
THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
METRO HOUSING BOSTON
$3,400CHARITABLE
THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
TRINITY BOSTON CONNECTION
$3,400CHARITABLE
BREAKTIME
$3,400CHARITABLE
HEALTHY WALTHAM
$3,400CHARITABLE
MILL CITY GROWS
$3,400CHARITABLE
BACKYARD GROWERS
$3,400CHARITABLE
HEADING HOME
$3,400CHARITABLE
BRAIN ARTS PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER INC
$3,400CHARITABLE
HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$3,400CHARITABLE
MERIMACK BLACK AND BROWN VOICES
$3,400CHARITABLE
METRO HOUSING BOSTON
$3,400CHARITABLE
THREE SISTERS GARDEN PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
LAST MILE HEALTH
$3,400CHARITABLE
BRAIN ARTS PROJECT
$3,400CHARITABLE
INNER CITY WEIGHT LIFTING
$3,400CHARITABLE
TRINITY BOSTON CONNECTION
$3,400CHARITABLE
FAMILY SVCS OF MERRIMACK VALLEY
$3,400CHARITABLE
BREAKTIME
$3,400CHARITABLE
HEALTHY WALTHAM
$3,400CHARITABLE
FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPER INC
$3,400CHARITABLE