Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership Benefit
About Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation makes a small number of very large gifts, primarily supporting medical institutions and research hospitals with occasional support for community public-space projects. Their grants favor major academic medical centers and local hospitals—often funding institutional priorities or capital/operating needs—while also making targeted investments in community amenities.
Focus Areas
Cancer research and cancer center funding (major gifts to specialized cancer institutes)Academic medical center support (research funding and institutional support to universities with medical programs)Community hospital support in Massachusetts (large grants to regional hospitals)Urban park/public-space preservation and community foundations
Who They Fund
not specified
Giving Approach
Concentrated, high-dollar giving: very few grants but large amounts, with some repeat support to the same institutions (e.g., Emory). Mix of regional focus on Massachusetts healthcare and selective national contributions to major research universities.
Funding Style
About Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
A defining feature of the Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation is its use of large, invitation-only grants to a small set of pre-selected partners. The recent grant record shows repeated support for major medical institutions and research hospitals, alongside selected education, youth, and community organizations. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received $2,550,000 in 2023 and another $150,000 in 2025, while Brockton Hospital received $600,000 in 2023 and $1,800,000 in 2025. That pattern points to relationship-based funding rather than one-off awards. The foundation also backs a narrower set of civic and community projects. The People’s Park Foundation in Jersey City received $1,000,000 in 2023 and $750,000 in 2025, and Liberty Science Center also appears more than once in the recent grants list. Alongside those larger gifts, the foundation funds institutions with local ties in Massachusetts and major universities outside the state, including Emory University, Harvard College, and Columbia University. The result is a portfolio centered on exempt-purpose institutional support, with medical, educational, and community-benefit grants handled through selected partnerships rather than an open application process.
What Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation Funds
Cancer research is one of the clearest themes in the recent grants. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received $2,550,000 in 2023 and $150,000 in 2025, showing sustained support for a specialized cancer center. Medical institution support extends beyond cancer: Brockton Hospital received $600,000 in 2023 and $1,800,000 in 2025, indicating repeated backing for a community hospital in Massachusetts. Education and youth development also appear in the grant list. The foundation gave $250,000 to President and Fellows of Harvard College in 2023 and $200,000 to Columbia University in 2025, while Babson College received $130,000 in 2025. On the youth side, Team Impact received $100,000 in 2023 and again in 2025, and Ron Burton Training Village received $250,000 in 2023 and $500,000 in 2025. Community-oriented support includes $1,000,000 to The People’s Park Foundation in 2023 and $750,000 in 2025 for public-space work.
How Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation Gives
The foundation’s typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $58,750 at the 75th percentile, but the recent file also includes many awards in the hundreds of thousands and above. That spread suggests a portfolio with a smaller number of large institutional grants and a long tail of more modest awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants are by invitation or selection, and the organization does not accept unsolicited proposals. Repeated awards across 2023 and 2025 to the same recipients show an ongoing partnership model rather than isolated gifts.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$8.1M
Total Assets
$178.8M
Total Revenue
$12.8M
Total Expenses
$9.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $59K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$59K
Geographic Reach
Regional15 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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