The McCance Foundation concentrates its giving in a small number of large grants to institutional partners, with particular emphasis on medical research/healthcare (notably Massachusetts General Hospital), environmental advocacy and policy (Environmental Defense Fund), and K–12 education equity and STEM access (National Educational Equity Lab). Grants are directed to established, high-capacity organizations and combine local Massachusetts-focused support with national advocacy and programmatic investments. The foundation appears to favor impactful, program-level funding to a few repeat grantees rather than many small gifts.
Highly concentrated: 6 grants totaling ~$4.5M, with two beneficiaries receiving the vast majority of dollars; repeat multi-grant relationships with major institutional grantees rather than many small or one-off awards.
The McCance Foundation’s recent giving is defined by a pattern of repeated, seven-figure support to a small set of institutional partners. Massachusetts General Hospital received $1,001,435 in 2023, while Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated received $1,000,500 in 2025, showing that the foundation backs both medical and environmental work at substantial scale. National Educational Equity Lab also appears as a recurring recipient, with grants of $501,903 in 2025 and $450,000 in both 2023 and 2024. That combination points to a funder that favors established organizations with the capacity to use flexible support in programmatic or organizational ways. The grant list also shows a mix of state-based and national organizations, with Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Fishers Island all appearing among recipient locations. Several awards go to the same institutions across multiple years, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated, and National Educational Equity Lab, indicating a consistent relationship rather than one-off gifts. The foundation’s support extends beyond its largest checks to a wider set of community and policy organizations, but the center of gravity remains with large, general-support grants to high-capacity nonprofits.
Medical research and clinical care are a clear thread in the portfolio. Massachusetts General Hospital received $502,805 in 2025 and $501,878 in 2024, both listed as general support, following the larger 2023 grant. Environmental advocacy and policy is another major area: Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated received $1,000,500 in 2025 and $993,102 in 2023 for general support. The foundation also supports climate-focused infrastructure and policy work through Ceres Inc, which received $250,000 in both 2024 and 2025 and $200,000 in 2023. Education is present through National Educational Equity Lab, which received $501,903 in 2025 and $450,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The portfolio also includes K–12 and school-related support through Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation, which received $105,000 in both 2024 and 2025. These grants show a preference for flexible funding to organizations already operating at scale.
Typical grant size clusters around a $5,000 median, with a $1,000 p25 and $50,000 p75, but the recent grant list is dominated by much larger awards, including repeated six- and seven-figure gifts. That gap suggests a portfolio with a long tail of smaller grants alongside a concentrated set of major commitments. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated, and National Educational Equity Lab, which points to recurring support rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants are generally listed as general support.
$7.1M
$91.3M
$23.6M
$8.1M
Most grants fall between $1K and $50K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: Massachusetts General Hospital, Environmental Defense Fund, National Educational Equity Lab
Grants are entirely domestic in the recent dataset, with all recorded recipient-country counts in the US. Giving is most frequent in Connecticut, while 20% of grants go to recipients in Massachusetts. Recipient locations also cluster in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Fishers Island. Within Massachusetts, Boston appears repeatedly through several large institutional grants, while Fishers Island is a frequent location for smaller regional recipients.
The recent grants show a strong mix of medical research and clinical care, environmental advocacy and policy, and K–12 educational equity. The largest recurring recipients in those areas include Massachusetts General Hospital, Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated, and National Educational Equity Lab, all funded with general support.
The recent awards are labeled general support across the listed recipients. That points to flexible funding rather than narrow project grants, with awards made to established organizations such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Ceres Inc.
Yes. The grant list shows repeat support across multiple years for several recipients, including Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated in 2023 and 2025, Massachusetts General Hospital in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation in 2024 and 2025.
Connecticut is the top state by grant count. Massachusetts also receives a notable share, with 20% of grants going to recipients in the state, and the recipient locations in the data include Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Fishers Island.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated | New York, NY | $1,000,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Boston, MA | $502,805 | 2025 | General Support |
| National Educational Equity Lab | New York, NY | $501,903 | 2025 | General Support |
| Ceres Inc | Boston, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fishers Island School | Fishers Island, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| LIFT Inc | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Lighthouse Works | Fishers Island, NY | $180,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Henry L Ferguson Museum | Fishers Island, NY | $170,700 | 2025 | General Support |
| Forest Trends Association | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Island Health Project Inc | Fishers Island, NY | $149,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation | Lake Wales, FL | $105,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Alzheimer's Disease Research Foundation (dba Cure Alzheimer's Fund) | Wellesley Hills, MA | $102,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund | New York, NY | $100,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Project Drawdown | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Right to Play | Shreveport, LA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| New Profit Inc | Boston, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Rare | Arlington, VA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| KIPP Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Social Finance | Boston, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Harlem Children's Zone | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Year Up | Boston, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Measures for Justice Institute | Rochester, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation | Fishers Island, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Equal Justice Initiative | Montgomery, AL | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| PeerForward | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Khan Academy | Mountain View, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Children's Hospital Corporation (dba Boston Children's Hospital) | Boston, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Management Leadership for Tomorrow (aka MILT) | Bethesda, MD | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (aka Lustgarten Foundation) | Woodbury, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Prime Coalition | Cambridge, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Echoing Green | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Breast Cancer Research Foundation | New York, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action Network | Manhattan Beach, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| St John's Church | Pawcatuck, CT | $72,300 | 2025 | General Support |
| Union Chapel | Fishers Island, NY | $65,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fishers Island Community Center | Fishers Island, NY | $61,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fishers Island Fire Department | Fishers Island, NY | $54,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| FoodCorps | Portland, OR | $52,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Billion Oyster Project | New York, NY | $51,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| University of Louisville (fbo Christina Lee Brown Environment Institute) | Louisville, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Save the Sound | New Haven, CT | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Lawrence General Hospital | Lawrence, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Code For America Labs | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| BUILD (Business United in Investing Lending and Development) | Redwood, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| DEPLOYUS Inc | Boston, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc | Boston, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Center for Climate and Energy Solutions | Arlington, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Aspen Institute (fbo This is Planet Ed) | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Braven | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fishers Island Library Association | Fishers Island, NY | $36,500 | 2025 | General Support |
Massachusetts General Hospital
$502,805General Support
National Educational Equity Lab
$501,903General Support
Fishers Island School
$250,000General Support
General Support
Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation
$105,000General Support
General Support
Project Drawdown
$100,000General Support
Right to Play
$100,000General Support
New Profit Inc
$100,000General Support
General Support
General Support
St John's Church
$72,300General Support
Union Chapel
$65,000General Support
Fishers Island Fire Department
$54,000General Support
University of Louisville (fbo Christina Lee Brown Environment Institute)
$50,000General Support
Lawrence General Hospital
$50,000General Support
BUILD (Business United in Investing Lending and Development)
$50,000General Support
Fishers Island Library Association
$36,500General Support