The Richard and Clare Lesser Family Foundation concentrates philanthropic support on healthcare delivery and biomedical research, elder care and medical facilities, and Jewish communal life (especially campus Hillel and Jewish advocacy). Grants are often sizable, targeted gifts (program- or capital-type support) made to hospitals, research institutes, and local eldercare providers, with a secondary geographic focus on Florida and the Massachusetts/New England area. The foundation shows a preference for repeat funding to a small set of institutional grantees rather than many one-off gifts.
A defining feature of The Richard and Clare Lesser Family Foundation is its repeated support for institutions tied to healthcare, elder care, and Jewish communal life. The recent record shows a mix of unrestricted gifts, pledge payments, and targeted support for facilities and programs, with several recipients appearing more than once across 2023 to 2025. One clear thread is medical giving: Brigham and Women’s Hospital received multiple grants, including unrestricted support, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute also appears among the recent grantees. The foundation also backed elder-care and community-service providers such as Morse Life Foundation and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, suggesting a preference for organizations serving older adults and local care networks. Jewish campus and advocacy institutions are another visible part of the portfolio. Northeastern University appears repeatedly with Hillel-related support and other named gifts, while the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County also received grants. The pattern is not broad-based small-dollar grantmaking; instead, it centers on a comparatively small set of organizations and specific designations, including unrestricted support, memorial and birthday gifts, and pledge installments. Across the recent list, the foundation’s giving looks relationship-driven and institution-focused rather than dispersed across many one-time recipients.
In healthcare, the foundation supported both hospitals and research institutions. Brigham and Women’s Hospital received grants marked unrestricted, while Dana-Farber Cancer Institute also appears in the recent record. Biomedical research is visible in a separate grant to Foundation for Neurological Diseases for Dr. Selkoe’s Alzheimer’s research. That points to interest in neurological disease as well as cancer-related institutions already present in the giving record. Elder care and local service organizations are another recurring theme. Morse Life Foundation received grants labeled general fund and final payment, and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services received unrestricted support in multiple years. The foundation also gave to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Jupiter Medical Center Foundation, extending that healthcare support into community hospital settings. Jewish communal life appears through university and advocacy grants. Northeastern University received multiple gifts tied to Hillel and other named purposes, and the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County also appear among the recent grantees.
$354K
$642K
$54K
$358K
Most grants fall between $1K and $15K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 36% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Concentrated giving through a small number of moderately large grants, repeated support to a handful of institutional grantees across healthcare, research and Jewish causes, combining program/capital payments and research-designated gifts rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Morse Life Foundation, Admiral's Cove Foundation, Northeastern University (Hillel), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Foundation for Neurological Diseases
Typical grants cluster at a modest-to-mid range: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $2,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent record also includes larger targeted gifts, with several $25,000 and $50,000 grants. Recipients recur across multiple years, including organizations that appear in 2023, 2024, and 2025, which indicates repeat support rather than one-off giving. The foundation funds individuals, and the grant list includes pledge payments, unrestricted gifts, and designated awards. No application process is shown in the data.
The foundation gives nationally, with all recent grants in the US. Florida is a major destination, accounting for 36% of grants, and recipient cities there include Jupiter, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County. Massachusetts is also prominent, with Boston, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, and Newburyport appearing repeatedly. Outside those two states, recent grants also went to New Orleans and New York City.
The recent grants show support for hospitals, biomedical research institutions, elder-care and community-service providers, and Jewish communal organizations. Examples in the data include Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Morse Life Foundation, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, Northeastern University, the Anti-Defamation League, and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Morse Life Foundation received grants in 2023 and 2024, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services appears in 2023 and 2024, and Northeastern University appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with different designations.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is centered at a modest level: p25 is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent list also shows a number of larger gifts at $25,000 and $50,000.
Yes. Northeastern University received multiple grants marked for Hillel, including $25,000 in 2024, $10,000 in 2025, and $5,000 in 2025. The foundation also gave to the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
No. Florida is a major recipient state, but the grants also go to Massachusetts, New York, Louisiana, and other US locations. Recent recipient cities include Boston, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Newburyport, New York City, and New Orleans.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $80,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOSPITAL | OAK BLUFFS, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD HEBREW CENTER | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BARNERT TEMPLE | FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ | $1,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE | JUPITER, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PAN-MASS CHALLENGE | NEEDHAM, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FARM NECK FOUNDATION INC | OAK BLUFFS, MA | $500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SHRINER'S CHILDREN'S | TAMPA, FL | $250 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | ACF IMAGING CENTER |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT AOUN |
| FOUNDATION FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES | NEWBURYPORT, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | DR. SELKOE'S ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | HILLEL |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | SEAN PATRICK O'ROURKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | HILLEL |
| WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY OF THE GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION | MIAMI, FL | $2,000 | 2025 | LIZ CHROMAN 2025 CAMPAIGN |
| GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION | MIAMI, FL | $1,800 | 2025 | FOR 2024 CAMPAIGN |
| BARNERT TEMPLE | FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ | $1,500 | 2025 | ANNUAL APPEAL |
| GRIFFIN CARES FOUNDATION | TENAFLY, NJ | $1,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF SCARLETT |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2025 | CATHOLIC CENTER AT NU |
| WEST TISBURY LIBRARY ANNUAL APPEAL | WEST TISBURY, MA | $500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2025 | JOE BOWER FUND |
| MORSE LIFE FOUNDATION | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND, 2021 FINAL PAYMENT |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | HILLEL |
| DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ADMIRAL'S COVE FOUNDATION | JUPITER, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOSPITAL | OAK BLUFFS, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | BIRTHDAY DONATION |
| MARTHA'S VINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FAULLI JUPITER | JUPITER, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | PMT 5 OF 5 OF 2019 PLEDGE |
| SBP | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| YMCA OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HERIZON | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $2,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | HILLEL CURRENT USE FUND |
| NORTH BERGEN RENAISSANCE CORPORATION | NORTH BERGEN, NJ | $2,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD | VINEYARD HAVEN, MA | $2,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
$80,000UNRESTRICTED
MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOSPITAL
UNRESTRICTED
MARTHA'S VINEYARD HEBREW CENTER
$5,000UNRESTRICTED
BARNERT TEMPLE
$1,500UNRESTRICTED
JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER
$500UNRESTRICTED
FARM NECK FOUNDATION INC
$500UNRESTRICTED
SHRINER'S CHILDREN'S
$250UNRESTRICTED
WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY OF THE GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION
$2,000LIZ CHROMAN 2025 CAMPAIGN
BARNERT TEMPLE
$1,500ANNUAL APPEAL
GRIFFIN CARES FOUNDATION
$1,000IN MEMORY OF SCARLETT
WEST TISBURY LIBRARY ANNUAL APPEAL
$500UNRESTRICTED
THE NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
$500JOE BOWER FUND
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOSPITAL
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
FAULLI JUPITER
$10,000PMT 5 OF 5 OF 2019 PLEDGE
HERIZON
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
NORTH BERGEN RENAISSANCE CORPORATION
$2,000UNRESTRICTED
HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD
$2,000UNRESTRICTED