The TowardSustainability Foundation concentrates large, repeat grants on scientific research and reproductive health. The foundation makes substantial multi-year gifts to university research centers focused on organic agriculture and biodiversity, and to national reproductive health services and advocacy through Planned Parenthood. Its giving signals an interest in evidence-based sustainability science plus support for healthcare access and policy at the national level.
Towards Sustainability Foundation C/o Charles P Nelson Jr Cambridge Trust has put the same $110,000 level behind Cornell University research programs across multiple years, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. That pattern points to a funder that backs long-running scientific work rather than one-off projects. Alongside those university awards, the foundation has made repeated support to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, including general domestic and global support and general support in 2025, showing a second major line of giving centered on reproductive health access and advocacy. The foundation’s recent awards also show a practical interest in applied sustainability work. Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy received repeated support for AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming, and the Food Project, Ecologic Development Fund, and Oxfam-America appear among other recipients. Smaller grants extend the portfolio toward climate justice, women’s entrepreneurship in coffee and cocoa chains, and local conservation groups. The result is a grantmaking profile that combines research, service delivery, and sustainability-oriented capacity building.
Organic farming research is one of the clearest themes. The foundation gave $110,000 to Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for the Organic Farming Research Program in 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating a sustained research commitment. A separate $95,000 grant to Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy for AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming in 2025 extends that interest into farmer training and sustainable food systems. Biodiversity science is another repeated focus. Cornell University - Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future received $110,000 for the Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program in both 2023 and 2024, and the same program appears again in 2025. The foundation also supports reproductive health and women’s economic participation. Planned Parenthood Federation of America received $110,000 in 2024 and 2025, while Rainforest Alliance got $25,000 in 2025 for Women Entreprenuers - Coffee and Cocoa Chains.
$849K
$14.5M
$1.2M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $15K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Towards Sustainability Foundation C/O Charles P Nelson Jr Cambridge Trust.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 103 | $3.4M | 99.0% |
| 2 |
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, high-value grants to a small set of repeat grantees — multiple large gifts to the same institutions rather than many small or one-off awards.
Notable grantees: Cornell University — College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University — Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Typical grants cluster tightly around a few sizes: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. The recent list also shows a smaller set of larger awards at $75,000 to $110,000 for university programs and national advocacy. The foundation appears to favor recurring support: Cornell programs, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Tufts University, and Womens Microfinance Initiative all show up in more than one year. The grantmaking style includes both program-specific awards and general-purpose support, with several grantees receiving the latter. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
Grant activity is centered in the Northeast, but not only in Massachusetts. New York is the top state by grant count, while 44% of grants go to recipients in Massachusetts. Recent recipients include Ithaca and New York City, with additional grants in Boston, Cambridge, Lincoln, and Essex. Outside the United States, the recipient country distribution includes 1 grant in EI, showing a small international component alongside a mostly domestic portfolio.
Its recent grants cluster around organic farming research, biodiversity and sustainability science, reproductive health services and advocacy, sustainable farming support, and climate justice. The named programs include Cornell’s Organic Farming Research Program and Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program, plus Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s general support.
Yes. Cornell University’s agriculture and biodiversity programs appear across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Planned Parenthood Federation of America also received multiple awards across those years, and Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy appears more than once as well.
The distribution is fairly tight: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. The list also includes larger program grants of $75,000, $95,000, $100,000, and $110,000 for selected university and national nonprofit recipients.
New York is the top state by grant count. Massachusetts is also important, with 44% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent recipient cities include Ithaca, New York City, Boston, Cambridge, Lincoln, and Essex.
No. The provided data says it funds individuals: false and makes program-related investments: false, so the recent portfolio is entirely grant-based institutional support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| Ireland |
| 1 |
| $10K |
1.0% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University - Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future | Boone, IA | $110,000 | 2026 | Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program |
| Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | Ithaca, NY | $110,000 | 2026 | Organic Farming Research Program |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy | Boston, MA | $95,000 | 2026 | AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming |
| Food Project | Lincoln, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Womens Microfinance Initiative | Cabin John, MD | $30,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| GreenPeace Fund | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | Protecting Ocean Biodiversity |
| Massachusetts Audubon Society | Lincoln, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Green America | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Rainforest Alliance | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | Women Entreprenuers - Coffee and Cocoa Chains |
| Oxfam-America | Boston, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Nature Conservancy - MA Chapter | Boston, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| MADRE | Etna, NH | $25,000 | 2026 | Advancing Climate Justice Initiative |
| Essex County Greenbelt | Essex, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Rodale Institute | Kutztown, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | Zapping Weeds in Soybean |
| American Friends Service Committee | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 2026 | Peace & Livelihoods Programs |
| Gulf of Maine Institute | West Newbury, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Lloyd Center for the Environment | Dartmouth, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | Environmental Science Education Programs |
| Creative Action Institute | Ipswich, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Safe Passage | Baltimore, MD | $20,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| CISA | South Deerfield, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Red Tomato | Providence, RI | $15,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Gather | Portsmouth, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | Teaching Garden Pilot Program |
| Natik Esperanza | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $9,150 | 2026 | Pueblo a Pueblo Sustainble Livelihoods Program |
| Farm School | Athol, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America | New York, NY | $110,000 | 2025 | General Domestic and Global Support |
| Cornell University - Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future | Boone, IA | $110,000 | 2025 | Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program |
| Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | Ithaca, NY | $110,000 | 2025 | Organic Farming Research Program |
| Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy | Boston, MA | $75,000 | 2025 | AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming |
| Ecologic Development Fund | Cambridge, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Womens Microfinance Initiative | Cabin John, MD | $30,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Rainforest Alliance | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Women Entreprenuers - Coffee and Cocoa Chains |
| Massachusetts Audubon Society | Lincoln, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Essex County Greenbelt | Essex, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| MADRE | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Advancing Climate Justice Initiative |
| Green America | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Oxfam-America | Boston, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| GreenPeace Fund | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | Protecting Ocean Biodiversity |
| Food Project | Dorchester, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| American Friends Service Committee | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | Peace & Livelihoods Programs |
| Lloyd Center for the Environment | Dartmouth, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | Environmental Science Education Programs |
| Nature Conservancy - MA Chapter | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Gulf of Maine Institute | West Newbury, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Rodale Institute | Kutztown, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | Comprehensive Leaching Evaluation and Mgmt Study |
| CISA | South Deerfield, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Red Tomato | Providence, RI | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Safe Passage | New Gloucester, ME | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Natik Esperanza | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | Pueblo a Pueblo Sustainble Livelihoods Program |
| Farm School | Athol, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | Ithaca, NY | $110,000 | 2024 | Organic Farming Research Program |
Cornell University - Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
$110,000Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program
Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
$110,000Organic Farming Research Program
Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy
$95,000AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming
Womens Microfinance Initiative
General Purposes
Nature Conservancy - MA Chapter
$25,000General Purposes
American Friends Service Committee
$20,000Peace & Livelihoods Programs
Gulf of Maine Institute
$20,000General Purposes
Lloyd Center for the Environment
$20,000Environmental Science Education Programs
Safe Passage
$20,000General Purposes
Red Tomato
$15,000General Purposes
Natik Esperanza
$9,150Pueblo a Pueblo Sustainble Livelihoods Program
Cornell University - Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
$110,000Sustainable Biodiversity Research Program
Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
$110,000Organic Farming Research Program
Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy
$75,000AFE/New Entry Sustainable Farming
Ecologic Development Fund
$40,000General Purposes
Womens Microfinance Initiative
$30,000General Purposes
Massachusetts Audubon Society
$25,000General Purposes
Food Project
$25,000General Purposes
American Friends Service Committee
$20,000Peace & Livelihoods Programs
Lloyd Center for the Environment
$20,000Environmental Science Education Programs
Nature Conservancy - MA Chapter
$20,000General Purposes
Gulf of Maine Institute
$20,000General Purposes
Red Tomato
$15,000General Purposes
Safe Passage
$15,000General Purposes
Natik Esperanza
$5,000Pueblo a Pueblo Sustainble Livelihoods Program
Farm School
$5,000General Purposes
Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
$110,000Organic Farming Research Program