The Albert and Amelia Ferst Charitable Foundation is a small, locally focused family foundation that concentrates its giving on sustaining its own operating vehicle and providing general support to community services in Wilbraham, MA. Recent grants show a particular interest in senior services, delivered through modest, unrestricted gifts to local organizations. Their activity appears limited and highly local rather than mission-diverse or national in scope.
Highly concentrated and small-scale: only three grants totaling $119k, with the majority directed to the foundation’s own operating entity and a single local nonprofit; favors one-off or limited-number general support grants rather than broad or program-specific funding.
A defining feature of the Albert and Amelia Ferst Charitable Foundation is its support for the family’s own operating vehicle: in 2023 it granted $62,000 to Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation, followed by $49,000 in 2024. That pattern sits alongside smaller community grants, showing a funder that combines internal capitalization with local philanthropy. The foundation’s other recent giving is centered on Wilbraham, including $8,150 to Friends of Wilbraham Seniors Inc. for general support. Its recent grants are modest in number and limited in scope, with every grant in the file going to U.S.-based recipients and the majority of awards at the $1,000 level. The mix points to a small family foundation using general-purpose support rather than project-specific awards, while reserving its largest grants for the operating foundation that appears in its recent grant list. The community-facing side of the portfolio is narrow but clear: senior services and small local organizations in western Massachusetts receive the remainder of the giving profile.
One visible theme is senior services in Wilbraham. The foundation gave $8,150 to Friends of Wilbraham Seniors Inc. for general support, placing older adults and local programming within its recent grantmaking. Another theme is support for the family’s operating structure. Two large general grants went to Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation, one in 2023 for $62,000 and another in 2024 for $49,000. Smaller grants also went to local Massachusetts nonprofits, including $1,000 to Tlj Foundation in West Springfield, $1,000 to Rays of Hopebaystate Health Foundation in Springfield, and $1,000 to Madd Massachusetts in Danvers. Across those awards, the purpose field is consistently general support rather than restricted project funding.
Grant sizes are uneven. The distribution shows a p25 of $1,000, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $28,575, reflecting a cluster of small awards with two much larger grants in the recent record. The foundation appears to make repeat awards to the same recipient: Tlj Foundation received $1,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The recent list also shows recurring support for the family’s operating foundation across two years. This is a family foundation, not a fund that makes grants to individuals or program-related investments, and the grants shown are general support rather than restricted project awards.
$123K
$1M
$30K
$70K
Most grants fall between $1K and $29K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$29K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Notable grantees: Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation, Friends of Wilbraham Seniors, Inc.
Giving is fully concentrated in Massachusetts, with 100% of grants in the HQ state and the top state by grant count also Massachusetts. Recent recipients are in Wilbraham, West Springfield, Springfield, Westfield, and Danvers. The strongest local tie is Wilbraham, where Friends of Wilbraham Seniors Inc. received a grant. Western Massachusetts cities appear multiple times, while the largest grants went to Westfield-based Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation.
Recent grants go to a mix of local community organizations and the family’s operating foundation. The community-facing awards include Friends of Wilbraham Seniors Inc., while the largest grants went to Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation. The pattern is general support rather than restricted project funding.
The typical grant size is small: p25 is $1,000, the median is $1,000, and p75 is $28,575. That distribution reflects several $1,000 awards alongside two much larger grants to the operating foundation.
All grants in the recent file go to recipients in Massachusetts, so the recipient-state distribution is 100% MA. Recent recipient cities include Wilbraham, West Springfield, Springfield, Westfield, and Danvers.
Yes. Tlj Foundation appears in both 2023 and 2024, each time for $1,000. The recent record also shows a two-year pattern of support for Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALBERT & AMELIA FERST OPERATING FOUNDATION | WESTFIELD, MA | $49,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF WILBRAHAM SENIORS INC | WILBRAHAM, MA | $8,150 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TLJ FOUNDATION | WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ALBERT & AMELIA FERST OPERATING FOUNDATION | WESTFIELD, MA | $62,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MADD MASSACHUSETTS | DANVERS, MA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| RAYS OF HOPEBAYSTATE HEALTH FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| TLJ FOUNDATION | WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
ALBERT & AMELIA FERST OPERATING FOUNDATION
$49,000GENERAL
FRIENDS OF WILBRAHAM SENIORS INC
$8,150GENERAL
TLJ FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL
ALBERT & AMELIA FERST OPERATING FOUNDATION
$62,000GENERAL
MADD MASSACHUSETTS
$1,000GENERAL
RAYS OF HOPEBAYSTATE HEALTH FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL
TLJ FOUNDATION
GENERAL