The Perry Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on major Boston arts institutions, providing sizable general operating support to cultural organizations. Grants are focused and local, supporting both performing arts (notably opera) and major visual arts museums, with repeat gifts to flagship institutions.
Concentrated, relatively few but large grants; repeat multi-year support to established Boston cultural institutions, with funds directed to general/unrestricted purposes.
Notable grantees: Boston Lyric Opera, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Major Boston-area cultural institutions (pattern inferred from recipients)
A defining feature of The Edward Lee and Slocumb Hollis Perry Foundation is its repeated support for Boston cultural institutions through unrestricted and general operating gifts. In the recent grants list, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston received $70,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for its General Fund, while Boston Lyric Opera received multiple General Fund awards across those same years, including $50,000 and $25,000 in 2024. That pattern points to a funder that backs established organizations rather than one-time projects. The foundation’s giving reaches performing arts, museums, orchestras, and theater, with recipients that include the Huntington Theatre Company, Boston Symphony Orchestra, American Repertory Theater, New England Conservatory of Music, and WGBH-related entities. It also supports opera organizations beyond Boston, including The Metropolitan Opera and Opera America in New York. Recent awards show a preference for flexible support, often labeled General Fund, which suggests a focus on institutional stability and mission continuity. The grant record is concentrated in cultural organizations, especially in Greater Boston, with additional gifts to a smaller set of national arts institutions.
One major theme in the foundation’s grantmaking is opera. Boston Lyric Opera appears multiple times in the recent grants list, with awards of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 for General Fund support. The Metropolitan Opera also received $8,500, and Opera America was funded at $8,000 and $7,500. A second area is visual arts museums and collections. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston received $70,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for its General Fund, and Friends of Lobkowicz Collections in Dover, Massachusetts received $5,000. The foundation also backs broader arts infrastructure and media. WGBH Education Foundation received $25,000 and $12,000, WGBH Beacon Circle received $10,000, Huntington Theatre Company received multiple grants including $20,000 and $15,000, and Boston Symphony Orchestra and American Repertory Theater also appear among the recent recipients.
Typical grant sizes are modest to substantial: the 25th percentile is $400, the median is $1,000, and the 75th percentile is $7,625. Recent awards show a much wider upper tier, with several grants at $50,000 or $70,000. The record also shows repeated support to the same institutions across years, especially in Boston’s arts sector. Grants are overwhelmingly general operating or General Fund awards, indicating flexible support rather than project-specific funding. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$432K
$107K
$368K
$432K
Most grants fall between $400 and $8K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$400
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$8K
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The foundation’s grantmaking is regional and heavily centered in Massachusetts: 60% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Boston is the most visible city in the recent grants list, joined by Brighton and Cambridge, along with Dover in Massachusetts. Outside Massachusetts, grants reach New York City and Cleveland. Recipient locations in the file are entirely in the US, with 100 grants recorded domestically.
The recent grants point to arts and culture, especially opera, theater, museums, orchestras, and arts media. Examples include Boston Lyric Opera, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory of Music, and WGBH-related organizations.
Its recent awards are usually labeled General Fund or General Fund support, showing a flexible approach. The list also includes repeated gifts to the same institutions over 2023 and 2024, including Boston Lyric Opera, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and Huntington Theatre Company.
The distribution is centered at relatively small amounts, with a 25th percentile of $400, a median of $1,000, and a 75th percentile of $7,625. At the same time, the recent grants list includes larger institutional awards such as $70,000 and $50,000.
Massachusetts receives most of the grants, with 60% going to recipients in the HQ state. Boston appears frequently in the recent grants list, along with Brighton, Cambridge, and Dover. The top state by grant count is New York, which reflects recipient locations rather than the foundation’s headquarters.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON | BOSTON, MA | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| OPERA AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOSTON LYRIC OPERA | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOSTON LYRIC OPERA | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | BOSTON, MA | $19,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATRE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOSTON LYRIC OPERA | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATRE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| OPERA AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $8,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE FUND FOR SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE | BRONXVILLE, NY | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| EKWANOK SCHOLARSHIP TRUST | MANCHESTER, VT | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| VINCENT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DORSET EQUINE RESCUE | EAST DORSET, VT | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DORSET THEATRE FESTIVAL | DORSET, VT | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATRE | BOSTON, MA | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| PARTNERS IN HEALTH | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE VINCENT CLUB | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| 152 COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DORSET EQUINE RESCUE | EAST DORSET, VT | $750 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| PMC JIMMY FUND | BROOKLINE, MA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | BOSTON, MA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY | HOHENWALD, TN | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| GREEN MOUNTAIN GIRLS | MANCHESTER, VT | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| NSCDA MA | BOSTON, MA | $350 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION SEACOST | NEWTON, MA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DORSET THEATRE FESTIVAL | DORSET, VT | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY | BOSTON, MA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| FRIENDS OF SULGRAVE MANOR | ROSEMONT, PA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| MAX WARBURG COURAGE CURRICULUM | BOSTON, MA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| GREEN MOUNTAIN ACADEMY | DORSET, VT | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| GUNSTON HALL | MASON NECK, VA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER | MANCHESTER, VT | $160 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| LAKE VIEW CEMETARY FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $150 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY | BOSTON, MA | $35 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON | BOSTON, MA | $170,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$19,000GENERAL FUND
METROPOLITAN OPERA
$8,500GENERAL FUND
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL FUND
THE FUND FOR SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE
$4,000GENERAL FUND
EKWANOK SCHOLARSHIP TRUST
$3,500GENERAL FUND
VINCENT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$3,500GENERAL FUND
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
$3,000GENERAL FUND
DORSET THEATRE FESTIVAL
$2,500GENERAL FUND
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
$2,000GENERAL FUND
PARTNERS IN HEALTH
$1,000GENERAL FUND
THE VINCENT CLUB
$1,000GENERAL FUND
152 COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL FUND
PMC JIMMY FUND
$500GENERAL FUND
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$500GENERAL FUND
GREEN MOUNTAIN GIRLS
$500GENERAL FUND
NSCDA MA
$350GENERAL FUND
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION SEACOST
$250GENERAL FUND
DORSET THEATRE FESTIVAL
$250GENERAL FUND
FRIENDS OF SULGRAVE MANOR
$250GENERAL FUND
MAX WARBURG COURAGE CURRICULUM
$250GENERAL FUND
GREEN MOUNTAIN ACADEMY
$250GENERAL FUND
GUNSTON HALL
$250GENERAL FUND
SOUTHERN VERMONT ARTS CENTER
$160GENERAL FUND