The Westra Family Charitable Trust concentrates its giving on education and youth services, with a mix of support for higher education, K–12 independent and networked schools, and direct youth-development programs. Grants are largely regionally focused in New England (with a sprinkling of support to well-known universities elsewhere), and the foundation favors intermediate-sized gifts that are often program- or charitable-purpose focused. Repeat support to a single higher-education recipient appears alongside one-off gifts to local schools and youth organizations, suggesting an interest in both institutional scholarship/academic missions and hands-on youth programming.
A repeated pattern defines Westra Family Charitable Trust’s grantmaking: Harvard University received three grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including a $55,000 award in 2024 and a $7,500 gift in 2025. That multi-year support sits alongside funding for local education and youth-serving organizations, showing a mix of institutional and community-based giving. The trust’s recent grants include major universities, independent schools, youth-development groups, and education-support organizations, with gift sizes commonly in the five-figure range. The foundation’s work is especially visible in Massachusetts, where many of its recipients are located. Boston-area institutions appear frequently, but the portfolio also reaches beyond one city through grants to higher education and youth-service groups in Salem, Lowell, Columbia, Charlottesville, and Dover. Its support is not limited to one type of recipient: one grant can support a university, while another can back a youth promise program or a school network. That blend suggests a funder that combines academic support with direct service and K–12 education interests.
Higher education is a clear thread in the trust’s recent giving. Alongside its recurring support for Harvard University, it awarded $20,000 to the University of Virginia in 2025 for charitable purposes, following similar grants to that institution in 2023 and 2024. Youth services are another consistent area. In 2023, the trust gave $50,000 to Plummer Youth Promise in Salem, Massachusetts, making that one of its largest recent awards. The foundation also funded Serve and Connect in Columbia, South Carolina with $15,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Its education-related giving extends to school-support organizations and K–12 institutions. Examples include $25,000 to Elevate New England in Lowell, $20,000 to Up Education Network Inc in Boston, and $25,000 to Boston Trinity Academy in Boston.
Typical grants cluster in the middle of the five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $21,250. That points to a trust that often makes moderate-sized awards rather than very small or very large ones. The pattern also shows repeat support. Harvard University appears in multiple years, the University of Virginia appears in three separate years, and both Serve and Connect and Boston Public Library Fdn receive follow-on grants. The trust is a family charitable trust, and the grant list shows charitable-purpose gifts rather than program-related investments.
$369K
$496K
$29K
$87K
Most grants fall between $10K and $21K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$21K
About 81% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Moderate-sized, targeted grants (roughly $20k–$60k) across a small portfolio; combination of repeat funding to a preferred university and single-cycle gifts to regional K–12 schools and youth-service organizations.
Notable grantees: University of Virginia, Harvard University, Plummer Youth Promise, Boston Trinity Academy, UP Education Network Inc
The trust’s grantmaking is heavily Massachusetts-centered: 81% of grants go to recipients in its headquarters state. Boston is the most frequent recipient city, with repeated grants to Boston-based organizations such as the Boston Public Library Fdn, Norman B Leventhal Map & Education Center, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Outside Boston, the recent list includes Cambridge, Salem, Lowell, and Dover in Massachusetts, plus Charlottesville, Virginia and Columbia, South Carolina. All recorded grants in the recent sample went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show support for higher education institutions, independent schools, youth-development programs, and education-support organizations. Examples include universities, a youth promise program, a charter-network support organization, and school-based grantees in Massachusetts.
The grant-size distribution is centered on moderate awards. The 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $21,250.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Harvard University, the University of Virginia, Serve and Connect, Boston Public Library Fdn, and Norman B Leventhal Map & Education Center.
Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, and 81% of grants go to recipients in that state. Boston appears especially often among recipient cities.
Recent recipients include Plummer Youth Promise in Salem, Elevate New England in Lowell, Up Education Network Inc in Boston, Boston Trinity Academy in Boston, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SERVE AND CONNECT | COLUMBIA, SC | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP & | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| UNITED WAY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $55,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ELEVATE NEW ENGLAND | LOWELL, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SERVE AND CONNECT | COLUMBIA, SC | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP & EDUCATION CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GRUB STREET INC | BOSTON, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE | SALEM, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BOSTON TRINITY ACADEMY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UP EDUCATION NETWORK INC | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP & EDUCATION CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| UNITED WAY | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| HARVARD UNIVERSITY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
| JB S KEYS TO DMD INC | DOVER, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE |
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$20,000CHARITABLE
SERVE AND CONNECT
$15,000CHARITABLE
NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP &
$10,000CHARITABLE
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN
$10,000CHARITABLE
UNITED WAY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY
$10,000CHARITABLE
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$7,500CHARITABLE
ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION
CHARITABLE
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$55,000CHARITABLE
ELEVATE NEW ENGLAND
$25,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$20,000CHARITABLE
SERVE AND CONNECT
$15,000CHARITABLE
NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP & EDUCATION CENTER
$10,000CHARITABLE
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN
$10,000CHARITABLE
GRUB STREET INC
$1,000CHARITABLE
PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE
$50,000CHARITABLE
BOSTON TRINITY ACADEMY
$25,000CHARITABLE
UP EDUCATION NETWORK INC
$20,000CHARITABLE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$20,000CHARITABLE
NORMAN B LEVENTHAL MAP & EDUCATION CENTER
$10,000CHARITABLE
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FDN
$10,000CHARITABLE
UNITED WAY
$10,000CHARITABLE
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
$5,000CHARITABLE
JB S KEYS TO DMD INC
$5,000CHARITABLE