The Winifred M Stenson Charitable Trust concentrates its giving on Catholic institutions in Massachusetts, primarily supporting dioceses, parishes, Catholic secondary education, and religious missionary work. Grants are often directed to annual diocesan appeals and parish fundraising drives, and the foundation repeatedly funds the same church-related organizations, indicating a steady commitment to local Catholic causes.
A defining feature of the Winifred M Stenson Charitable Trust is its repeated support for Catholic institutions in Massachusetts, especially diocesan appeals, parish operating needs, and faith-based education. The trust’s recent grants include larger awards such as $35,000 to Our Lady of the Cape Parish for the Fall River Appeal and $22,500 to the Archdiocese of Boston for the Cardinal’s Leadership Circle, showing a pattern of support for church-linked fundraising priorities rather than one-off projects. It also backs Catholic educational and ministry organizations, including Boston College High School, La Salette Missionary Association, and the Archdiocese of Boston across multiple years. The grant list suggests a stable local philanthropic approach centered on parish life, diocesan infrastructure, clergy-related support, and Catholic formation. Recurring gifts to the same institutions point to ongoing relationships, with the trust often returning to the same recipients for general support, appeals, and trust-specific initiatives such as the Clergy Benefit Trust. Its giving profile is closely tied to Catholic mission and ministry within a small geographic footprint.
Parish and diocesan support is central to the trust’s giving. In 2024, it gave $15,000 to the Diocese of Fall River for the Catholic Appeal and $15,000 to the Archdiocese of Boston for general support, followed by $10,000 to the Archdiocese of Boston for the Clergy Benefit Trust in 2025. The same pattern appears in parish-level funding, such as $15,000 to Our Lady of the Angels for general support in 2024 and 2025. Education and formation also appear in the grant list. The trust gave $20,000 to Boston College High School in 2025 and $10,000 to Boston College for the Mission and Ministry Program in 2023. It also supported Ignatian formation through $10,000 grants to Fairfield University’s MCIS-Murphy Center for Ignatian Studies in both 2024 and 2025. Ministry organizations receive steady support as well. La Salette Missionary Association received $22,500 in 2024 and additional general-support grants of $15,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2025. Edmundite Campus Ministry also appears repeatedly in the recent grants list.
Typical grants cluster tightly around $10,000, with a median of $10,000, a 25th percentile of $10,000, and a 75th percentile of $15,000. Larger awards are present but less common, including $35,000 and $22,500 grants. The recent record shows repeat support to the same Catholic institutions across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which indicates recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts. The trust is structured as a charitable trust and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The pattern is appeals-driven and operating-support oriented, with recurring gifts for general support, clergy benefit funding, and annual church appeals.
$105K
$2.6M
$158K
$184K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 82% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Concentrated, relatively few but sizable grants focused on a small set of repeat grantees; funding is locally concentrated in Massachusetts Catholic institutions and often earmarked for diocesan appeals or parish campaigns.
Notable grantees: Archdiocese of Boston, Diocese of Fall River, Boston College High School, La Salette Missionary Association, Our Lady of the Cape Parish
The trust’s giving is highly concentrated in Massachusetts, which accounts for 82% of grants. Boston, Braintree, Fall River, Hanover, Brewster, and Attleboro all appear in the recipient list, reflecting a local Massachusetts footprint. Outside the state, the trust also made grants to Fairfield, Connecticut, and Colchester, Vermont. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients, with no non-U.S. grant locations represented.
It primarily supports Catholic institutions and ministries, including dioceses, parishes, Catholic secondary education, missionary associations, and campus ministry programs. Recent grants went to the Archdiocese of Boston, Diocese of Fall River, Boston College High School, La Salette Missionary Association, and Fairfield University’s MCIS-Murphy Center for Ignatian Studies.
Typical grants are modest and concentrated around $10,000. The reported distribution shows a 25th percentile of $10,000, a median of $10,000, and a 75th percentile of $15,000. Recent awards also include larger amounts such as $22,500 and $35,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Archdiocese of Boston, La Salette Missionary Association, Our Lady of the Angels, Edmundite Campus Ministry, Fairfield University, and the Diocese of Fall River. That pattern suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time grants.
Its grantmaking is heavily centered in Massachusetts, which accounts for 82% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in Massachusetts include Boston, Braintree, Fall River, Hanover, Brewster, and Attleboro.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS | HANOVER, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY | COLCHESTER, VT | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER | FALL RIVER, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CATHOLIC APPEAL |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE |
| FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $10,000 | 2025 | MCIS-MURPHY CENTER FOR IGNATIAN |
| LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION | ATTLEBORO, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $22,500 | 2024 | CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE |
| LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION | ATTLEBORO, MA | $22,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER | FALL RIVER, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | CATHOLIC APPEAL |
| OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS | HANOVER, MA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY | COLCHESTER, VT | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST |
| FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY | FAIRFIELD, CT | $10,000 | 2024 | MCIS-MURPHY CENTER FOR IGNATIAN |
| OUR LADY OF THE CAPE PARISH | BREWSTER, MA | $35,000 | 2023 | FALL RIVER APPEAL |
| BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION | ATTLEBORO, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SAINT MARY'S OF THE SACRED HEART PARISH | HANOVER, MA | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BOSTON COLLEGE | CHESTNUT HILL, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | MISSION AND MINISTRY PROGRAM |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST |
| OUR LADY OF THE CAPE PARISH | BREWSTER, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | ONE MISSION. STRONGER COMMUNITIES |
| DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER | FALL RIVER, MA | $6,000 | 2023 | CATHOLIC APPEAL |
| EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY | COLCHESTER, VT | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON | BRAINTREE, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE |
BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER
$10,000CATHOLIC APPEAL
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$10,000CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
$10,000MCIS-MURPHY CENTER FOR IGNATIAN
LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$22,500CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION
$22,500GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER
$15,000CATHOLIC APPEAL
OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$10,000CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY
$10,000MCIS-MURPHY CENTER FOR IGNATIAN
OUR LADY OF THE CAPE PARISH
$35,000FALL RIVER APPEAL
BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LA SALETTE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SAINT MARY'S OF THE SACRED HEART PARISH
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BOSTON COLLEGE
$10,000MISSION AND MINISTRY PROGRAM
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$10,000CLERGY BENEFIT TRUST
OUR LADY OF THE CAPE PARISH
$10,000CATHOLIC CHARITIES APPEAL
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$10,000ONE MISSION. STRONGER COMMUNITIES
DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER
$6,000CATHOLIC APPEAL
EDMUNDITE CAMPUS MINISTRY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
$5,000CARDINAL'S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE