About Boston Public Library Fund
The Boston Public Library Fund provides essential resources to help the Boston Public Library realize its mission and serve the common good.
Focus Areas
public librariesliteracy and ESLyouth and teen servicesworkforce developmentdigital access / connectivityentrepreneurship supportcommunity social servicescollections and archival preservationLGBTQ+ programs and resources
Who They Fund
library patrons/general publicstudents and learnersresearchers and educators
About Boston Public Library Fund
Boston Public Library Fund Inc backs the Boston Public Library’s core work through a steady stream of large institutional grants, including $3,646,334 in 2025 for BPL programs and $3,222,326 in 2024 for the same purpose. Its giving also supports specific library assets and services, as shown by a 2023 grant that funded BPL programs alongside the Alker Endowment and the Leventhal Map and Education Center. The fund’s active programs point to a long-term library strategy: an endowed LGBTQ+ fund, a South End children’s programming endowment, and creative catalyst mini-grants tied to library programming. That mix suggests support for both ongoing operations and named funds that extend service capacity over time. The foundation’s focus areas center on public libraries, literacy and ESL, youth and teen services, digital access and connectivity, workforce development, entrepreneurship support, community social services, collections and archival preservation, and LGBTQ+ programs and resources. Its work is oriented to library patrons, students and learners, researchers and educators, with program support, endowment support, and institutional support as the main funding modes.
What Boston Public Library Fund Funds
Public library programming is the clearest throughline in the recent grants record. The Boston Public Library received $3,646,334 in 2025 and $3,222,326 in 2024, both designated to support BPL programs. The funder also supports special collections and educational resources. In 2023, it gave $2,558,416 for BPL programs, the Alker Endowment, and the Leventhal Map and Education Center, linking general library support with map education and archival learning. Endowed funds are another important part of the portfolio. The Howard Cooper LGBTQ+ Endowment Fund was established with a $1,000,000 bequest to expand LGBTQ+ resources, collections, and programming, including the annual We Are Pride booklist, youth programming, teen resources, and historical research. Neighborhood-based children’s services appear as well through the Herb Hill Fund for South End Children’s Programming, which supports children’s programming and early literacy in the South End.
How Boston Public Library Fund Gives
Recent grants cluster in a narrow range: p25 is $2,724,394, median is $2,890,371, and p75 is $3,056,348. The top three recent grants all went to Boston Public Library, which points to repeated support for the same institution across 2023, 2024, and 2025 rather than a one-off gift pattern. The foundation is a local funder, and its grants are institutional and program-oriented rather than individual-facing, with no program-related investments. The active program list also shows endowed funds, indicating a mix of ongoing endowment support and annual program support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.6M
Total Assets
$14M
Total Revenue
$7.5M
Total Expenses
$5.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2.7M and $3.1M, with a median of $2.9M.
25th Percentile
$2.7M
Median
$2.9M
75th Percentile
$3.1M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
PAULA SAKEY
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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