About Trustees of Boston University
Incorporated by an act of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1869 for the establishment and oversight of Boston University; oversees the University through the Board of Trustees.
Who They Fund
not specified
Funding Style
research grantscharitable donationdirect project support
Topics
research fundingphilanthropic givingresearch-support activities
About Trustees of Boston University
Trustees of Boston University’s recent grantmaking is dominated by research awards to biomedical and academic institutions, with the largest listed grant at $7,992,199 to Pattern Bioscience Inc in Austin. The pattern continues at scale through multi-million-dollar awards to Day Zero Diagnostics Inc in Boston and GlaxoSmithKline Holdings Americas Inc in Philadelphia, showing a portfolio centered on research support rather than small discretionary giving. Boston University also appears as both funder and host institution in the recent list, including repeated support for The General Hospital Corporation, the President & Fellows of Harvard College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The institution’s grantmaking is not limited to external partners; it also includes BU-run programs such as the BU Scholarship Assurance initiative, First-Year Innovation Fellowship, and Project Action. Those programs point to a mix of research funding, student opportunity, and campus-based innovation support. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s activity is substantial and varied, with awards that range from seed-level campus grants to large research commitments for universities, hospitals, and life sciences firms.
What Trustees of Boston University Funds
Research support is the clearest thread in the recent record. Trustees of Boston University awarded $5,480,365 to The General Hospital Corporation in Boston for research, and another $3,117,846 to the President & Fellows of Harvard College in Boston for research. The foundation also supported university research with $3,251,809 to Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge for research. Its portfolio extends into life sciences firms and clinical research organizations as well. The foundation gave $3,410,043 to Vaxcyte Inc in San Carlos for research, $3,051,366 to Avails Medical Inc in Menlo Park for research, and $2,497,408 to MicuRx Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto for research. Boston University’s own student-facing and campus programs are part of the picture too. BU Scholarship Assurance provides an undergraduate scholarship for eight semesters, while Project Action offers $3,000 grants plus coaching to students whose proposals are intended to make a positive impact on their communities.
How Trustees of Boston University Gives
Typical grant size is relatively wide, with a p25 of $33,994, a median of $110,000, and a p75 of $332,973. The recent list shows a clear split between very large research awards and much smaller campus or fellowship grants. Some recipients recur across years, including The General Hospital Corporation, Day Zero Diagnostics Inc, Pattern Bioscience Inc, Peptilogics Inc, Avails Medical Inc, Vaxcyte Inc, Lumen Bioscience Inc, and the Regents of the University of California Los Angeles. The foundation is a regular funder tied to Boston University rather than a DAF or operating foundation, and several programs accept unsolicited requests, including BU Scholarship Assurance, First-Year Innovation Fellowship, Project Action, Sustainability Innovation Seed Grant, and the MCH National Network Fellowship.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$92M
Total Assets
$8.5B
Total Revenue
$3.3B
Total Expenses
$3.2B
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $34K and $333K, with a median of $110K.
25th Percentile
$34K
Median
$110K
75th Percentile
$333K
Geographic Reach
National47 states funded
About 23% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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