Running Deer Foundation
Needham, MA · EIN 04-3409527. Reported 165 grants totalling $1,418,650 to 95 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Running Deer Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $500. Half of everything it gave fell between $250 and $2,500; the smallest was $100 and the largest $566,250. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellesley Village Church | Wellesley, MA | $767,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Andover Newton Seminary at the Yale Divinity School | New Haven, CT | $192,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association | Springfield, VA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Westwood Hills Congregational Church | Los Angeles, CA | $58,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Williams College | Williamstown, MA | $21,250 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Malayaka House | Essex Junction, VT | $16,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Andover Newton Seminary | New Haven, CT | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Harvard Business School | Boston, MA | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Carroll School | Lincoln, MA | $13,500 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Armenian Heritage Foundation | Watertown, MA | $12,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cecseabee Historical Foundation | Gulfport, MS | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Voice of Wilderness | Spring, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wellesley a Better Chance | Wellesley, MA | $8,750 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ut Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $8,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Williams College Alumni Fund | Williamstown, MA | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| For His Children | Millport, NY | $6,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of Fumbelo | Wellesley Hills, MA | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Knox College | Galesburg, IL | $5,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ans Yale Divinity School | New Haven, CT | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Havard Business School | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Prayers Inc | Hampton, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Brigham & Women's Hospital | Boston, MA | $3,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Brook School | North Andover, MA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Visions Global Empowerment in the US | Irvine, CA | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Armenian Missionary Association of America | Paramus, NJ | $2,900 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boston University School of Theology | Boston, MA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Brooks School | North Andover, MA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friends of Herring River | S Wellfleet, MA | $2,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Stephen's Armenian Elementary School | Watertown, MA | $2,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Trustees of Boston University | Boston, MA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wellesley Abc | Wellesley, MA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Handel and Haydn Society | Boston, MA | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Justice Health Initiative | Chestnut Hill, MA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Museum of Fine Arts | Boston, MA | $2,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| School Sisters of Notre Dame | Norridge, IL | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Stephen's Armenian Church | Watertown, MA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Metropolitan Opera | New York, NY | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum | Wellfleet, MA | $1,750 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Global Wildlife Conservation | Austin, TX | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Los Angeles World Affairs Council | Culver City, CA | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| World Wildlife Fund | Washington, DC | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Focus on Tanzanian Communities | Watertown, MA | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Human Rights Campaign | Washington, DC | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Nikeno's Second Chance | Wheat Ridge, CO | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Blue Bench | Denver, CO | $1,250 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Armenian Relief Society | Watertown, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Family Promise Metro West | Natick, MA | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| New Lakeview Alumni Association | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Outer Cape Health Services | Harwich Port, MA | $1,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Pmc- Jimmy Fund | Boston, MA | $1,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Society of St Vincent De Paul of San Mateo County | San Mateo, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Foundation of the Meei Inc | Boston, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Visions Global Empowerment | Irvine, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wellfleet Preservation Hall | Wellfleet, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| 909 Wbur | Boston, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| 909WBUR | Boston, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | Boston, MA | $750 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Mass Eye and Ear | Boston, MA | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Forest Foundation | Missoula, MT | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Spaulding Rehabilitation | Charlestown, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wellfleet Historical Society | Wellfleet, MA | $750 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wikimedia Foundation | Washington, DC | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Armenian Missionary Association | Paramus, NJ | $600 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra | Boston, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boys Town | Boys Town, NE | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Caring Bridge | Simpsonville, SC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Earthworks | Washington, DC | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Epilepsy Foundation | Landover, MD | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Trumbull High Soccer | Trumbull, CT | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kelly Brush Foundation | Burlington, VT | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| La World Affairs Council | Los Angeles, CA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Out Cape Health Services | Provincetown, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Squash Busters | Roxbury Crossing, MA | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wellfleet Conservation Trust | Wellfleet, MA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wellfleet Conservative Trust | Welffleet, MA | $500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Amaa- Children Education | Los Altos, CA | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boston Children's Hospital | Boston, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boston Public Library | Boston, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boys Town | Portsmouth, RI | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Clean Air Task Force | Boston, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cure Epilepsy | Chicago, IL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Feed the Children | Oklahoma City, OK | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kbur | Burlington, IA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Literacy Coalition of Colorado | Denever, CO | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mental Health America | Alexandria, VA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pan Mass Challenge | Needham, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sheffield Chamber Players | Boston, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Squashbusters | Roxbury Crossing, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Susanna Parish | Dedham, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Verdi Chorus | Santa Monica, CA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tom Tudek Memorial Park | State College, PA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Wellfleet Police Relief Association | Welffleet, MA | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| First Parish of Watertown | Watertown, MA | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
41 of 95 (43%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 56%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 87 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57 | $497,750 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | 34 | $130,550 | $500 |
| 2023 | 38 | $142,050 | $500 |
| 2024 | 36 | $648,300 | $875 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 64% of this one's giving went to organizations in Massachusetts. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $500. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Massachusetts.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Running Deer Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 865 Central Ave G-310, Needham, MA, 02492. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 04-3409527 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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