Boston Foundation Inc: CEO salary, finances and where donations go
“As Greater Boston's community foundation, the Boston Foundation devotes its resources to expanding opportunities, improving lives and strengthening communities. MAJOR GOALS & OBJECTIVES:The Foundation fulfills this mission in three principal ways: (1) Working with nonprofit organizations through grantmaking and deep…”
Data only Figures straight from the filing, screened by our rules. Not yet reviewed in depth by a CPA.
Methodology by Amir Arani, CPA, CA · Updated
We screen every filing against twelve rules. A flag is a prompt for a closer look, not a finding of wrongdoing.
No reported asset diversions, no insider transactions, no fundraisers keeping most of the money, and the governance policies we check for are in place.
For each dollar donated, Boston Foundation spent 1¢ on fundraising.
Fundraising ÷ $388.6M contributions · Form 990 Parts VIII, IXThe charity's own description of its largest programs, with what each cost.
Carry out and evaluate philanthropic programs for individual donors, families, foundations, and corporations. Encourage a positive climate for philanthropy and actively promote effective giving through work with community foundations, Regional Associations of Grantmakers and others. Strategy, combined with the values and passionate concerns of donors, brings about giving that makes a difference.
Net assets at each fiscal year end, 2013 to 2025.
Reportable pay in FY ending Jun 2025, from the charity and related organizations.
| Contractor | Service | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematica | Suvey prep and analysis | $701,528 |
| Prime Buchholz & Associates | Investment advising | $475,236 |
| New York Academy of Medicine | Program management | $335,750 |
| Kpmg | Audit and tax services | $334,300 |
| International Deliverables | Program management | $296,455 |
Short, sourced answers. Each one stands on its own.
M Lee Pelton, President & CEO, received $844,144 in reportable compensation in FY ending Jun 2025, 0.3% of Boston Foundation's $279.9M in spending.
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part VIIBoston Foundation reported 92.1% of FY ending Jun 2025 spending as programs, 1.4% as fundraising and 6.4% as management.
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part IXNet assets were $2.13B at the end of FY ending Jun 2025, about 91.3 months of spending.
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part XIts latest Form 990 triggered none of our twelve screening rules, which cover reported asset diversions, insider transactions, fundraiser costs, governance policies and spending patterns.
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025)Amir Arani, “Boston Foundation: CEO salary, finances and where your dollar goes,” Charity Math, updated 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/charities/boston-foundation/