Broad Reach Foundation

Broad Reach Foundation is a Boston-based private family foundation governed by the Richards family — Carol Richards (President/Director), Peter Richards (Treasurer/Director), and Adam Richards (Secretary/Director) — operating through c/o LoringWolcott & Coolidge. Founded in June 2001, it spent its first two decades operating in near-total public obscurity before hiring its first program staff in 2022 and its inaugural Executive Director, Erin H. Kahn, in 2023. A public website launched in summer 2025 marks the clearest signal yet of the foundation's deliberate move toward greater transparency.

This is an invitation-only grantmaker. The foundation's own data confirms no documented application process and no publicly posted RFP. For the first twenty-plus years, virtually all grantmaking was channeled through two fiscal sponsors: Maine Community Foundation (receiving $26M across 3 grants, averaging $8.67M per grant) and the Tides Foundation (receiving $19.07M across 7 grants, averaging $2.72M per grant). This pass-through model enabled Broad Reach to reach 550+ sub-grantees annually without managing direct grantee relationships.

Beginning in FY 2024, the foundation made a decisive pivot to direct grantmaking. Disbursements jumped from $8.47M (FY 2023) to $33.2M (FY 2024), and the foundation is building the staff and systems needed to sustain this — including a Grants Administrator and Program Officers for Climate and Toxics. This transition is the defining strategic moment for grant seekers: organizations that previously accessed Broad Reach funds indirectly through fiscal sponsors now have an opportunity to build direct relationships with program officers during this formative period.

The foundation's stated mission is "promoting healthy ecosystems, coexistence, community resilience and human well-being," with eight named priority areas: toxic chemical reform, climate change, healthy ecosystems, the State of Maine, nutrition, careworker rights, the arts, and international human rights and diplomacy. Geographic intensity is strongest in Maine and California, though the portfolio extends nationally and internationally. An explicit environmental justice framing — connecting ecological work to Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, and community impact — is central to the foundation's philosophy.

For first-time applicants: do not cold-contact. The effective approach is building relationships through existing grantees, peer funders, and the foundation's newly hired program staff.

Broad Reach Foundation's historical grantmaking falls into two distinct eras, each with its own financial profile.

Era 1 (2012–2023): Fiscal-Sponsor Model. All disclosed grantmaking in the IRS records ran through two recipients: Maine Community Foundation and Tides Foundation. The foundation paid grants in the range of $3.4M–$22.6M annually in direct disbursements to these intermediaries, who then sub-granted to hundreds of end organizations. Annual totals: - 2012: $3.4M grants paid / $4.1M total giving - 2013: $4.0M / $4.6M - 2014: $5.3M / $6.6M - 2015: $6.0M / $7.0M - 2019: $9.0M / $10.3M - 2020: $8.5M / $9.8M - 2021: $22.6M / $24.7M (significant spike, likely pandemic-accelerated giving) - 2022: $18.3M / $21.0M - 2023: $8.47M / $11.2M

The average pass-through grant to Maine Community Foundation was $8.67M (3 grants, $26M total); to Tides Foundation, $2.72M (7 grants, $19.07M total). At the sub-grantee level, actual awards reaching end organizations were likely $50,000–$500,000.

Era 2 (2024 onward): Direct Grantmaking. FY 2024 charitable disbursements reached $33.2M — a 293% increase over FY 2023 — funded in part by $50.1M in new contributions. The 2025 stated grantmaking budget is approximately $49M across 550+ awards (avg ~$89K per award), growing to $60M in 2026.

Program-level budget (2026): The Climate program alone carries a $7.1M budget across approximately 68 grants, implying an average climate grant of roughly $104K, with likely individual awards ranging from $25,000 for short-term journalism grants to $500,000+ for multi-year strategic positions. No public breakdown yet exists for other program areas (Toxics, Maine, Nutrition, etc.), but the overall $60M budget across 8 program areas suggests $5M–$15M per major program.

The five peer foundations identified by asset size ($259–267M) share Broad Reach's profile as private, family-connected philanthropies in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking NTEE category. However, they differ sharply in public visibility, geographic focus, and application accessibility.

Note: Annual giving estimates for peers use a standard 5–6% payout assumption; no peer-specific 990 data was retrieved.

Broad Reach stands out among asset-equivalent peers for two reasons. First, its actual disbursements ($33.2M in FY 2024, targeting $60M in 2026) already exceed typical peer-level payout and are accelerating rapidly. Second, its thematic scope — spanning climate, toxics, human rights, careworker rights, and arts globally — is significantly broader than geographically concentrated peer foundations like Gaylord (Oklahoma) or L-A-D (Midwest). The commonality across all peers: none operate open-application processes.

Broad Reach Foundation's most consequential recent development is its structural transformation from a low-profile pass-through funder into a staffed, direct-grantmaking institution — compressed into roughly three years.

2022: First program staff hired after 21 years of operating without professional staff.

2023: Inaugural Executive Director Erin H. Kahn joins the foundation. Officer compensation appears in IRS records for the first time: $76,154 in FY 2023 (partial year). Total giving contracts to $11.2M as the organization reconfigures toward direct grantmaking.

2024: Transition to direct grantmaking formally begins. FY 2024 charitable disbursements reach $33.2M (versus $8.47M grants paid in FY 2023), funded partly by $50.1M in new contributions. Total assets climb from $221.2M to $263.5M. Compensation reflects a fully staffed operation: Executive Director Erin H. Kahn at $311,537; Program Director Andrea J. Perry at $164,257; Senior Program Officer Elizabeth V. Hands at $141,789.

2025: Public website (broadreachfdn.org) launches — the foundation's first. Grants Administrator role posted to AAPIP and NCFP job boards. NPAG retained to recruit full-time Climate Program Officer ($165,000–$170,000), with a parallel search anticipated for a Toxics Program Officer. Stated 2025 grantmaking budget: ~$49M across 550+ awards.

2026 (planned): Total grantmaking budget increases to $60M. Climate program budget set at $7.1M across approximately 68 grants.

Because Broad Reach Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, conventional grant-writing advice does not apply. The following tips are specific to this funder's invitation-only model and current transition period.

Build through the fiscal-sponsor pipeline first. Maine Community Foundation (mainecommunityfoundation.org) and Tides Foundation (tides.org) have historically been the primary vehicles through which Broad Reach reached end organizations. If your work is in Maine or fits Tides' fiscal-sponsorship model, establishing a funded relationship with either intermediary creates a track record that Broad Reach's program officers may notice. This is the most reliable indirect pathway.

Connect with program officers directly and early. The foundation is actively hiring its first Program Officers for Climate and Toxics as of 2025. These are new roles with no inherited grantee portfolios — meaning these officers will build their grant lists from scratch. Reaching out to introduce your work during this formative period is significantly more impactful than waiting until portfolios are established.

Speak the foundation's language explicitly. Use the exact framing from Broad Reach's stated priorities: "coexistence," "community resilience," "toxic chemical reform," and "careworker rights" are specific terms. Frame your climate work around methane reduction, utility accountability, or renewable energy acceleration — the sub-themes the foundation has named publicly.

Lead with the justice frame. The foundation's philosophy explicitly connects ecological health to Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, and social justice. Any environmental or health program should articulate how communities most affected by the problem are centered in the solution.

Be patient with geography. Maine and California are the foundation's two stated geographic concentrations. If your organization operates in these states, emphasize local impact. If not, demonstrate national systemic relevance — the foundation does fund international human rights, so a broader frame is viable if well-justified.

Do not expect a quick cycle. Broad Reach is transitioning its entire infrastructure. Application timelines, review processes, and portal access are not yet public. Monitor the website (broadreachfdn.org) for any newly posted processes, particularly as the Grants Administrator role is filled and direct grantmaking workflows are formalized in 2025–2026.