The Chirag Foundation

The Chirag Foundation, established in 1999 and based in Carlisle, Massachusetts, is a family foundation led by trustees Anil and Abha Singhal, who serve without compensation. Its mission — moving resources to community-led organizations achieving racial and wealth equity — shapes an intimate, relationship-driven grantmaking philosophy distinct from large institutional funders.

The foundation prioritizes organizations whose leadership and staff are demographically reflective of the communities they serve. This is not a boilerplate preference: demographic composition is a primary screening criterion. Organizations whose leadership mirrors the populations they work with — particularly communities of color — align naturally with the Singhal family's values and are far more likely to advance past the LOI stage.

Education is the foundation's explicit core strategic thread, present across nearly every grantee relationship. Even health, housing, workforce, and advocacy grantees appear to have been selected in part because education is embedded in their programming model. First-time applicants should surface how their work intersects with educational access or economic mobility, even if education is not their primary mission.

The foundation runs a deliberately concentrated portfolio. In 2024 it supported just 14 organizations, with 11 (79%) as multi-year partners. This reflects a trust-based model where long-term relationships are the norm rather than exception. Grant seekers should approach The Chirag Foundation as a prospective multi-year partner, not a one-time funder. The typical progression is: unsolicited LOI submitted by email → internal screening by staff → outreach only if aligned → full proposal → potential site visit. The foundation explicitly states it contacts applicants only when a proposal resonates with current priorities; silence is a signal to wait, not follow up.

Geographically, the foundation concentrates heavily in Greater Boston and eastern Massachusetts (77% of documented grants by count), with a secondary focus on North India in areas where trustees can conduct site visits in person. U.S. applicants outside Massachusetts are not explicitly excluded, but Massachusetts-based organizations have an overwhelming track record. India-based grantees — Pardada Pardadi, Sahayog India, and Navsrishti — represent some of the largest individual recipients, suggesting those relationships are deep and longstanding rather than open to new entrants.

The foundation does not fund charter schools, private schools, religiously affiliated organizations, or non-501(c)(3) entities. Organizations must operate in geographies accessible for site visits.

The Chirag Foundation's total giving has grown substantially over the past decade, rising from $176,000 in fiscal year 2012 to over $1.1 million in fiscal year 2023 — a roughly 6x increase over eleven years. Growth accelerated sharply after 2019, when annual giving was $426,270. By 2021 it reached $687,269, by 2022 $733,938, and by 2023 it hit $1,106,570, the highest year on record. FY2024 grants paid had not yet been publicly reported at time of research, though assets grew to $14,355,894 and revenue was $2,058,558.

Across 30 documented individual grants totaling $1,231,049, the average grant is $41,035, with a 2024 self-reported average gift size of $44,000. Grant sizes span a wide range: the smallest on record is $1,500 (a membership contribution to Philanthropy Massachusetts) while the largest is $208,549 (Pardada Pardadi, India, across two grants). For operational grants, the practical range is approximately $10,000 to $116,000, with the majority landing between $25,000 and $75,000. Multi-year grants total significantly more across award periods.

Geographically, Massachusetts organizations dominate: 23 of 30 documented grants (77%) went to MA-based organizations concentrated in Greater Boston, Lowell, and the Merrimack Valley. New York accounts for 10% (3 grants — Red Hook Initiative, Chhaya CDC, Schott Foundation), with California, New Jersey, and Virginia each receiving a single grant. India-based grantees are fewer in count but receive some of the foundation's largest individual grants.

By program area, education and youth development is the largest category, encompassing Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell ($116,000), Boston Higher Education Resource Center ($55,000), Life is Good Playmaker Project, Neighborhood Villages, and University of Massachusetts Lowell. Health and reproductive rights includes Massachusetts General Hospital ($200,000) and Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts ($75,000). Economic development and housing is represented by Chhaya Community Development Corporation ($50,000), Red Hook Initiative ($50,000), Higher Ground Boston ($100,000), and Lawrence Community Works. Racial equity and civic engagement includes Black and Pink Massachusetts ($51,000) and MA Vote ($25,000). India-focused programs (Pardada Pardadi, Sahayog India, Navsrishti, Community Partners Intl/Oxygen for India) collectively account for over $350,000.

Total assets grew from $8.97 million in FY2019 to $14.36 million in FY2024, reflecting a combination of investment returns and trustee contributions. In FY2021, the foundation received $3.64 million in contributions — an exceptional capital infusion that fueled the subsequent giving increase. The grants-to-assets ratio is approximately 7–8% annually, above the federal 5% minimum payout requirement.

The Chirag Foundation's asset-comparable peers — identified by similar total assets of approximately $14.3–14.4 million — are all classified under NTEE code T (Philanthropy and Grantmaking). Public data on their individual giving levels is limited, as these are small private foundations with minimal disclosure beyond IRS filings.

The Chirag Foundation stands apart from its asset-size peers in three meaningful ways. First, it maintains an active, transparent public presence — a live website with a named program contact, current grantee directory, and explicit application instructions — suggesting genuine openness to well-aligned unsolicited LOIs that most comparable family foundations do not offer. Second, its dual U.S.–India geographic mandate and explicit racial equity mission give it a distinctive programmatic identity rarely found at this asset size. Third, its FY2023 giving of $1,106,570 represents approximately 8% of assets, placing it at the upper end of private foundation payout activity — a meaningful indicator of active grantmaking rather than wealth preservation.

The most significant recent development at The Chirag Foundation is an ongoing pause in new grant submissions. The foundation's application page states it is 'not currently accepting new grant submissions,' a status that followed an announcement of processing delays for applications submitted between December 2024 and May 2025 due to staff leave. The named program contact, Nikita Singhal, handles LOI review; her absence appears to have triggered a temporary closure to new entrants while existing relationships were maintained.

In FY2024, the foundation reported total assets of $14,355,894 and revenue of $2,058,558. Grants paid for FY2024 had not yet been publicly filed at time of research. The FY2023 990 showed grants paid of $1,054,236 — a 65% increase over FY2022's $639,470 — confirming a deliberate scaling of grantmaking activity.

The foundation's 2024 portfolio comprised 14 organizations, 11 of which hold multi-year partnerships. Current grantees publicly listed on the website include Sahayog India, Akshaya Patra USA, IDEA (Institute for Democratic Education and Advocacy), Neighborhood Villages, Boston HERC, Lawrence Community Works, Pardada Pardadi, Sakhi, Boys and Girls Club of Lynn, Massachusetts Voter Table, Life is Good Playmaker Project, SMOC (Social Model Operating Company), Creative Visions, Navsrishti, RSP Health, and University of Massachusetts Lowell.

No press releases, leadership changes, or major public announcements were identified for 2025 or 2026. The foundation does not appear to maintain an active social media presence. Since its founding in 1999, the foundation has distributed over $5 million in cumulative grants across U.S. and India grantees.

Check status before anything else. The foundation is currently not accepting new applications. Visit thechiragfoundation.org/applyforgrant-2 each time before investing effort in an LOI. The December 2024–May 2025 staff leave suggests a potential reopening in summer or fall 2025; applicants should check monthly.

LOI format is non-negotiable. Submit a 500–1,000 word Letter of Inquiry by email to Nikita@TheChiragFoundation.org. The LOI must include: (1) a program or project overview that establishes the need and the population served; (2) the specific dollar amount requested; and (3) attached financial documents — this year's organizational budget plus last year's balance sheet and income statement. Missing any of these three elements likely results in automatic disqualification. Do not exceed 1,000 words.

Lead with demographic leadership data. The foundation's most explicit selection criterion is whether your organization's leaders and staff reflect the communities they serve. State this directly — names, roles, and demographic context — rather than leaving it implicit. This is not a checkbox; it is a core signal the foundation uses to assess alignment before reading anything else.

Frame the education angle. Even organizations focused on health, housing, or advocacy were funded because education is woven into their model. Massachusetts General Hospital, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, and Black and Pink Massachusetts all received grants. In each case, the educational or economic mobility dimension of the work connects the program to the foundation's core thesis. Articulate this connection explicitly in your LOI.

Use systemic change language deliberately. The foundation seeks partners 'eager to create systemic change.' Describe your policy advocacy, coalition-building, or structural interventions. Direct-service metrics alone will not distinguish your application from others.

Respect the two-year rule strictly. Applicants may not submit more than one LOI within a two-year period. If you submitted previously and received no response, track your submission date and wait the full two years. Resubmitting sooner signals inattention to the foundation's guidelines.

Pursue warm introductions. This is a small, relational foundation run by a family with deep ties to its existing grantees. A credible introduction from a current grantee — Neighborhood Villages, IDEA, Chhaya CDC, Lawrence Community Works, or Boston HERC — carries significant weight and can accelerate the review cycle for a first-time applicant.