The Karas Family Foundation
This organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting a diverse range of causes, primarily focusing on education, health, environmental conservation, and disaster relief. It aims to enhance educational opportunities, promote health initiatives, and address environmental challenges while also providing assistance in times of crisis. The foundation serves various populations, including children, individuals affected by hunger, and those involved in medical research. Its funding reflects a commitment to both local and broader community needs, with a significant emphasis on educational institutions and research organizations.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Small to medium nonprofit programs working in education, health, environment, disaster relief, or similar charitable purposes seeking modest, one-time grants and either a prior relationship or an introduction from a current grantee or trustee contact.
Good Fit
- • Project budget and request size in the low-thousands range.
- • Clear alignment with education, health, environment, disaster relief, or children’s services.
- • Known relationship, referral, or prior contact with foundation trustees or past grantees.
- • Geographic presence or program activity in states the funder has recently supported (notably Massachusetts and several other states).
- • Capacity to absorb and report on a small, restricted grant quickly.
Geography
Observed giving in the latest year reached recipients in five different states; the foundation is multi-state in practice, though a substantial share of dollars went to Massachusetts.
Recipient Variety
In the latest year the funder made 20 grants to 20 distinct organizations across a range of causes, with a mix of returning grantees and many new recipients, indicating a broadly distributed recipient set for a micro foundation.
New Applicants
Behaviorally the foundation added many new grantees in the latest year (13 new recipients), which shows willingness to fund unfamiliar organizations, but the foundation states it makes awards only to preselected recipients and provides no public application pathway, so unsolicited applicants are unlikely to gain entry without a referral.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
