Massachusetts 4-H Foundation

What Massachusetts 4-H Foundation does

The Massachusetts 4-H Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 04-2303708) established in 1955 and headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. It exists to generate and provide resources that maintain and expand 4-H youth development programs throughout the Commonwealth, supporting young people ages 5-18. Programs are operated through the UMass Extension system, which deploys 12 educators statewide alongside 979 adult volunteers, 1,513 enrolled club memberships, and 3,635 school and community partnerships. Annual reach totals approximately 5,148 youth.

The Foundation's core "products" are grants and scholarships rather than commercial offerings: 4-H Club Grants ($100-$500 by club size), New Club Startup Grants ($150), Matching Grants ($100-$300), Camperships, the BOOST Pilot Grant Program, publicity and legislative awareness awards, and the Kent Lage Leadership Award ($1,500 first place, $750 second place). Signature events include the annual Shirley Kane Memorial 4-H Golf Tournament (held each September for 23 consecutive years, raising $65,197 in 2023) and 4-H STEM Day. Funded programmatic areas span club activities, STEM/CS education (delivered in part through Google's CS Pathways grant), agricultural and animal science, leadership development, civic engagement, and Visual Presentations training.

The Foundation's revenue model is multi-channel philanthropic giving: individual donations via a DonorPerfect online portal, annual fund appeals, corporate sponsorships (Charlesbank Capital Partners, MathWorks, Google, Raytheon), the annual golf tournament, an endowment trust, donor-advised funds, stock and IRA giving, and estate planning bequests. It distributes resources through the UMass Extension channel and partners with the National 4-H Council for leadership conferences, having invested approximately $60,000 in 2025 to nearly quadruple national trip participation. Governance rests with a Board of Trustees (chaired by Steven Borgeson, with Executive Director Robert Kordenbrock) and a Corporators body, with new Trustees and Corporators elected annually at the meeting of the Corporators (71st held May 13, 2026).

Name

Massachusetts 4-H Foundation

Legal name

Massachusetts 4-H Foundation

Website

https://mass4hfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Massachusetts 4-H Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds 4-H youth development programs across Massachusetts through the UMass Extension system, awarding grants, scholarships, and operating events that serve approximately 5,148 youth annually via 979 volunteers and 3,635 school and community partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Nonprofit foundation services
• STEM education grants
• Youth leadership scholarships
• Agricultural education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Framingham, Massachusetts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual donations through online portal, including one-time and recurring gifts. EIN: 04-2303708.
2. Shirley Kane Memorial 4-H Golf Tournament: Annual fundraiser held each September for 23 years. 100% of tournament proceeds go directly to 4-H programs. In 2023, raised $65,197.
3. Annual Fund: Annual giving campaign supporting ongoing 4-H programming.
4. 4-H Endowment Trust: Planned giving and endowment funds supporting long-term sustainability of 4-H programs.
5. Corporate Partners Program: Corporate sponsorships and partnerships supporting 4-H programs.
6. Stock Gifts and IRA Giving: Non-cash charitable contributions including stock transfers and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.
7. Estate Planning Bequests: Planned giving through wills and trusts.
8. Donor Advised Fund: Donors contribute to a fund and recommend grants to charitable organizations over time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Massachusetts 4-H Foundation is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that funds and supports 4-H youth development programs across Massachusetts. It generates and distributes resources through grants, scholarships, fundraising events, and partnerships to maintain and expand club activities, school and community programs, national leadership conferences, and science/technology initiatives for youth ages 5-18.

Product overview

The Massachusetts 4-H Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides funding and programmatic support for 4-H youth development programs throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Foundation offers a portfolio of grant programs (including BOOST grants, club grants, matching grants, new club grants, and camperships), the Kent Lage Leadership Award scholarship, the annual Shirley Kane Memorial 4-H Golf Tournament fundraiser, 4-H STEM Day events, and operates the MA 4-H Hearts and Hands Alumni Association. These programs support youth ages 5-18 through club activities, school partnerships, national leadership conferences, and science/technology initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 4-H Youth Development Programs Youth development programs delivered through club activities, school and community partnerships, national leadership conferences, and science and technology programs, serving young people ages 5-18 across Massachusetts.
• Shirley Kane Memorial 4-H Golf Tournament Annual fundraising golf tournament held each September for 23 consecutive years, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Massachusetts 4-H programs including club needs, STEM sessions, and leadership conferences for teens.
• 4-H STEM Day Annual science, technology, engineering, and mathematics event featuring robot demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and youth presentations on pollinators and STEM topics, sponsored by partners such as MathWorks.
• BOOST Grant Program Building Opportunities and Organizational Strength Together program providing grants to Massachusetts 4-H entities for organizational strengthening and capacity building.
• 4-H Club Grants Direct support grants for enrolled 4-H clubs and Program Councils in Massachusetts for special projects supporting educational programs, ranging from $100 to $500 based on club membership size.
• Matching Grants Matching grant program for 4-H clubs that organize fundraising activities, matching raised amounts from $100 to $300 based on club membership size, with a maximum of two matching grants per year.
• New 4-H Club Startup Grant $150 grant for new 4-H clubs to support startup needs including meeting space costs, t-shirts, and program supplies.
• Kent Lage Leadership Award Annual scholarship awards for 4-H members or alumni demonstrating outstanding leadership, with first-place award of $1,500 and second-place of $750, sponsored by Charlesbank Capital Partners in memory of Kent A. Lage.
• Campership Grants Grants to send 4-H members to former 4-H camps including Camp Howe, Camp Leslie, Camp Marshall, Camp Middlesex, and Camp Farley.
• MA 4-H Hearts and Hands Alumni Association Alumni network connecting former 4-H participants and supporters to reconnect, grow professional networks, and give back to the Massachusetts 4-H community, free to join with no membership dues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,148 youth served annually through 4-H programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MathWorkscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025Sponsor of 4-H Family STEM Day event featuring robotics demonstrations and hands-on STEM activities.
• Cape Cod Cooperative Extension (CCCE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnered with Brazilian Resource Center and Dennis Conservation Land Trust for agricultural education pilot program for Brazilian youth on Cape Cod. 4-H Educator Sandi Shepard-Gay delivers programming.
• Brazilian Resource Center of South YarmouthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Nonprofit serving Brazilian community on Cape Cod, partnered for 10-week agricultural education program serving 18 youth ages 6-13.
• Dennis Conservation Land Trust (DCLT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Provided land for cultivation and hosted concluding party for agricultural education program. Executive Director David Fryxell emphasized educational focus.
• National 4-H CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020National partnership for leadership conferences, Ignite by 4-H Summit, National 4-H Congress, and National 4-H Conference. Foundation invested approximately $60,000 in 2025 to make national opportunities accessible.
• UMass Dining ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Since 2018, purchased steers raised by Massachusetts 4-H'ers at The Big E auction, bringing $11,070-$14,850 per steer to youth. Supports local, sustainable food goals.
• UMass Amherst / UMass ExtensionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner4-H programs delivered through UMass Extension system. Executive Director Robert Kordenbrock serves as chaperone for national conferences. UMass Dining Services purchases steers from 4-H'ers at The Big E auction.
• Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for 71st Annual Meeting of Corporators in Westboro.
• Buy Fresh Buy LocalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of CCCE, helps residents locate and prepare fresh food. Coordinator Tara Racine manages grants supporting Ag Education program.
• New England Sci-TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit STEM education center where 4-H'er Max Kendall used makerspace equipment to build Tiny4FSK invention.
• New England Weather Balloon SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner4-H'er Max Kendall and his father co-founded this organization supporting high-altitude balloon research.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National 4-H Council: The national umbrella organization for 4-H that Massachusetts 4-H Foundation partners with for national conferences (Ignite, National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Conference). Operates in the same youth development space with shared brand and programs.
• Ohio 4-H Foundation: State 4-H foundation connected to The Ohio State University Extension. Performs the same grantmaking, scholarship, and donor cultivation functions for Ohio's 4-H youth.
• California 4-H Foundation: State 4-H foundation supporting California's youth development programs through the UC ANR extension system. Closely analogous structure, funding model, and programming.
• New York 4-H Foundation: State-level 4-H foundation supporting 4-H programs in New York. Directly comparable mission, structure, and programs as a peer state 4-H fundraising entity.
• Illinois 4-H Foundation: State 4-H foundation supporting Illinois 4-H through University of Illinois Extension. Provides donor-funded grants, scholarships, and program support using the same private-foundation model.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National youth mentoring nonprofit operating local affiliates in Massachusetts. Targets a similar youth demographic and competes for the same donor and corporate-partner pool.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development nonprofit that also serves school-age youth through clubs, mentorship, and STEM programs. Competes with 4-H for philanthropic dollars and volunteer engagement in Massachusetts.

Others

• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation: Major national foundation that historically funded 4-H's growth and continues to support youth programs. Represents the type of large-scale grantmaker the Massachusetts 4-H Foundation could cultivate for larger programmatic grants.
• The Boston Foundation: Community foundation serving the Greater Boston area. Not a direct youth programming peer, but a comparable Massachusetts-based grantmaking institution that competes for similar donor-advised fund and corporate giving relationships.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: Large established youth development and broader community services organization with deep Massachusetts presence. Overshadows 4-H in scale and brand recognition but overlaps in youth programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mass4h
• Facebookfacebook.com/mass4hfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/massachusetts4-h

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts 4-H Foundation