Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation
The Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing lists 21 grants totaling $112,500 to charitable organizations, including organizations working on humanitarian aid, children’s well-being, poverty and injustice, and music education.
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation at a glance
In short: Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation gave $113K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Massachusetts. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $112,500
- -4.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,357
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,875,308
- +1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc ($15K). Together the top 10 received $83K.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 116 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. Massachusetts received 26% of grant dollars, followed by the District of Columbia (17%), New York (15%), Maryland (13%), and California (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 21 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $90K (2020) to $118K (2024). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $113K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc Hagerstown, MD | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| American Near East Refugee Aid Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Middle East Childrens Alliance Berkeley, CA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Oxfam-America Inc Boston, MA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| United States Fund for UNICEF New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| The Lilies Foundation Sidney, ME | General & Unrestricted | $8,000 |
| American National Red Cross Boone, IA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Engineers Without Borders USA Inc Denver, CO | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Friends of Oroko Village Chestnut Hill, MA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Joy of Music Program Inc Worcester, MA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,875,308 | $170,779 | $146,228 | $112,500 | 21 | $125,463 | $151,014 | $113,532 |
| 2024 | $1,850,757 | $67,674 | $152,801 | $117,500 | 22 | $130,228 | $47,880 | $113,097 |
| 2023 | $1,935,884 | $139,157 | $151,691 | $117,000 | 24 | $129,544 | $118,010 | $109,297 |
| 2022 | $1,948,418 | $59,102 | $152,111 | $114,000 | 26 | $127,879 | $36,170 | $116,204 |
| 2021 | $2,041,427 | $305,583 | $141,465 | $97,000 | 23 | $112,088 | $283,122 | $133,231 |
| 2020 | $1,877,309 | $232,580 | $123,991 | $90,000 | 21 | — | $215,040 | $111,447 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $114K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Middle East Children’s Alliance says it works for the rights and well-being of children in the Middle East, while Oxfam America says it fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. The Joy of Music Program says it provides music education and performance in Central Massachusetts.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes addressing development and humanitarian needs in the Middle East (American Near East Refugee Aid), pursuing a better world for every child (United States Fund for UNICEF), and cultivating leaders in communities divided by conflict (Seeds of Peace).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $112,500 through 21 grants. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $15,000, with a median of $5,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $15,000 to Médecins Sans Frontières USA; $10,000 each to American Near East Refugee Aid, the Middle East Children’s Alliance, Oxfam America, and the United States Fund for UNICEF; and $8,000 to the Lilies Foundation. Each was listed for general and unrestricted purposes. Other grants included $5,000 to the Joy of Music Program and $2,500 each to Seeds of Peace, Music Worcester, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melinda Rowan Swanson as Vice President and Director, and Brian Swanson as Director, President, and Secretary.
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation is led by Brian Swanson, Director, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian Swanson
Director, President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Rowan Swanson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation
How much does Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation give each year?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation gave $113K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $118K across 22 grants.
What is Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's typical grant size?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,357, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation give grants?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Worcester, MA (3 grants).
Does Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's largest grantees?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc ($15,000), American Near East Refugee Aid Inc ($10,000) and Middle East Childrens Alliance ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $125K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $114K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's EIN?
Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2782745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/alice-rowan-swanson-foundation-morg_893c68018f82452e81cb2be0560886f5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272782745_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/alice-rowan-swanson-foundation-morg_893c68018f82452e81cb2be0560886f5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Alice Rowan Swanson Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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