Bafflin Foundation
Bafflin Foundation is a private foundation based in Providence, Rhode Island. Its 2024 filing identifies art museums and the preservation of land and wildlife as current primary charitable fields.
Bafflin Foundation at a glance
In short: Bafflin Foundation gave $1.1M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), top state Massachusetts. 41% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,111,847
- -1.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,709
- -1.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $13,891,314
- +7.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (11 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (44% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bafflin Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing says to contact Paul A. Silver, Esq., Secretary; no special form is required. Current primary charitable fields include art museums and the preservation of land and wildlife.
- Contact
Application contact: Paul A Silver Esq Secretary
Mailing address: 100 Westminster St Ste 1500, Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 274-2000
Email: psilver@hinckleyallen.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bafflin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wyndham Land Trust ($100K). Together the top 10 received $738K.
Grant Size Distribution
136 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 136 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (44%), Rhode Island (22%), Connecticut (20%), Maine (11%), and New Hampshire (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bafflin Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 27 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 15% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $925K (2021) to $1.2M (2022). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wyndham Land Trust Pomfret Center, CT | Land Conservation | $100,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island Pprovidence, RI | Land Conservation | $100,000 |
| Forest Society of Maine Bangor, ME | Land Conservation | $75,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston Boston, MA | Land Conservation | $75,000 |
| Mass Audubon Lincoln, MA | Land Conservation | $75,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts Boston, MA | Land Conservation | $75,000 |
| Westerly Land Trust Westerly, RI | Land Conservation | $70,000 |
| Sudbury Valley Trustees Sudbury, MA | Land Conservation | $50,000 |
| Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Athol, MA | Land Conservation | $50,000 |
| New England Wildlife Centers South Weymouth, MA | Land Conservation | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bafflin Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,891,314 | $905,288 | $1,208,132 | $1,111,847 | 28 | $1,168,477 | $865,633 | $1,181,217 |
| 2023 | $12,969,930 | $1,029,262 | $1,254,365 | $1,132,974 | 28 | $1,202,232 | $1,011,948 | $1,067,476 |
| 2022 | $19,975,839 | $682,793 | $1,335,438 | $1,200,000 | 23 | $1,272,120 | $664,763 | $1,088,138 |
| 2021 | $16,244,095 | $877,483 | $1,136,190 | $925,000 | 27 | $925,000 | $876,625 | $1,209,348 |
| 2020 | $16,462,965 | $567,672 | $1,081,257 | $1,056,300 | 30 | — | $563,503 | $1,028,383 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bafflin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated charitable fields include art museums and land and wildlife preservation. Its 2024 grants include support for land conservation organizations. For example, Wyndham Land Trust says it conserves natural resources in northeastern Connecticut, while the Forest Society of Maine says it conserves Maine forestlands for their ecological, economic, cultural, and recreational values. Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust describes its work as protecting natural, agricultural, and scenic areas in northern and central Massachusetts.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $1,111,847. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $100,000, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest were $100,000 each to Wyndham Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island; $75,000 each to the Forest Society of Maine, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Mass Audubon, and The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts; and $70,000 to Westerly Land Trust. The stated purposes for these grants were land conservation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paul A. Silver as Director/Secretary and Michael M. Edwards as Director/Treasurer.
Bafflin Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael M. Edwards
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$90K (2021) → $35K (2024)
Paul A. Silver
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$90K (2021) → $35K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $35K, to Paul a Silver (Director/Secretary). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Bafflin Foundation
How much does Bafflin Foundation give each year?
Bafflin Foundation gave $1.1M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 28 grants.
What is Bafflin Foundation's typical grant size?
Bafflin Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $39,709, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bafflin Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Bafflin Foundation give grants?
Bafflin Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Rhode Island (22%) and Connecticut (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants) and Westerly, RI (2 grants).
Does Bafflin Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Bafflin Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Land Conservation" (27 grants).
Who are Bafflin Foundation's largest grantees?
Bafflin Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Wyndham Land Trust ($100,000), The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island ($100,000) and Westerly Land Trust ($88,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bafflin Foundation?
Bafflin Foundation reported $13.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bafflin Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated charitable fields include art museums and land and wildlife preservation. Its 2024 grants include support for land conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bafflin Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bafflin Foundation's EIN?
Bafflin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 05-0454795. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bafflin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bafflin-foundation-morg_eb73d42c3ba24e32bc89ab2f85342ece
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_050454795_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bafflin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bafflin-foundation-morg_eb73d42c3ba24e32bc89ab2f85342ece},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Bafflin 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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