Break New Ground Charitable Fund
Break New Ground Charitable Fund is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $228,000 to charitable organizations.
Key facts about Break New Ground Charitable Fund
In short: Break New Ground Charitable Fund gave $228K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 92-0307218
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $228,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $15,200
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,953,762
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (29% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.0M
-3.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$228K
+85.4% YoY
Grant Count
15
+87.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-1.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Break New Ground Charitable Fund reported a distributable amount of $308K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Break New Ground Charitable Fund gives
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 82% 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 (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated missions and grant purposes include land and coastal conservation, human rights, environmental protection, legal and civil-liberties work, humanitarian assistance, and other charitable activities.
For example, Essex County Greenbelt Association describes its mission as land conservation and conservation education. Maine Coast Heritage Trust says it advances conservation of lands and waters in Maine. Conservation Law Foundation describes its work as protecting New England’s environment using law, science, and markets. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the funder reported 15 grants totaling $228,000. Grant amounts ranged from $4,000 to $34,000, with a median of $10,000.
Notable grants included $34,000 to The Nature Conservancy for Maine projects and overhead, including its Magalloway project; $30,000 to Essex County Greenbelt Association toward land or buildings in Hamilton or Wenham; and $30,000 to Maine Coast Heritage Trust for work on Old Point, Lamoine, and ancillary sites. The funder also awarded $25,000 to the International Rescue Committee for its greatest need and to help displaced families in or from Palestine, Israel, and Ukraine. Other grants included $15,000 to the Boston Globe Foundation for its 2025 Globe Santa Christmas gift program and $10,000 each to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Amnesty International of the USA, and Campaign Legal Center. Conservation Law Foundation received two grants of $10,000 each.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Break New Ground Charitable Fund?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in these states and jurisdictions: Massachusetts (29%), Maine (28%), District of Columbia (15%), Minnesota (11%), and New York (9%). The listed grants also included a recipient in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2023) to $228K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $228K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nature Conservancy Inc ($34K). Together the top 10 received $204K.
Grant Size Distribution
24 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 24 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Conservancy Inc Brunswick, ME | designated to projects and overhead in Maine and to ME Magalloway project | $34,000 |
| Essex County Greenbelt Association Essex, MA | To provide partial purchase funds for land or buildings thereon, or costs incurred for such purchase, either for acreage in Hamilton or Wenham | $30,000 |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust Topsham, ME | To advance MCHT's project on Old Point, Lamoine and ancillary sites. Included are planning and implementation for trails, beach access, signage, protection of Indian middens and artifacts. | $30,000 |
| International Rescue Committee Inc Albert Lea, MN | grant is for greatest need and help for displaced families in or from Palestine, Israel and Ukraine | $25,000 |
| Boston Globe Foundation Inc Boston, MA | This grant is for 2025 Globe Santa's Christmas gift program | $15,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | grant is for greatest need and for blocking the current US government from illegal or questionably legal actions of the US President or his appointees | $10,000 |
| Americares Foundation Inc Stamford, CT | Grant is for Americare's Resilience Fund to offset termination of US support in third world | $10,000 |
| Amnesty International of the USA Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Campaign Legal Center Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Inc Boston, MA | Grant is for greatest need and actions to discourage expansion of use of energy from fossil fuels and encourage harvesting wind and solar energy | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,953,762 | $105,490 | $253,793 | $228,000 (15 grants) |
| 2024 | $4,102,065 | $162,526 | $146,843 | $123,000 (8 grants) |
| 2023 | $4,086,382 | $156,056 | $74,650 | $50,000 (1 grant) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,953,762 | $4,102,065 | $4,086,382 |
| Revenue | $105,490 | $162,526 | $156,056 |
| Expenses | $253,793 | $146,843 | $74,650 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $251,306 | $143,858 | $73,181 |
| Net Investment Income | $105,362 | $162,526 | $157,176 |
| Distributable Amount | $307,689 | $246,104 | $202,294 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Peter H Hartline as director, president, and treasurer, and Rebecca B Kucera as secretary, director, and vice president.
Break New Ground Charitable Fund is led by Peter H Hartline, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peter H Hartline
Director, President & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca B Kucera
Secretary, Director & Vice President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Frequently asked questions about Break New Ground Charitable Fund
How much does Break New Ground Charitable Fund give each year?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund gave $228K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $123K across 8 grants.
What is Break New Ground Charitable Fund's typical grant size?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,200, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Break New Ground Charitable Fund give grants?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maine (28%) and District of Columbia (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Break New Ground Charitable Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of Break New Ground Charitable Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Break New Ground Charitable Fund's largest grantees?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Nature Conservancy Inc ($34,000), Essex County Greenbelt Association ($30,000) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Break New Ground Charitable Fund?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $251K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $308K (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 Break New Ground Charitable Fund fund?
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated missions and grant purposes include land and coastal conservation, human rights, environmental protection, legal and civil-liberties work, humanitarian assistance, and other charitable activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Break New Ground Charitable Fund?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Break New Ground Charitable Fund's EIN?
Break New Ground Charitable Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-0307218. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Break New Ground Charitable Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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