Bronson Family Foundation
Bronson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In filing year 2025, it reported 10 grants totaling $28,165 to organizations in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Bronson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bronson Family Foundation gave $28K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Maine. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $28,165
- -8.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -28.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,817
- +28.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,667
- Total assets
- $708,877
- +5.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (43% 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 Bronson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Bronson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance ($4K). Together the top 10 received $28K.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 70 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Maine received 43% of grant dollars, Vermont 34%, New Hampshire 14%, and Massachusetts 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bronson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $28K (2025) to $38K (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $28K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance Rochester, VT | General & Unrestricted | $4,333 |
| Mahoosuc Land Trust Inc Bethel, ME | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Vermont Land Trust Inc Montpelier, VT | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Cultivating Community Portland, ME | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| New England Mountain Bike Association Inc Acton, MA | Portland Maine Chapter fund | $2,667 |
| Portland Trails Portland, ME | General & Unrestricted | $2,666 |
| Maine Island Trail Association Portland, ME | General & Unrestricted | $2,333 |
| Kilham Bear Center Inc Lyme, NH | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Granite Backcountry Alliance North Conway, NH | General & Unrestricted | $1,833 |
| Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad Londonderry, VT | General & Unrestricted | $1,333 |
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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 | $708,877 | $91,584 | $53,686 | $28,165 | 10 | $39,333 | $81,205 | $39,153 |
| 2024 | $670,979 | $151,366 | $52,164 | $30,668 | 14 | $41,617 | $140,819 | $36,926 |
| 2023 | $571,777 | $8,932 | $51,558 | $32,083 | 14 | $42,818 | $2,689 | $33,710 |
| 2022 | $614,403 | $-9,789 | $54,696 | $33,832 | 15 | $44,357 | $5,699 | $34,818 |
| 2021 | $678,888 | $121,450 | $55,801 | $37,497 | 17 | $44,454 | $111,167 | $38,753 |
| 2020 | $613,239 | $57,358 | $54,624 | $37,666 | 15 | — | $48,931 | $32,899 |
| 2019 | $610,505 | $35,976 | $50,736 | $33,999 | 12 | — | $22,443 | $34,834 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bronson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $39K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose own missions include protecting land and natural resources, supporting trails and outdoor recreation, and advancing food justice. For example, Vermont Land Trust describes its work as helping people protect, care for, and connect to land, while Mahoosuc Land Trust says it works to conserve land and traditional land uses, including farming and recreation.
Other 2025 grantees describe their missions as growing food justice in Greater Portland (Cultivating Community), advancing a recreational water trail through stewardship of Maine’s wild islands (Maine Island Trail Association), and promoting low-impact backcountry skiing in New Hampshire and western Maine (Granite Backcountry Alliance). Portland Trails describes work to expand and enhance its trail network and foster community partnerships and climate-resilient infrastructure.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $28,165. Grants ranged from $1,333 to $4,333, with a median of $2,666.
The largest grants were $4,333 to Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance and $4,000 each to Mahoosuc Land Trust and Vermont Land Trust. Other grants included $3,000 to Cultivating Community; $2,667 to New England Mountain Bike Association, designated for its Portland, Maine chapter fund; $2,666 to Portland Trails; $2,333 to Maine Island Trail Association; $2,000 to Kilham Bear Center; $1,833 to Granite Backcountry Alliance; and $1,333 to Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad. The stated purposes were “General & Unrestricted” except for the New England Mountain Bike Association grant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nathaniel R Bronson III as president, director, and treasurer; Katharine Quimby Bronson as vice president; and William Jewett Bronson as secretary.
Bronson Family Foundation is led by Nathaniel R Bronson III, President, Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nathaniel R Bronson III
President, Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katharine Quimby Bronson
Vice President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Jewett Bronson
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jean Madden (2019–2024) — Secretary & Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Bronson Family Foundation
How much does Bronson Family Foundation give each year?
Bronson Family Foundation gave $28K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $31K across 14 grants.
What is Bronson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bronson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,667, and its average grant was $2,817, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bronson Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Bronson Family Foundation give grants?
Bronson Family Foundation's top state is Maine, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Vermont (34%) and New Hampshire (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (3 grants).
Does Bronson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Bronson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bronson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bronson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance ($4,333), Mahoosuc Land Trust Inc ($4,000) and Vermont Land Trust Inc ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bronson Family Foundation?
Bronson Family Foundation reported $709K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $39K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bronson Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose own missions include protecting land and natural resources, supporting trails and outdoor recreation, and advancing food justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bronson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Bronson Family Foundation's EIN?
Bronson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2323601. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Bronson Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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