Burns Family Foundation Inc
Burns Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Damariscotta, Maine. Its filings describe grants for charitable, scientific, literary, and educational purposes, as well as support for health care organizations, libraries, and other qualifying charitable purposes.
Burns Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Burns Family Foundation Inc gave $662K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Maine. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $662,000
- -33.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -3.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,067
- -31.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,682,737
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (3 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maine (92% 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 Burns Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Potential donees are required to complete a grant application form available at the organization’s address of record; the application outlines the required materials. The filing lists John J Lynch Jr as the contact. Grants are restricted to the charitable purposes described above.
- Contact
Application contact: John J Lynch Jr
Mailing address: PO Box 6, Damariscotta, ME 04543
Phone: (207) 563-1700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Burns Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Academy ($125K). Together the top 10 received $482K.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 135 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 5% to New Jersey, 3% to Connecticut, and 1% to Florida. The listed grants include numerous organizations in Lincoln County, Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Burns Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 30 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 87% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 154% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $490K (2021) to $1.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $662K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Academy Newcastle, ME | General Operations Support | $125,000 |
| South Bristol Elementary School South Bristol, ME | Support of Supplementary Programs | $125,000 |
| Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service Damariscotta, ME | Support of Operations | $55,000 |
| Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute Portland, ME | Programs in Linoln County Schools | $50,000 |
| Community Energy Fund of Lincoln County Bristol, ME | Heating Oil and Energy Assistance | $35,000 |
| Fowa Animal Rescue Inc Wayne, NJ | Support of Veterinary Program | $30,000 |
| Midcoast Humane Society Brunswick, ME | Support of Operations | $20,000 |
| Stepping Stone Housing Inc Damariscotta, ME | Support of Operations | $20,000 |
| Central Lincoln County Adult & Community Education Damariscotta, ME | Support of Operations | $12,000 |
| A Life Line Smyrna Center, ME | Support of Operations | $10,000 |
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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 | $6,682,737 | $960,222 | $782,200 | $662,000 | 30 | $722,765 | $916,899 | $469,584 |
| 2024 | $6,504,715 | $715,044 | $1,107,824 | $1,001,345 | 31 | $1,066,269 | $674,836 | $456,890 |
| 2023 | $6,898,845 | $320,591 | $811,414 | $704,476 | 27 | $763,486 | $279,408 | $459,330 |
| 2022 | $7,389,840 | $428,121 | $1,066,943 | $947,048 | 26 | $1,006,071 | $381,255 | $540,164 |
| 2021 | $8,027,140 | $606,509 | $595,905 | $490,000 | 21 | — | $559,970 | $542,643 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burns Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $470K 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
The foundation’s filing describes eligible purposes as charitable, scientific, literary, or educational; prevention of cruelty to children or animals; support of health care organizations and libraries; and other purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Among its grantees, Lincoln Academy says it challenges students to develop skills and scholarship, serve others, and lead fulfilling lives. Stepping Stone Housing says it provides low-income housing to Lincoln County residents. Skidompha Library Association says it fosters literacy and provides access to information resources. Other 2025 recipients include Mobius, which supports community roles and independence for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Darrowby Farm Sanctuary, which provides lifelong homes for farmed animals and educates the public.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $662,000. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $125,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Its largest listed grants were $125,000 to Lincoln Academy for general operations support and $125,000 to South Bristol Elementary School for supplementary programs. Other notable awards included $55,000 to Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service for operations, $50,000 to Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute for programs in Lincoln County schools, and $35,000 to Community Energy Fund of Lincoln County for heating oil and energy assistance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ann C McFarland, Elizabeth C Graves, and John Schianchi as directors, and John J Lynch as executive director.
Burns Family Foundation Inc is led by John J. Lynch, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John J. Lynch
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$20K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Ann C. McFarland
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth C. Graves
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Schianchi
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $19K, to John J Lynch (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Burns Family Foundation Inc
How much does Burns Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Burns Family Foundation Inc gave $662K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 31 grants.
What is Burns Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Burns Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,067, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Burns Family Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Burns Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Burns Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Maine: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Damariscotta, ME (11 grants), Newcastle, ME (2 grants), South Bristol, ME (2 grants) and New Harbor, ME (2 grants).
Does Burns Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Burns Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Support of Operations" (23 grants).
Who are Burns Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Burns Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Academy ($125,000), South Bristol Elementary School ($125,000) and Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Burns Family Foundation Inc?
Burns Family Foundation Inc reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $723K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $470K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Burns Family Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing describes eligible purposes as charitable, scientific, literary, or educational; prevention of cruelty to children or animals; support of health care organizations and libraries; and other purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Burns Family Foundation Inc?
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 Burns Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Burns Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5671844. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Burns Family Foundation Inc 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Burns Family Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Burns Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/burns-family-foundation-inc-morg_8efa77339f364b778ec63eae6c76a59c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_465671844_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Burns Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/burns-family-foundation-inc-morg_8efa77339f364b778ec63eae6c76a59c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Burns Family Foundation Inc'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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