Carlson Family Trust
The Carlson Family Trust is a private foundation based in Rockport, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 23 grants totaling $209,500 to charitable organizations, with recipients in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Virginia.
Carlson Family Trust at a glance
In short: Carlson Family Trust gave $210K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $209,500
- +26.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +15.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,109
- +9.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $3,092,322
- +6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (84% 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 Carlson Family Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2 Driftwood Way, Rockport, MA 01966
Phone: (800) 882-2080
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carlson Family Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Family Aid Boston ($90K). Together the top 10 received $197K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 100 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 10% to New Hampshire, and 5% to Alaska. The filing also lists Virginia and Maine, each at 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Carlson Family Trust open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% 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 $113K (2023) to $210K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Family Aid Boston Boston, MA | Charity | $90,000 |
| Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, NH | Charity | $20,000 |
| Cape Ann Historical Museu Gloucester, MA | Charity | $20,000 |
| Thacher Island Association Rockport, MA | Charity | $15,000 |
| Peabody Essex Museum Salem, MA | Charity | $12,000 |
| Perkins School for Blind Watertown, MA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Sealaska Heritage Institute Juneau, AK | Charity | $10,000 |
| 22MOHAWKS Sharon, MA | Charity | $10,000 |
| Hundred Club of MA Boston, MA | Charity | $5,000 |
| North Shore YMCA Beverly, MA | Charity | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Carlson Family Trust?
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 | $3,092,322 | $474,118 | $249,696 | $209,500 | 23 | $209,500 | $434,330 | $186,412 |
| 2024 | $2,904,844 | $313,799 | $200,782 | $166,000 | 20 | $166,000 | $209,287 | $168,471 |
| 2023 | $2,887,148 | $224,963 | $143,910 | $113,000 | 21 | $113,000 | $185,676 | $151,359 |
| 2022 | $2,872,625 | $470,266 | $236,070 | $203,200 | 18 | $203,200 | $345,164 | $158,151 |
| 2021 | $2,742,996 | $320,457 | $172,719 | $141,500 | 18 | — | $280,491 | $154,883 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carlson Family Trust reported a distributable amount of $186K 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an independent school, museums and arts organizations, a school serving blind students, a heritage institute, and charitable and community organizations. For example, Brewster Academy says it prepares diverse thinkers for lives of purpose; the Peabody Essex Museum describes its work as offering experiences in the arts, humanities, and sciences; and Sealaska Heritage Institute says it works to protect and perpetuate the traditions of Southeast Alaska Native tribes.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 23 grants totaling $209,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $90,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Larger awards included $90,000 to Family Aid Boston; $20,000 each to Brewster Academy and Cape Ann Historical Museum; $15,000 to Thacher Island Association; and $12,000 to the Peabody Essex Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists C Richard Carlson and Deborah W Carlson as trustees.
Carlson Family Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
C. Richard Carlson
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Deborah W. Carlson
Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about Carlson Family Trust
How much does Carlson Family Trust give each year?
Carlson Family Trust gave $210K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $166K across 20 grants.
What is Carlson Family Trust's typical grant size?
Carlson Family Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $9,109, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carlson Family Trust that year got $5K on average.
Where does Carlson Family Trust give grants?
Carlson Family Trust gives mostly in Massachusetts: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Hampshire (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Gloucester, MA (7 grants), Boston, MA (4 grants) and Rockport, MA (3 grants).
Does Carlson Family Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Carlson Family Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (23 grants).
Who are Carlson Family Trust's largest grantees?
Carlson Family Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Family Aid Boston ($90,000), Brewster Academy ($20,000) and Cape Ann Historical Museu ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carlson Family Trust?
Carlson Family Trust reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $210K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $186K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carlson Family Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an independent school, museums and arts organizations, a school serving blind students, a heritage institute, and charitable and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carlson Family Trust?
The trust states on its 2024 filing that it 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 Carlson Family Trust's EIN?
Carlson Family Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3493404. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Carlson Family Trust 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Carlson Family Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carlson Family Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Eastern Bank Foundation
Wakefield, MA
Eastern Bank Foundation supports economic inclusion and mobility, including small businesses, early childhood development, affordable housing, and workforce development. Its 2025 grants ranged from $50 to $2,002,500, with a median of $2,500, primarily in Massachusetts and also in New Hampshire and Rhode Island. It accepts online applications and does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$266.7M
Grants
1,786
Total Given
$19.0M
Boston Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
The Boston Foundation funds nonprofits and community initiatives focused on equity and opportunity, including child well-being, economic opportunity, community wealth, and community leadership, primarily in Greater Boston. Its 2025 grants had a median of $25,000, while specific programs offer amounts such as $50,000; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$2.1B
Grants
2,375
Total Given
$228.4M
Institution for Savings in Newburyport
Newburyport, MA
The Foundation funds charitable organizations for events, capital campaigns, programs, and operating support, including work in food access, housing, health, family support, and education. Its 2025 grants ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median of $2,500, primarily benefiting Newburyport and nearby North Shore communities in Massachusetts. It accepts applications through its online GrantsConnect system and does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$15.1M
Grants
339
Total Given
$2.4M
Salem Five Charitable Foundation Inc
Salem, MA
The foundation funds nonprofits serving communities in Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties, with priorities including economic self-sufficiency, workforce development, financial literacy, food insecurity, and human services. Community Donations Program requests are considered up to $10,000; recent grants had a median of $2,500. It accepts online requests and reviews them monthly on a rolling basis.
Assets
$16.5M
Grants
337
Total Given
$1.1M
Essex County Community Foundation Inc
Beverly, MA
Essex County Community Foundation supports nonprofits addressing needs and opportunities in areas such as youth education, essential needs, veterans, women and girls, community response, and digital equity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $16,000, with awards ranging from $5,100 to $576,250, and it primarily serves Essex County, Massachusetts. It accepts applications for specific competitive grant programs through an online process; one listed program is invitation-only.
Assets
$150.5M
Grants
302
Total Given
$13.0M
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
More similar funders
More Funders in Massachusetts
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carlson Family Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carlson-family-trust-morg_d687c111f64047b68b244ccbc9afe590
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043493404_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carlson Family Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carlson-family-trust-morg_d687c111f64047b68b244ccbc9afe590},
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 Carlson Family Trust'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.
Carlson Family Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?