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.
Key facts about Carlson Family Trust
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.
- EIN
- 04-3493404
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $209,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- Average grant
- $9,109
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,092,322
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (84% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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
$3.1M
+6.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$210K
+26.2% YoY
Grant Count
23
+15.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
+9.7% YoY
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.
Is Carlson Family Trust open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. 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.
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.
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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
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,092,322 | $474,118 | $249,696 | $209,500 |
| 2024 | $2,904,844 | $313,799 | $200,782 | $166,000 |
| 2023 | $2,887,148 | $224,963 | $143,910 | $113,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,092,322 | $2,904,844 | $2,887,148 |
| Revenue | $474,118 | $313,799 | $224,963 |
| Expenses | $249,696 | $200,782 | $143,910 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $209,500 | $166,000 | $113,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $434,330 | $209,287 | $185,676 |
| Distributable Amount | $186,412 | $168,471 | $151,359 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 2 Driftwood Way, Rockport, MA 01966
Phone: (800) 882-2080
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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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