Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust
Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts, established in 1992. The trust operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with no employees. It functions as a grantmaking foundation that distributes funds to preselected charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.0M
+3.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$250K
-12.3% YoY
Grant Count
31
-3.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
-9.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $265K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust's primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- General charitable purposes
Grantmaking
The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations, indicating a non-open application process.
Grant Range
s:**
Average Grant
amount: $8,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust primarily funds organizations in:
- Massachusetts
- North Carolina
- New York
These three states account for approximately 82% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across six states total.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Most Recent Filing (2023):
- Total Assets: $2,870,749 to $2,972,429
- Total Revenues: $237,328
- Total Expenses: $332,612
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Annual Income: $949,000 (reported in some filings)
Supported Organizations: The foundation has supported 32 unique organizations across its grantmaking history.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,972,429 | $2,870,749 | $2,953,000 |
| Revenue | $405,297 | $237,328 | $218,976 |
| Expenses | $305,857 | $332,612 | $318,346 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $250,035 | $285,035 | $265,035 |
| Net Investment Income | $352,475 | $189,751 | $172,023 |
| Distributable Amount | $264,763 | $248,689 | $257,071 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Friends Service Committe ($10,000), Cohasset Library Trust Inc ($10,000), Destination Cleveland County Inc ($10,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 350ORG BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL PURPOSE | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTE SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| BROAD RIVER GREENWAY SHELBY, NC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $3,000 |
| COHASSET CENTRAL CEMETERY COHASSET, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $1,000 |
| COHASSET LIBRARY TRUST INC COHASSET, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| DESTINATION CLEVELAND COUNTY INC SHELBY, NC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| FOOD BANK OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS HATFIELD, MA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY BOILING SPRINGS, NC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $5,000 |
| GEORGE & IDA WOOD BLANTON ENDOWMENT SHELBY, NC | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| GLOBAL FUND FOR WOMEN SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL PURPOSE | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Principal Officer: Hemenway & Barnes LLP
- The foundation is governed by 3 officers and trustees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL J PUZO | TRUSTEE | 2.5 | $28,707 |
| HELEN T CHAPELL | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
| MILLICENT S THAYER | TRUSTEE | 0.5 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust fund?
The trust's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • General charitable purposes
How do I apply for a grant from Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 31 grants in 2023 • Has distributed between $245,000 and $265,000 annually from 2020 to 2022 • Total giving reported at $250,000 in recent filings • Has made 94 grants totaling $774,000 across available records **Grant Sizes:** • Typical awards range from $1,000 to $35,000 • Average grant amount: $8,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000 • Individual grants have ranged from $1,000 to $20,000 **Application Process:** The foundation only makes contributions to preselected c…
Where does Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust make grants?
The trust primarily funds organizations in: • Massachusetts • North Carolina • New York These three states account for approximately 82% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across six states total.
What size grants does Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust award?
In 2024, Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust awarded 31 grants totaling $250K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $265K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust's EIN?
Caroline Blanton Thayer Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6676539. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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