Citizens Charitable Foundation is a corporate foundation based in Johnston, Rhode Island, established in 2005. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and is affiliated with Citizens Financial Group. The foundation's primary purpose is grantmaking and philanthropy.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.6M
+20.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
-39.6% YoY
Grant Count
1,602
-1.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$759.339
-38.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports organizations involved with:
- Affordable housing
- Hunger programs
- Economic development activities
- Financial education
The foundation also operates a Colleague Matching Gift Program that matches contributions made by employees of RBS Citizens Financial Group to nonprofit organizations on a one-for-one basis, ranging from $25 to $1,000 per employee, per year.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$250
Average Grant
$1,400
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $1,613,230
- Total Revenue: $1,572,357
- Total Expenses: $1,303,582
- Total Giving: $1,216,461
Previous Year (2023):
- Revenue: $2.2M
- Expenses: $2.01M
- Total Assets: $1.34M
- Total Liabilities: $0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,613,230 | $1,338,872 | $1,148,802 |
| Revenue | $1,572,357 | $2,195,314 | $1,787,822 |
| Expenses | $1,303,582 | $2,010,989 | $2,217,709 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,240,168 | $2,028,340 | $2,215,844 |
| Net Investment Income | $99,004 | $64,547 | $15,302 |
| Distributable Amount | $103,090 | $77,189 | $70,834 |
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
152 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Citizens Charitable Foundation
Champions in Action Grant
CITIZENS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Amount
US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Citizens Grants: Financial Empowerment
CITIZENS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Citizens Grants: Workforce Development
CITIZENS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Barbara Cottam: President
- Michelle Hecht: President
- Denise Wolffs: Vice President
- Maria Lemberg: Co-founder
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHELLE HECHT | PRESIDENT | 0.06 | — |
| DENISE WOLFFS | VICE PRESIDENT | 0.05 | — |
| KERI SANTOS | DIRECTOR OF CORP GIVING | 0.98 | — |
| CHRIS GRENIER | SECRETARY | 1.03 | — |
| DAN ASTOLFI | TREASURER | 0.09 | — |
| GARY ASHJIAN | ASSISTANT SECTRETARY | 0.01 | — |
| REZA AGHAMIRZADEH | MEMBER | 0.05 | — |
| RICK SUAREZ | MEMBER | 0.03 | — |
| MARLENE FULLER | MEMBER | 0.05 | — |
| KATHY O'DONNELL | MEMBER | 0.19 | — |
| RHONDA BETTIS | MEMBER | 0.05 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced several major grant initiatives:
**$2.4M in Financial Empowerment Grants** to support 137 nonprofits (March 2024)
Citizens Announces $2.4M in Financial Empowerment Grants to Support 137\**$500,000 in Grants** to expand mental health and well-being resources (February 2025)
Citizens Announces $500,000 in Grants to Expand Mental Health & Well-Being\**$2.6 Million in Financial Education Grants** announced in recent period
Citizens Announces $2.6 Million in Financial Education GrantsThe foundation received a $10,000 grant from SJS Charitable Trust in 2023 for general support.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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