Clifton and Clara Ward Foundation
The Clifton and Clara Ward Foundation (operating as CLiF - Children's Literacy Foundation) is a grantmaking organization focused on supporting literacy initiatives. The foundation operates programs in rural communities across Vermont and New Hampshire.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
-100.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
+2078.7% YoY
Grant Count
15
+650.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$109K
+190.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary focus is children's literacy and early childhood literacy development. The organization supports rural library initiatives and elementary school literacy programs in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Grantmaking
The foundation awards grants to schools and libraries for literacy programming:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations and schools in:
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
Focus is specifically on rural communities within these states.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | $1,589,364 | $943,306 |
| Revenue | $69,811 | $734,303 | $175,668 |
| Expenses | $1,659,175 | $89,843 | $346,571 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,645,862 | $78,106 | $323,873 |
| Net Investment Income | $67,902 | $722,566 | $152,970 |
| Distributable Amount | $12,962 | $69,204 | $75,029 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLENN C STOPHEL | PRESIDENT/TRUSEE | 0.25 | — |
| LESLIE S MACLELLAN | VICE PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
| MARK D YATES | SECRETARY/TREAS/TRUSTEE | 0.25 | — |
| TIMOTHY R THOMPSON | TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
| KIMBERLY S WENDELL | TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
| REBECCA T ALLEN | TRUSTEE | 0.1 | — |
| PAM PHILLIPS | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 0.01 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Launched an Early Childhood Literacy Grant program
CLiF's 2024-2025 Rural Library Grantees - Children's Literacy FoundationAwarded $350,000 in literacy grants to 14 Vermont and New Hampshire schools
CLiF awards $350,000 in literacy grants to 14 Vt. & N.H. schools \u2014\Announced $25,000 program grants to eight elementary schools
CLiF awards $350,000 in literacy grants to 14 Vt. & N.H. schools \u2014\Maintains active rural library partnership programs with documented grantees for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
CLiF's 2024-2025 Rural Library Grantees - Children's Literacy FoundationRelated Funders
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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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