Cogswell Benevolent Trust
Cogswell Benevolent Trust is a private foundation based in Bedford, New Hampshire, established in 1929 under the will of Leander A. Cogswell. It supports eligible charitable organizations and public agencies, usually for established programs located in New Hampshire.
Cogswell Benevolent Trust at a glance
In short: Cogswell Benevolent Trust gave $1.8M across 107 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in New Hampshire. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,763,326
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 107
- -0.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,480
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $34,136,657
- +2.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (29 of 95, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New Hampshire (95% 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 Cogswell Benevolent Trust
- How to Apply
-
The Trust accepts proposals at any time. Applicants should submit a brief application letter describing the project’s purpose, how it will be carried out, and the amount requested. Required materials include an itemized income and expense budget, the latest available audited financial statement and Form 990-PF, and a copy of the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter for nonprofit applicants. Applicants should also provide board members’ names and titles if these are not listed elsewhere, and identify other foundations approached and amounts requested or received.
- Review Cycle
- None. The trustees meet monthly, and proposals may be submitted at any time.
- Deadline
- None.
- Contact
Application contact: Cogswell Benevolent Trust
Mailing address: 116 South River Road E-1, Bedford, NH 03110
Phone: (603) 622-4013
Website: https://cogswellbenevolenttrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Cogswell Benevolent Trust
Who Cogswell Benevolent Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was NH Food Bank ($100K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $620K.
Grant Size Distribution
513 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 461 grants of 513 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website says established programs are usually expected to be located in New Hampshire, though limited funding may be available for out-of-state projects. The 2025 filing states that 90% of awards must stay in New Hampshire. In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Hampshire, 3% to Massachusetts, and 1% each to Vermont and Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 107 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cogswell Benevolent Trust open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 29 of 95 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 25% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2020) to $2.1M (2023). In 2025 it made 107 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Aine Center Manchester, NH | Support New Program Replication Model Initiative | $75,000 |
| YMCA Camp Huckins Freedom, NH | Capital Expenditure | $75,000 |
| Granite United Way Manchester, NH | Annual Appeal | $60,000 |
| Easter Seals NH Manchester, NH | Construct playground at gammon academy, zachary road manch. 3 yr pledge $150k in 2024, $50k in 2025 & 2026 | $50,000 |
| My Turn Nashua, NH | Expand project complete programs at central and west high schools | $50,000 |
| NH Food Bank Manchester, NH | Thanksgiving Turkeys | $50,000 |
| NH Food Bank Manchester, NH | To Purchase Food | $50,000 |
| St Amselm's Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences Manchester, NH | Capital Support Grappone Hall | $50,000 |
| Waypoint NH Manchester, NH | Building Capacity Around Impact Measurement and Quality Initiatives | $50,000 |
| Camp Allen NH Bedford, NH | Roof repairs, rebuild deck, raise corner of building and replace door | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cogswell Benevolent 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 | $34,136,657 | $3,210,243 | $2,248,974 | $1,763,326 | 107 | $1,878,341 | $2,833,780 | $1,986,529 |
| 2024 | $33,175,388 | $3,448,015 | $2,163,395 | $1,706,074 | 108 | $1,826,724 | $3,005,191 | $1,940,591 |
| 2023 | $31,890,768 | $1,601,867 | $2,647,038 | $2,139,364 | 109 | $2,239,261 | $1,217,689 | $1,820,143 |
| 2022 | $32,935,939 | $1,483,678 | $2,218,413 | $1,758,210 | 95 | $1,849,915 | $1,171,022 | $1,851,521 |
| 2021 | $33,670,674 | $5,623,079 | $2,171,271 | $1,676,485 | 94 | $1,765,872 | $5,280,862 | $2,067,694 |
| 2020 | $30,218,866 | $3,198,949 | $2,010,518 | $1,631,572 | 85 | — | $2,922,556 | $1,752,760 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cogswell Benevolent Trust reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Trust does not state a specific mission on its website. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of projects, including food purchases, youth programs, facilities, and services for children and families. For example, the Nashua Children’s Home describes its work as providing residential care and educational services to children who cannot live at home or attend public schools. Granite United Way says it raises and invests local dollars and develops collaborative nonprofit solutions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Trust reported 107 grants totaling $1,763,326. Awards ranged from $2,000 to $75,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $75,000 to Friends of Aine Center for a program replication model initiative and $75,000 to YMCA Camp Huckins for capital expenditures. Other awards included $60,000 to Granite United Way for its annual appeal and $50,000 each to Easter Seals NH, My Turn, NH Food Bank, St. Anselm’s Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Waypoint NH for the purposes specified in the filing.
The Trust’s website says requests for general operating or start-up expenses, feasibility studies, endowments, conferences, film or video production, and deficit elimination are rarely considered. It also says the Trust does not aim to provide permanent support for programs and, unless there is an emergency, does not make grants to the same organization in successive years.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles Goodwin, Peter Kachavos, and Mark Northridge as trustees.
Cogswell Benevolent Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Goodwin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $36K (2025)
Mark Northridge
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $36K (2025)
Peter Kachavos
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $36K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $36K, to Charles Goodwin (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Cogswell Benevolent Trust
How much does Cogswell Benevolent Trust give each year?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust gave $1.8M across 107 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 108 grants.
What is Cogswell Benevolent Trust's typical grant size?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,480, across 107 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cogswell Benevolent Trust that year got $15K on average.
Where does Cogswell Benevolent Trust give grants?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust gives mostly in New Hampshire: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Manchester, NH (18 grants), Concord, NH (14 grants), Nashua, NH (9 grants) and Portsmouth, NH (7 grants).
Does Cogswell Benevolent Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 107 grants with a stated purpose on Cogswell Benevolent Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Cogswell Benevolent Trust's largest grantees?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust's largest 2025 grantees include NH Food Bank ($100,000 across 2 grants), Friends of Aine Center ($75,000) and YMCA Camp Huckins ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cogswell Benevolent Trust?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust reported $34.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Cogswell Benevolent Trust fund?
The Trust does not state a specific mission on its website. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of projects, including food purchases, youth programs, facilities, and services for children and families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cogswell Benevolent Trust?
The Trust accepts proposals at any time. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cogswell Benevolent Trust's EIN?
Cogswell Benevolent Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 02-0235690. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cogswell Benevolent Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cogswell Benevolent Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cogswell-benevolent-trust-morg_50fb63f902ac40b7910c77d892d30338
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_020235690_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cogswell Benevolent Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cogswell-benevolent-trust-morg_50fb63f902ac40b7910c77d892d30338},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Cogswell Benevolent 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.
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