Corina Higginson Trust

CHARLOTTE HALL, MD EIN: 52-6055743

Arts and culture Education Environment Human services

The Corina Higginson Trust is a private charitable foundation based in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, established in 1964. The trust operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and provides grants to charitable organizations across the United States, with a particular emphasis on the Washington Metropolitan area.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$664K

-45.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$566K

+25.1% YoY

Grant Count

-27.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$12K

+73.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Corina Higginson Trust reported a distributable amount of $45K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The trust prioritizes funding in the following areas:

Poverty relief
Social welfare
Civil rights
Arts and culture
Education
Environment
Human services

Grantmaking

The trust operates on an invite-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Grant Range

$15,000

Average Grant

approximately $6,300 - $6,500

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The trust provides funding across multiple U.S. cities and states, including:

Washington, D.C. area (primary focus)
California
Maryland
Massachusetts
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia
North Carolina

Grant Distribution by State

District of Columbia $1.3M (69%)

Maryland $385K (20%)

Virginia $172K (9%)

Massachusetts $15K (1%)

Pennsylvania $8K (0%)

North Carolina $6K (0%)

New York $3K (0%)

Ohio $3K (0%)

+1 more states

States

California District of Columbia Massachusetts Maryland North Carolina New York Ohio Pennsylvania Virginia

Cities

AccokeekAlexandriaAnnandaleAnnapolisArlingtonBaltimoreBethesdaBostonCapital HeightsChevy ChaseClevelandColumbiaDaytonFairfaxFalls ChurchFranklinGlen EchoGlen MillsHighlandsHyattsville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $663,600
Total revenues: $53,159
Total expenses: $609,071
Investment income and dividends: $46,461
Number of employees: 0

Historical Context:

2023 assets: $1,219,512
2023 total giving: $451,000 across 65 grants
2022 total giving: $466,000 across 69 grants

Giving Rate: 85.3% of assets (2024)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$663,600	$1,219,512	$1,279,448
Revenue	$53,159	$446,147	$141,741
Expenses	$609,071	$506,083	$526,809
Qualifying Distributions	$566,000	$452,500	$467,500
Net Investment Income	$43,108	$432,645	$123,816
Distributable Amount	$45,204	$59,735	$95,302

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

249 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Accokeek Foundation ($16,500), Alexandria Seaport Founda ($15,000), American Youth Philarmonic ($15,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACCOKEEK FOUNDATION ACCOKEEK, MD	CHARITY	$16,500
ALEXANDRIA SEAPORT FOUNDA ALEXANDRIA, VA	CHARITY	$15,000
AMERICAN YOUTH PHILARMONIC ANNANDALE, VA	CHARITY	$15,000
ANTI DEFAMATION LEAGUE WA WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITY	$15,000
BEST KIDS INC WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITY	$15,000
BYTE BACK WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITY	$15,000
CALVARY WOMEN'S SERVICES WASHINGTON, DC	CHARITY	$15,000
CITY YEAR BOSTON BOSTON, MA	CHARITY	$1,000
CITY YEAR DC BOSTON, MA	CHARITY	$2,000
CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUND NETWORK ANNAPOLIS, MD	CHARITY	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The trust is managed by a board of trustees that includes:

Laura Ford
Wilton C. Corkern Jr.
Virginia L. MacKay-Smith
Linda Cropp

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
WILTON C CORKERN JR	TRUSTEE	—	$1,500
VIRGINIA L MACKAY-SMITH	TRUSTEE	—	$1,500
LINDA CROPP	TRUSTEE	—	$1,500
LAURA FORD	TRUSTEE	—	$16,500

Contact Information

Website: www.corinahigginsontrust.org
Address: 8346 Roundhill Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
EIN: 52-6055743

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts and culture Education Environment Human services

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Corina Higginson Trust fund?

The trust prioritizes funding in the following areas: • Poverty relief • Social welfare • Civil rights • Arts and culture • Education • Environment • Human services

How do I apply for a grant from Corina Higginson Trust?

**Grant Activity & Amounts:** • Total giving in 2024: $566,000 across 49 grants • Median grant size: $15,000 • Grant range: $1,000 - $17,000 • Average grant size: approximately $6,300 - $6,500 **Recent Grantees (2024):** • Accokeek Foundation: $16,500 • Community Youth Advance Incorporated: $15,000 • Dumbarton Arts and Education: $15,000 **Application Process:** The trust operates on an invite-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Where does Corina Higginson Trust make grants?

The trust provides funding across multiple U.S. cities and states, including: • Washington, D.C. area (primary focus) • California • Maryland • Massachusetts • New York • Ohio • Pennsylvania • Virginia • North Carolina

What size grants does Corina Higginson Trust award?

In 2024, Corina Higginson Trust awarded 49 grants totaling $566K — an average of about $12K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Corina Higginson Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Corina Higginson Trust reported a distributable amount of $45K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.