Corson Foundation
The Corson Foundation is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, Pennsylvania. In 2024, it gave $93,700 through 13 grants to organizations whose reported purposes included higher education, education for underserved youth, community health, and public works.
Corson Foundation at a glance
In short: Corson Foundation gave $94K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $93,700
- -53.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -43.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,208
- -17.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $907,559
- -10.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (6 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (62% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Corson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written application with all information outlined in the application. Applications can be obtained by contacting J.E.F. Corson; additional information is available upon request. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Jef Corson
Mailing address: PO Box 710, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
Phone: (610) 825-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Corson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ursinus College ($36K). Together the top 10 received $93K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 98 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 21% to Connecticut, 10% to Massachusetts, 5% to Delaware, and 1% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Corson Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 13 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $6K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 48% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 38% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $94K (2024) to $202K (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $94K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ursinus College Collegeville, PA | Higher Education | $35,700 |
| Greenwich Country Day School Greenwich, CT | Education for Underserved Youth | $20,000 |
| Albert Einstein Society Phildelphia, PA | Community Health | $10,000 |
| Williams College Williamston, MA | Higher Education | $9,800 |
| Wissahickon Charter School Philadelphia, PA | Education for Underserved Youth | $5,500 |
| Wissahickon Foundation Philadelphia, PA | Education for Underserved Youth | $5,000 |
| Challenge Program Wilmington, DE | Education for Underserved Youth | $4,500 |
| Einstein Medical Center of Montco East Norriton, PA | Community Health | $1,000 |
| The Guardian Project Menlo Park, CA | Education for Underserved Youth | $1,000 |
| Brooklyn Boat Works Brooklyn, NY | Education for Underserved Youth | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with Corson Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $907,559 | $72,805 | $113,753 | $93,700 | 13 | $96,999 | $69,596 | $254,232 |
| 2023 | $1,011,690 | $-1,922 | $228,913 | $201,710 | 23 | $205,966 | $68,123 | $223,111 |
| 2022 | $1,233,525 | $426,250 | $206,598 | $189,996 | 20 | $189,996 | $411,676 | $209,289 |
| 2021 | $1,013,873 | $257,593 | $199,709 | $178,500 | 23 | $178,555 | $242,740 | $203,210 |
| 2020 | $948,634 | $293,714 | $192,972 | $174,500 | 19 | — | $285,992 | $159,575 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Corson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $254K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for higher education, education for underserved youth, community health, and public works.
Among the grantees, Ursinus College describes its mission as providing a liberal education to help students become independent, responsible, and thoughtful individuals. Greenwich Country Day School says it aims to develop children’s abilities, studies, play, and character. Wissahickon Charter School describes its work as providing an environmentally focused learning community, while the Wissahickon Foundation says it supports that school. Challenge Program says it provides vocational training for Delaware’s at-risk youth, including construction skills, help earning a high school diploma or GED, and job-placement services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $93,700. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $35,700, with a median of $4,500. Its largest grants included $35,700 to Ursinus College for higher education; $20,000 to Greenwich Country Day School for education for underserved youth; $10,000 to Albert Einstein Society for community health; and $9,800 to Williams College for higher education.
The foundation also gave $5,500 to Wissahickon Charter School, $5,000 to Wissahickon Foundation, and $4,500 to Challenge Program, each for education for underserved youth.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John EF Corson and Carl Possee as trustees, and Philip Richard Flynn Corson as president.
Corson Foundation is led by Philip Richard Flynn Corson, President on the 2024 filing; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Philip Richard Flynn Corson
President
New on the 2024 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl Possee
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Ef Corson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Corson Foundation
How much does Corson Foundation give each year?
Corson Foundation gave $94K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $202K across 23 grants.
What is Corson Foundation's typical grant size?
Corson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,500, and its average grant was $7,208, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Corson Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Corson Foundation give grants?
Corson Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (21%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (3 grants).
Does Corson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Corson Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education for Underserved Youth" (7 grants).
Who are Corson Foundation's largest grantees?
Corson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ursinus College ($35,700), Greenwich Country Day School ($20,000) and Albert Einstein Society ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Corson Foundation?
Corson Foundation reported $908K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $97K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $254K (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 Corson Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for higher education, education for underserved youth, community health, and public works. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Corson Foundation?
Submit a written application with all information outlined in the application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Corson Foundation's EIN?
Corson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6390878. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Corson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/corson-foundation-morg_8effa825063040b1b1aa52b2f85aecb5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_236390878_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Corson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/corson-foundation-morg_8effa825063040b1b1aa52b2f85aecb5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Corson Foundation'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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