Fernwood Foundation
Fernwood Foundation is a private foundation based in Weston, Connecticut. Its 2024 filing reports 16 grants totaling $800,150, including support for organizations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Connecticut.
Fernwood Foundation at a glance
In short: Fernwood Foundation gave $800K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $50K), mostly in New York. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $800,150
- +59.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,009
- +19.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $4,627,064
- -5.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (7 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (78% 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 Fernwood Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 24 Partridge Lane, Weston, CT 06883
Phone: (203) 222-8080
Website: https://fernwoodfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fernwood Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Classical Orchestra ($625K). Together the top 10 received $797K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 79 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 13% to Washington, D.C., and 8% to Connecticut. The filing also reports 0% for Florida and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Fernwood Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 15 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $87K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 61% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 264% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $498K (2021) to $800K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $800K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Classical Orchestra New York, NY | General Donation | $625,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Donation | $101,000 |
| Westport Country Playhouse Westport, CT | General Donation | $50,250 |
| Town of Weston Connecticut Weston, CT | Beautification needs for the town green in weston, ct | $8,200 |
| Town of Weston Connecticut Weston, CT | General Donation | $2,500 |
| Weston Volunteer EMS Weston, CT | General Donation | $2,500 |
| Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance New York, NY | General Donation | $2,500 |
| 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Lantana, FL | General Donation | $2,000 |
| The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | General Donation | $1,000 |
| Best Friends for Life Animal Rescue Plainville, CT | General Donation | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fernwood 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 | $4,627,064 | $531,134 | $819,376 | $800,150 | 16 | $800,150 | $523,520 | $303,229 |
| 2023 | $4,915,333 | $197,360 | $507,741 | $500,350 | 12 | $500,350 | $187,160 | $296,831 |
| 2022 | $5,225,703 | $134,859 | $540,643 | $517,250 | 18 | $517,250 | $126,912 | $321,375 |
| 2021 | $5,631,614 | $628,555 | $520,044 | $498,363 | 10 | $498,363 | $619,941 | $370,318 |
| 2020 | $5,523,103 | $297,320 | $765,830 | $753,170 | 23 | — | $288,740 | $362,541 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fernwood Foundation reported a distributable amount of $303K 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 mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a crisis-response food organization, local community services, and other charitable organizations. For example, the American Classical Orchestra describes its work as preserving and performing music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries; World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises; and Westport Country Playhouse says it aims to engage its community through professionally produced theater. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $800,150. Grant amounts ranged from $350 to $625,000, with a median grant of $1,500. The largest grants were $625,000 to the American Classical Orchestra, $101,000 to World Central Kitchen, and $50,250 to Westport Country Playhouse. Other reported grants included $8,200 to the Town of Weston for beautification needs for the town green, and $2,500 each to the Town of Weston and Weston Volunteer EMS.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Hahn and Claudia Hahn as trustees.
Fernwood Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Hahn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claudia Hahn
Trustee
On filings since 2022
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 Fernwood Foundation
How much does Fernwood Foundation give each year?
Fernwood Foundation gave $800K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $500K across 12 grants.
What is Fernwood Foundation's typical grant size?
Fernwood Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $50,009, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fernwood Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Fernwood Foundation give grants?
Fernwood Foundation gives mostly in New York: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (13%) and Connecticut (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Weston, CT (4 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Westport, CT (2 grants) and Asheville, NC (2 grants).
Does Fernwood Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Fernwood Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Fernwood Foundation's largest grantees?
Fernwood Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Classical Orchestra ($625,000), World Central Kitchen ($101,000) and Westport Country Playhouse ($50,250), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Fernwood Foundation?
Fernwood Foundation reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $800K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $303K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fernwood Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a crisis-response food organization, local community services, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fernwood Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fernwood Foundation's EIN?
Fernwood Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6459415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Fernwood Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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). Fernwood Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fernwood-foundation-morg_1930404515b34fe7b80c9359a3a9b2bf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066459415_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fernwood Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fernwood-foundation-morg_1930404515b34fe7b80c9359a3a9b2bf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Fernwood 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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