Fisher Charitable Foundation
Fisher Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Portland, Maine. Established by Dean L. Fisher and active since 1997, it provides grants to tax-exempt charitable organizations, primarily in Maine.
Fisher Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Fisher Charitable Foundation gave $546K across 107 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Maine. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $546,333
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 107
- -1.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,106
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,491,901
- -7.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (33 of 107, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maine (97% 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 Fisher Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Complete the foundation’s application form and submit it by mail; electronic submissions are not accepted. The application must be signed by an authorized representative and include evidence of the organization’s 501(c)(3) status, its board list, and a detailed project budget. The request must be for charitable activities or purposes within Maine and may not be used for a political purpose. Applicants are asked to wait at least one year after applying before reapplying. Trustees generally do not meet with applicants.
- Review Cycle
- Applications must be received by February 15, May 15, August 15, or November 15 for consideration at the next regular trustee meeting. If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. Trustees normally meet in March, June, September, and December.
- Deadline
- Applications must be received by February 15, May 15, August 15, or November 15 for consideration at the next regular…
- Contact
Application contact: Owen W Wells
Mailing address: PO Box 17513, Portland, ME 04112
Phone: (207) 253-1568
Website: https://fishercharitablefoundation.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 Fisher Charitable Foundation
Who Fisher Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Maine Medical Center ($25K). Together the top 10 received $135K.
Grant Size Distribution
464 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 464 grants of 464 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation generally limits grants to charitable activities, operations, or purposes within Maine. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 3% to Georgia, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 107 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fisher Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 33 of 107 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 197% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $474K (2021) to $577K (2019). In 2025 it made 107 grants totaling $546K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Medical Center Portland, ME | Dean L. Fisher Scholarships | $25,000 |
| Downeast Community Partners Ellsworth, ME | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Hospice of Southern Maine Scarborough, ME | Medical Equipment, Supplies, and Medications | $15,000 |
| Mitchell Institute Portland, ME | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| United Way of Aroostook Presque Isle, ME | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine Portland, ME | A Place for Growth Capital Campaign | $10,000 |
| Community Concepts Lewiston, ME | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Community Dental Portland, ME | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine Auburn, ME | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Knox County Homeless Coalition Rockland, ME | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fisher Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,491,901 | $518,489 | $728,487 | $546,333 | 107 | $651,274 | $450,811 | $329,895 |
| 2024 | $2,701,899 | $706,555 | $690,907 | $535,400 | 109 | $624,582 | $480,356 | $331,012 |
| 2023 | $2,687,983 | $481,444 | $631,228 | $483,350 | 84 | $571,525 | $282,324 | $305,368 |
| 2022 | $2,836,858 | $343,417 | $653,795 | $505,000 | 79 | $583,589 | $255,116 | $328,907 |
| 2021 | $3,146,994 | $244,734 | $628,464 | $473,500 | 85 | $554,823 | $724,582 | $360,640 |
| 2020 | $3,524,589 | $262,376 | $618,284 | $474,000 | 86 | — | $608,102 | $307,947 |
| 2019 | $3,875,279 | $372,277 | $722,755 | $577,000 | 87 | — | $495,534 | $308,362 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fisher Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $330K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to provide grants to tax-exempt charitable organizations, primarily in Maine. Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and not a private foundation under Section 509(a).
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Hospice of Southern Maine describes its mission as providing “compassion, care, and comfort through end of life,” while Community Dental says it works to improve lives by providing accessible, comprehensive oral health care. Downeast Community Partners describes its mission as improving quality of life and reducing poverty’s impact in Downeast communities. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not additional foundation priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 107 grants totaling $546,333. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest award was $25,000 to Maine Medical Center for Dean L. Fisher Scholarships. Other notable grants included $15,000 each to Downeast Community Partners for general operating support, Hospice of Southern Maine for medical equipment, supplies, and medications, Mitchell Institute for general operating support, and United Way of Aroostook for general operating support.
The foundation generally does not fund annual campaigns for regular operations or make multiyear gifts. It generally does not make a subsequent grant to an organization for the same purpose, and most grants do not exceed $25,000. Grants are not made to individuals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alexsandra L. Fisher as trustee and president; Owen W. Wells as trustee and clerk; and Arie Fisher Coles, Craig N. Denekas, Henry L. P. Schmelzer, Meg Baxter, Cynthia K. Hammond, and Paul D. Pietropaoli as trustees.
Fisher Charitable Foundation is led by Alexsandra L. Fisher, Trustee & President on every filing since 2022; all 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexsandra L. Fisher
Trustee & President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$14K (2022) → $15K (2025)
Arie Fisher Coles
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$14K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Craig N. Denekas
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$14K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Henry L. P. Schmelzer
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$14K (2019) → $14K (2025)
Meg Baxter
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$14K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Owen W. Wells
Trustee & Clerk
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$14K (2019) → $15K (2025)
Cynthia K. Hammond
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$10K (2025)
Paul D. Pietropaoli
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$10K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Alexsandra Fisher Coles (2019–2021) — Trustee & President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $15K, to Alexsandra L Fisher (Trustee/President). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Fisher Charitable Foundation
How much does Fisher Charitable Foundation give each year?
Fisher Charitable Foundation gave $546K across 107 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $535K across 109 grants.
What is Fisher Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Fisher Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,106, across 107 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fisher Charitable Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Fisher Charitable Foundation give grants?
Fisher Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Maine: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (27 grants), Bangor, ME (7 grants), Camden, ME (6 grants) and Rockland, ME (5 grants).
Does Fisher Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 59% of Fisher Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (63 of 107) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Fisher Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Fisher Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Maine Medical Center ($25,000), Downeast Community Partners ($15,000) and Hospice of Southern Maine ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 10% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fisher Charitable Foundation?
Fisher Charitable Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $651K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $330K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fisher Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to provide grants to tax-exempt charitable organizations, primarily in Maine. Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and not a private foundation under Section 509(a). See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fisher Charitable Foundation?
Complete the foundation’s application form and submit it by mail; electronic submissions are not accepted. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fisher Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Fisher Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0512082. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fisher Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fisher Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fisher-charitable-foundation-morg_9bdaf14560d441c7a5b6e412efe659ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010512082_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fisher Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fisher-charitable-foundation-morg_9bdaf14560d441c7a5b6e412efe659ff},
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 Fisher Charitable 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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