Fisher Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established by Dean L. Fisher and based in Portland, Maine. The foundation became active in 1997 and provides grants to tax-exempt charitable organizations, primarily in Maine.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.7M
+0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$535K
+10.8% YoY
Grant Count
109
+29.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
-14.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Fisher Charitable Foundation's mission is to provide grants to tax-exempt charitable, §501(c)(3) organizations, primarily in Maine.
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- General operating support
- Workforce preparedness training for military members and their families
- Medical professional training within the Wabanaki network
- Education
- Community development
- Children and youth
- Arts and culture, including museums and performing arts
The foundation welcomes proposals that offer creative solutions to community problems or take advantage of opportunities that will have a favorable impact on the quality of life for a number of people.
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation made 79 grants totaling approximately $483,350. Recent grant recipients include:
Grant Range
s:**
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations located within the state of Maine, with some activity in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $2,687,983
- Total Revenues: $481,444
- Total Expenses: $631,228
- Number of Employees: 0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,701,899 | $2,687,983 | $2,836,858 |
| Revenue | $706,555 | $481,444 | $343,417 |
| Expenses | $690,907 | $631,228 | $653,795 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $624,582 | $571,525 | $583,589 |
| Net Investment Income | $480,356 | $282,324 | $255,116 |
| Distributable Amount | $331,012 | $305,368 | $328,907 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Fisher Charitable Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Fisher Charitable Foundation is led by a Board of Trustees under the guidance of the foundation's mission.
Founder: Dean L. Fisher (1900–2000) founded Fisher Engineering, which became one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of snow and ice removal equipment. Fisher earned degrees in civil engineering and mechanical engineering from Kansas State College of Engineering and Agriculture (now Kansas State University) and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy with a Seabees construction battalion and served as second in command of a Seabee warehouse complex at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He designed the first snow plows for Willys Jeeps and built his company from the ground up, starting in 1948 in Rockland, Maine.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALEXSANDRA L FISHER | TRUSTEE/PRESIDENT | 1 | $15,000 |
| OWEN W WELLS | TRUSTEE/CLERK | 1 | $15,000 |
| MEG BAXTER | TRUSTEE | 1 | $15,000 |
| HENRY L P SCHMELZER | TRUSTEE | 1 | $15,000 |
| CRAIG N DENEKAS | TRUSTEE | 1 | $15,000 |
| ARIE FISHER COLES | TRUSTEE | 1 | $15,000 |
Contact Information
Mailing Address: PO BOX 17513 PORTLAND, ME 04112-8513
Website: fishercharitablefoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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