Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation
FRANK L & SARAH MILLER COULSON is a private foundation based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including cultural, community-service, conservation, and other organizations.
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation at a glance
In short: Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation gave $344K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $343,500
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,081
- -5.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $6,606,306
- +1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson 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: 1100 Barberry Rd, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-1908
Phone: (610) 662-2705
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Whyy ($40K). Together the top 10 received $227K.
Grant Size Distribution
146 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 136 grants of 146 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Pennsylvania recipients (67%), followed by Virginia (12%), the District of Columbia (7%), New York (5%), and Maryland (3%). The filing also lists grants to recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 31 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 40% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $344K (2025) to $1.6M (2020). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $344K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Whyy Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $40,000 |
| St Christopher Church Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $37,000 |
| Free Library of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $35,000 |
| 1LOVE4 Animals Southeastern, PA | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Mount Vernon Ladies Association Mount Vernon, VA | General Fund | $17,500 |
| Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $17,000 |
| Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Barnes Foundation Philadelphia, PA | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Williamsburg, VA | General Fund | $10,000 |
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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 | $6,606,306 | $735,964 | $454,226 | $343,500 | 31 | $343,500 | $434,990 | $858,067 |
| 2024 | $6,489,746 | $1,527,669 | $493,016 | $373,500 | 32 | $373,500 | $1,326,734 | $771,061 |
| 2023 | $6,336,682 | $202,642 | $1,593,975 | $1,471,505 | 30 | $1,471,505 | $156,770 | $780,956 |
| 2022 | $6,909,447 | $7,858,001 | $510,447 | $381,000 | 30 | $381,000 | $2,896,876 | $872,313 |
| 2021 | $4,204,833 | $514,749 | $552,747 | $452,176 | 23 | — | $414,340 | $663,717 |
| 2020 | $3,980,003 | $1,226,808 | $1,742,544 | $1,614,500 | 30 | — | $1,144,057 | $536,683 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $858K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Philabundance describes its mission as driving hunger from communities and ending hunger; the Philadelphia Orchestra Association says it shares the transformative power of music with the widest audience; and the World Wildlife Fund says its mission is to conserve nature and reduce threats to life on Earth. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $373,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $70,000, with a median of $7,500. The largest reported grants included $70,000 to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, $35,000 to St Christopher Church, $30,000 to the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and $25,000 each to 1Love4 Animals and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Other recipients included Philabundance ($20,000), WHYY ($15,000), and the Barnes Foundation, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Free Library of Philadelphia, Johns Hopkins University Center, and Philadelphia Orchestra Association ($10,000 each). Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 31 grants totaling $343,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sarah Miller Coulson is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation is led by Sarah Miller Coulson, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sarah Miller Coulson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation
How much does Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation give each year?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation gave $344K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $374K across 32 grants.
What is Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's typical grant size?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $11,081, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation give grants?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (9%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (14 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's largest grantees?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Whyy ($40,000), St Christopher Church ($37,000) and Free Library of Philadelphia ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $344K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $858K (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 Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson 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 Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's EIN?
Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4148044. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/frank-l-and-sarah-miller-coulson-foundation-morg_c4a45782b14b4b38974cda680c96b496
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134148044_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Frank L \& Sarah Miller Coulson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/frank-l-and-sarah-miller-coulson-foundation-morg_c4a45782b14b4b38974cda680c96b496},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04. 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 Frank L & Sarah Miller Coulson 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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