Galen Cole Family Foundation
The Galen Cole Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Bangor, Maine. It supports the Cole Land Transportation Museum and carries out charitable activities involving veterans, children and families, education, and community programs.
Galen Cole Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Galen Cole Family Foundation gave $102K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Maine. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $102,179
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $5,677
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $52,573,000
- +51.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Maine (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Galen Cole Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing directs scholarship applicants to the online scholarship materials. Applicants should be prepared to provide their name, address, contact information, and a brief personal history, including college applications and GPA. The filing identifies Scott Oxley as the contact for the application process.
- Review Cycle
- Applications should be submitted by April 1 for priority consideration. The 2026 priority date has passed.
- Deadline
- Applications should be submitted by April 1 for priority consideration.
- Contact
Application contact: Scott Oxley
Mailing address: 359 Perry Road, Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 262-9910
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Galen Cole Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Challenger Learning Center of Maine ($25K). Together the top 4 received $66K.
Organizations only. It also paid 14 individual scholarships ($36,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
18 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 18 grants of 18 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Maine. The foundation’s website also describes its American Flag Program as supporting participating Maine communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $102K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Challenger Learning Center of Maine Bangor, ME | Children and family programs | $25,000 |
| Literacy Volunteers of Bangor Bangor, ME | Literacy programs | $20,000 |
| Courageous Steps Project Milford, ME | Children and family programs; school supplies | $12,579 |
| Bangor Boys and Girls Club Bangor, ME | Children and family programs | $8,100 |
| 14 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $36,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,573,000 | $4,356,750 | $1,800,787 | $102,179 | 18 | $1,528,529 | $3,312,727 |
| 2024 | $34,703,669 | $6,060,229 | $1,520,438 | — | — | $1,452,498 | $4,207,611 |
| 2023 | $30,157,745 | $1,371,665 | $1,303,460 | — | — | $1,186,614 | $1,112,815 |
| 2022 | $30,089,007 | $42,451 | $1,201,735 | — | — | $1,090,608 | $394,747 |
| 2021 | $31,248,291 | $3,847,223 | $1,144,998 | — | — | $1,096,096 | $3,602,874 |
| 2020 | $28,603,376 | $1,977,213 | $934,492 | — | — | — | $1,858,689 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website identifies maintaining the Cole Land Transportation Museum and preserving Maine’s land transportation history as its first priority. The museum’s stated purpose is to preserve transportation equipment and related history, honor transportation pioneers, and encourage young people to aspire to become builders and contributors to their communities.
For 2025, the foundation reported that 22,151 people visited the museum and 4,137 students took part in educational programs there. It also reported $203,600 in direct assistance and programming for veterans, their families, widows, and orphans, including heating assistance to 114 veterans in Aroostook County and an American Flag program in 115 Maine communities. Its filing also reported $141,400 invested in 23 children and family programs delivered with community partners.
Scholarships are another area of support. The foundation’s 2025 filing describes awards for eligible students who demonstrate financial need, have volunteered with the foundation or another charitable organization, and have been accepted to a post-secondary education or trade program or are enrolled at a listed Maine institution, while meeting academic standards.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $102,179. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $3,000. Its largest reported grants included $25,000 to Challenger Learning Center of Maine for children and family programs, $20,000 to Literacy Volunteers of Bangor for literacy programs, $12,579 to Courageous Steps Project for children and family programs and school supplies, and $8,100 to Bangor Boys and Girls Club for children and family programs. It also reported $3,000 academic scholarships to each of several students.
Literacy Volunteers of Bangor describes its own mission as helping Bangor-area adults improve basic English skills or learn English as another language. The foundation’s filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Scott Oxley as president; Kristin Vogell as chair; John R Thomas as vice chair; Eric Vogell as treasurer; George Eaton as secretary; and Michael Varney as trustee.
Galen Cole Family Foundation is led by Scott Oxley, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Scott Oxley
President
Chair & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$177K (2023) → $259K (2025)
Kristin Vogell
Chair
Vice President → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Varney
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John R Thomas
Vice Chair
Executive Di → Interim Executive Director, 2023
Interim Executive Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$95K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Eric Vogell
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Eaton
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jennifer Munson (2023–2024) — Museum Director
- Former: Jim Neville (2020–2022) — Fmr. Executive D
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $259K, to Scott Oxley (President).
Frequently asked questions about Galen Cole Family Foundation
How much does Galen Cole Family Foundation give each year?
Galen Cole Family Foundation gave $102K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Galen Cole Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Galen Cole Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,677, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Galen Cole Family Foundation give grants?
Galen Cole Family Foundation gives mostly in Maine: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bangor, ME (3 grants).
Does Galen Cole Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Galen Cole Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Academic scholarships" (12 grants).
Who are Galen Cole Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Galen Cole Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Challenger Learning Center of Maine ($25,000), Literacy Volunteers of Bangor ($20,000) and Courageous Steps Project ($12,579), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 14 individual scholarships ($36,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Galen Cole Family Foundation?
Galen Cole Family Foundation reported $52.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $4.4M.
What does Galen Cole Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website identifies maintaining the Cole Land Transportation Museum and preserving Maine’s land transportation history as its first priority. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Galen Cole Family Foundation?
The foundation’s filing directs scholarship applicants to the online scholarship materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Galen Cole Family Foundation's EIN?
Galen Cole Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7425774. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 19, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Galen Cole Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/galen-cole-family-foundation-morg_eb104047230a494682a8466eead32d9e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237425774_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Galen Cole Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/galen-cole-family-foundation-morg_eb104047230a494682a8466eead32d9e},
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 Galen Cole Family 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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