General William Mayer Foundation
The General William Mayer Foundation is a private foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing describes grants as supporting organizations’ outreach and service activities in their communities.
General William Mayer Foundation at a glance
In short: General William Mayer Foundation gave $96K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Connecticut. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $96,000
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,667
- -13.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $775
- Total assets
- $1,970,924
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (26% 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 General William Mayer Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists applications by letter and states that awards have no restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- September 15. This deadline is in the past as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- September 15.
- Contact
Application contact: General William Mayer Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 372, Mystic, CT 06355
Phone: (860) 536-1684
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who General William Mayer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Robert C Parker School ($14K). Together the top 10 received $78K.
Grant Size Distribution
185 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 185 grants of 185 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports grant dollars going to recipients in multiple states. The largest state shares were Connecticut (26%), New York (23%), Massachusetts (16%), Rhode Island (11%), and Colorado (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is General William Mayer Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 36 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $750 repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 72% 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 (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 $36K (2020) to $118K (2021). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $96K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Robert C Parker School Wynantskill, NY | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $13,500 |
| Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Lincoln, MA | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $10,750 |
| Justice Dance Performance Project Hartford, CT | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $10,000 |
| Westerly Land Trust Westerly, RI | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $10,000 |
| Access Opportunity Boulder, CO | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $10,000 |
| Stonington Community Rowing Center Stonington, CT | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $10,000 |
| New England College Henniker, NH | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $5,000 |
| East Woods School Oyster Bay, NY | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $3,450 |
| Pine Point School Stonington, CT | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $2,900 |
| Deerfield Academy Deerfield, MA | To further organization's outreach & service activities to its community. | $2,350 |
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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 | $1,970,924 | $231,555 | $140,299 | $96,000 | 36 | $112,864 | $204,120 | $156,336 |
| 2024 | $1,879,668 | $124,120 | $156,822 | $114,000 | 37 | $131,684 | $98,982 | $146,195 |
| 2023 | $1,912,370 | $106,580 | $165,866 | $103,980 | 35 | $139,848 | $80,562 | $132,967 |
| 2022 | $1,971,656 | $240,222 | $115,488 | $79,050 | 36 | $90,412 | $215,146 | $139,399 |
| 2021 | $1,846,922 | $222,876 | $168,846 | $118,488 | 41 | $137,956 | $192,086 | $158,339 |
| 2020 | $1,792,892 | $171,703 | $73,230 | $36,000 | 32 | — | $148,443 | $128,352 |
| 2019 | $1,694,419 | $157,048 | $162,590 | $112,565 | 35 | — | $130,527 | $124,333 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, General William Mayer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $156K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing describes the foundation’s grant purpose as furthering recipient organizations’ outreach and service activities. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, environmental conservation, community rowing, and arts and social justice.
Robert C. Parker School describes its mission as engaging students in challenging learning and cultivating purposeful action. The Westerly Land Trust says it conserves open space, revitalizes culturally significant properties, and provides environmental programs. Justice Dance Performance Project describes its work as bridging art and social justice through dance theater and multi-arts programming.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $96,000. Awards ranged from $100 to $13,500, with a median grant of $775. Notable grants included $13,500 to Robert C Parker School; $10,750 to Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife; and $10,000 each to Justice Dance Performance Project, Westerly Land Trust, Access Opportunity, and Stonington Community Rowing Center. New England College received $5,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah M O’Brien as President, Edward F Krzanowski as Treasurer, and Cathey M Kennedy as Secretary. It lists Cynthia M Benfield, Daniel P Benfield, Edward P Benfield, Thomas G Benfield, G Reed Kennedy, Elisabeth W Mayer, and Gerald G Mayer as Vice Presidents.
General William Mayer Foundation is led by Deborah M O'Brien, President on every filing since 2019; 2 of 14 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah M O'Brien
President
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
$7K (2019) → $4K (2025)
Cathey M Kennedy
Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
$805 (2019) → $928 (2025)
Daniel P Benfield
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
$420 (2023) → $0 (2025)
Elisabeth W Mayer
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
$105 (2019) → $0 (2025)
Gerald G Mayer
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.2 hrs/week
$245 (2023) → $0 (2025)
Cynthia M Benfield
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward P Benfield
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
G Reed Kennedy
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James N P O'Brien
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas G Benfield
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Timothy G F O'Brien
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward F Krzanowski
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William H Mayer
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren M F O'Brien
Vice President
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Anne E Mayer (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Dennis D M O'Brien (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: Henry Graber (2019) — Treasurer
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 $4K, to Deborah M O'Brien (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about General William Mayer Foundation
How much does General William Mayer Foundation give each year?
General William Mayer Foundation gave $96K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $114K across 37 grants.
What is General William Mayer Foundation's typical grant size?
General William Mayer Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $775, and its average grant was $2,667, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from General William Mayer Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does General William Mayer Foundation give grants?
General William Mayer Foundation's top state is Connecticut, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Massachusetts (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Stonington, CT (2 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Nashville, TN (2 grants).
Does General William Mayer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on General William Mayer Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are General William Mayer Foundation's largest grantees?
General William Mayer Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Robert C Parker School ($13,500), Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife ($10,750) and Justice Dance Performance Project ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is General William Mayer Foundation?
General William Mayer Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $113K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $156K (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 General William Mayer Foundation fund?
The filing describes the foundation’s grant purpose as furthering recipient organizations’ outreach and service activities. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, environmental conservation, community rowing, and arts and social justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from General William Mayer Foundation?
The filing lists applications by letter and states that awards have no restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is General William Mayer Foundation's EIN?
General William Mayer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-2625602. 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 October 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 18, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). General William Mayer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/general-william-mayer-foundation-morg_3d0e108fad79495f9518e00525458cbf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_132625602_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{General William Mayer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/general-william-mayer-foundation-morg_3d0e108fad79495f9518e00525458cbf},
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 General William Mayer 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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