Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation
The Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It reported 14 grants totaling $212,000 in 2025, supporting preselected charitable organizations; it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation gave $212K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Massachusetts. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $212,000
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,143
- -2.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,648,465
- -2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (1 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (35% 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 Harriet H Nicol Charitable 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: Rhb Inc 1 Federal St Fl 25, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 227-1782
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bryn Mawr College ($50K). Together the top 10 received $195K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 63 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (35%), Pennsylvania (24%), New York (22%), Virginia (17%), and Kentucky (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 14 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $160K (2020) to $271K (2021). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $212K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA | Harriet Nicol Endowed | $50,000 |
| The Chestnut Hill School Chestnut Hill, MA | Renovation of the Early | $40,000 |
| The Madeira School McLean, VA | Equestrian Center | $35,000 |
| The Winsor School Boston, MA | Annual Fund with Preference | $30,000 |
| Fountain House New York, NY | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Spence-Chapin Services New York, NY | Special Needs Adoption | $10,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Episcopal Charities of New York New York, NY | Bulk Buying Program for | $5,000 |
| Episcopal Relief and Development New York, NY | Global Needs Fund | $5,000 |
| Frontier Nursing University Versailles, KY | General Purposes | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,648,465 | $175,448 | $251,489 | $212,000 | 14 | $236,289 | $163,488 | $218,524 |
| 2024 | $3,724,602 | $168,932 | $237,156 | $201,000 | 13 | $225,315 | $157,257 | $213,598 |
| 2023 | $3,797,022 | $78,915 | $234,357 | $200,000 | 10 | $222,338 | $86,626 | $204,265 |
| 2022 | $3,959,028 | $148,686 | $277,753 | $238,000 | 13 | $260,607 | $138,064 | $214,216 |
| 2021 | $4,093,926 | $650,449 | $310,515 | $271,000 | 13 | $295,060 | $301,699 | $238,260 |
| 2020 | $3,758,007 | $3,944,836 | $186,337 | $160,000 | 10 | — | $106,985 | $158,876 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $219K 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 2025 grants included support for schools and colleges, as well as organizations working in mental health, adoption, healthcare, international relief, and heritage preservation.
Among the 2025 grantees, The Chestnut Hill School describes its mission as educating children through academic excellence, diversity, and community. The Madeira School says it prepares girls in grades nine through twelve for leadership, while The Winsor School says it prepares young women to pursue their aspirations and contribute to the world. Fountain House describes its work as creating community, innovation, and social change so people most impacted by serious mental illness can lead connected and healthy lives.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $212,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest reported grants included $50,000 to Bryn Mawr College for the “Harriet Nicol Endowed” purpose; $40,000 to The Chestnut Hill School for renovation; $35,000 to The Madeira School for its equestrian center; and $30,000 to The Winsor School for its annual fund.
Other listed 2025 grants included $10,000 each to Fountain House for general purposes and Spence-Chapin Services for special-needs adoption. The foundation also gave $5,000 each to Doctors Without Borders, Episcopal Charities of New York, Episcopal Relief and Development, Frontier Nursing University, The National Trust for Scotland, and Planned Parenthood Federation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sarah M Allen and Robert G Bannish as trustees.
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert G. Bannish
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$10K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Sarah M. Allen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$10K (2020) → $15K (2025)
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 $15K, to Sarah M Allen (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation
How much does Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation give each year?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation gave $212K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $201K across 13 grants.
What is Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $15,143, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation give grants?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (24%) and New York (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 43% of Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bryn Mawr College ($50,000), The Chestnut Hill School ($40,000) and The Madeira School ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $236K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $219K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for schools and colleges, as well as organizations working in mental health, adoption, healthcare, international relief, and heritage preservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harriet H Nicol Charitable 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 Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3968467. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 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 May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harriet-h-nicol-charitable-foundation-morg_041667acfc22487f81bd66e03b7cf6b6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843968467_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harriet H Nicol Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harriet-h-nicol-charitable-foundation-morg_041667acfc22487f81bd66e03b7cf6b6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Harriet H Nicol 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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