Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation
The Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $71,500 in grants to 18 charitable organizations. Its grants went to organizations in several states, with the largest shares directed to recipients in North Carolina, New Mexico, and Washington, DC.
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation at a glance
In short: Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation gave $72K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state North Carolina. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $71,500
- +1.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,972
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $693,859
- -4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (7 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (38% 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 Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states in its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 Post Office Square Fl 25, Boston, MA 02109-2115
Phone: (212) 682-2783
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Unsca Foundation ($27K). Together the top 10 received $65K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina (38%), New Mexico (26%), Washington, DC (20%), California (6%), and Rhode Island (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 18 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 61% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 147% 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 $39K (2020) to $72K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $72K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unsca Foundation Winston-Salem, NC | John Nelson Endowed | $27,000 |
| The Cultural Landscape Foundation Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $12,550 |
| Wildlife Conservation Network San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Keres Childrens Learning Center Cochiti Pueblo, NM | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Sunrise Clinics Santa Rosa, NM | General & Unrestricted | $3,500 |
| Cancer Foundation for New Mexico Santa Fe, NM | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Partnership for Providence Parks Providence, RI | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Amigos Bravos Inc Taos, NM | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| New Mexico Wild Albuquerque, NM | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Breath of My Heart Birthplace Espanola, NM | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation?
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 | $693,859 | $57,423 | $87,590 | $71,500 | 18 | $72,973 | $44,032 | $49,797 |
| 2024 | $723,763 | $65,607 | $85,536 | $70,750 | 15 | $72,185 | $52,256 | $48,017 |
| 2023 | $744,004 | $26,815 | $71,510 | $57,500 | 8 | $58,848 | $13,152 | $52,815 |
| 2022 | $788,697 | $20,867 | $61,160 | $46,500 | 9 | $47,735 | $8,442 | $52,192 |
| 2021 | $829,149 | $39,310 | $55,715 | $43,000 | 8 | $43,000 | $26,570 | $61,876 |
| 2020 | $852,380 | $13,993 | $55,429 | $39,000 | 7 | — | $2,286 | $46,203 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $50K 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 include support for organizations working in areas such as cultural landscape education, Indigenous language and education, wildlife conservation, rural health care, river protection, public parks, cancer-patient assistance, and animal welfare. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ own stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
For example, the Keres Children’s Learning Center says it uses a Keres-language immersion and Montessori curriculum and supports language and culture learning with elders. Sunrise Clinics says it provides primary, behavioral, dental, and vision care in rural New Mexico communities, while the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico says it assists Santa Fe cancer patients with needs including transportation, lodging, and groceries. Amigos Bravos describes its work as river protection and restoration in the Rio Grande watershed; the Cultural Landscape Foundation says it connects people to places and works to make shared landscape heritage more visible.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $71,500. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $27,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest listed grant was $27,000 to UNSCA Foundation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for “John Nelson Endowed.” Other notable grants included $12,550 to the Cultural Landscape Foundation for general and unrestricted support; $4,000 each to Wildlife Conservation Network and Keres Children’s Learning Center, both for general and unrestricted support; and $3,500 to Sunrise Clinics for general and unrestricted support. The foundation also gave $3,000 each to the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico, Partnership for Providence Parks, Amigos Bravos, and New Mexico Wild, all for general and unrestricted support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrea Abbott, Margaret H Child, and Mark M Christopher as trustees.
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Andrea Abbott
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret H. Child
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark M. Christopher
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Julius P. Fouts (2020) — Trustee
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 Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation
How much does Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation give each year?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation gave $72K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $71K across 15 grants.
What is Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's typical grant size?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,972, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation give grants?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's top state is North Carolina, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Mexico (26%) and District of Columbia (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Bronxville, NY (2 grants).
Does Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's largest grantees?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Unsca Foundation ($27,000), The Cultural Landscape Foundation ($12,550) and Wildlife Conservation Network ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation reported $694K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $73K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation?
The foundation states in its 2025 filing 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 Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's EIN?
Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6029911. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harris-j-and-geraldine-s-nelson-foundation-morg_daea91897b1e495290b6d688928b0ef8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046029911_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harris-j-and-geraldine-s-nelson-foundation-morg_daea91897b1e495290b6d688928b0ef8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Harris J and Geraldine S Nelson 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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