Harrison Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Fairfax, CA EIN: 36-4713023

Harrison Foundation is a private foundation based in Fairfax, California. Its 2025 filing reports 23 grants totaling $206,500 to organizations with varied purposes, including youth programs, conservation, humanitarian aid, climate research, and housing services.

Harrison Foundation at a glance

In short: Harrison Foundation gave $207K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), top state Maine. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$206,500
+33.0% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
23
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$8,978
+33.0% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$2,020,638
+6.4% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
39% first-time grantees (9 of 23, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Maine (41% 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 Harrison Foundation

How to Apply

The 2024 filing instructs applicants to submit a letter and a copy of their IRS tax-exempt determination letter. It states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations and that awards have no restrictions.

Review Cycle
None, according to the 2024 filing.
Deadline
None, according to the 2024 filing.
Contact

Application contact: Harrison Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 141, Fairfax, CA 94978
Phone: (415) 444-6846

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Harrison Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Precious Project Inc: $36KPrecious Project Inc$36KThe Nature Conservancy in Maine: $33KThe Nature Conservancy inMaine$33KMountain Play: $30KMountain Play$30KForest Society of Maine: $28KForest Society of Maine$28KDirect Relief: $10KDirect Relief$10KWoodwell Climate Research Center: $8KWoodwell Climate ResearchCenter$8KAmericares: $5KAmericares$5KBuck Center for Research on Aging: $5KBuck Center for Research onAging$5KDoctor's Without Borders: $5KDoctor's Without Borders$5KGilmore: $5KGilmore$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Precious Project Inc ($36K). Together the top 10 received $164K.

Grant Size Distribution

105 grants across all recorded years

105<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 105 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Maine (41%), California (27%), Massachusetts (22%), Connecticut (2%), and New York (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.

Cities

BridgtonPortlandSan RafaelNovatoAuburnBangorMiddletownArlingtonAugustaBethlehemBrooklineFalmouthGoletaNew York CityWellesleySan AnselmoSan FranciscoKalamazooSanta BarbaraBrunswick

Is Harrison Foundation open to new grantees?

39%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 9 of 23 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $10K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 65% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 139% 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

$0$100K$200K$300K16 grants2020 21 grants2021 18 grants2022 20 grants2023 23 grants2024 23 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2023) to $207K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $207K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Precious Project Inc Dedham, MAUnrestricted Gift - $30K, Sponsorship - $6K$36,000
The Nature Conservancy in Maine Brunswick, MEUnrestricted Gift - $2.5K, $30K Join Maine$32,500
Mountain Play San Rafael, CAUnrestricted Gift$30,000
Forest Society of Maine Bangor, MEAnnual Fund and Magalloway Project$27,500
Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CAUnrestricted Gift$10,000
Woodwell Climate Research Center Falmouth, MAUnrestricted Gift$7,500
Americares Stamford, CTUnrestricted Gift$5,000
Buck Center for Research on Aging Novato, CAInnovation Fund$5,000
Doctor's Without Borders New York, NYUnrestricted Gift$5,000
Gilmore Kalamazoo, MIMartha J. Harrison Piano Education Fund$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$2,020,638$353,255$231,361$206,50023$211,110$194,692$152,418
2024$1,898,744$274,909$184,388$155,30023$160,517$156,823$144,839
2023$1,903,925$461,945$136,668$116,30020$120,110$247,430$119,759
2022$1,775,676$92,160$144,271$125,40018$128,790$61,480$121,898
2021$1,827,787$98,810$167,083$145,30021$148,674$71,944$135,577
2020$1,896,060$226,021$157,510$137,00016—$104,398$114,488

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harrison Foundation reported a distributable amount of $152K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as conservation, youth development, humanitarian aid, climate research, and homelessness services. For example, Precious Project says its mission is to nurture, educate, and empower impoverished youth in Tanzania; the Forest Society of Maine says it conserves Maine forestlands; and Homeward Bound of Marin describes its work as providing emergency shelter, supportive housing, and services for people overcoming homelessness.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $206,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $36,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest awards included $36,000 to Precious Project Inc. ($30,000 unrestricted and $6,000 sponsorship), $32,500 to The Nature Conservancy in Maine, $30,000 to Mountain Play, and $27,500 to Forest Society of Maine. Other reported grants included $10,000 to Direct Relief and $7,500 to Woodwell Climate Research Center.

The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists a letter and a copy of the applicant’s IRS tax-exempt determination letter as application materials, and states that there are no restrictions on awards.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Lynn Harrison as president and treasurer, Barbara Hazard as secretary, Martha Ann Langston as director, and David Langston as executive director.

Harrison Foundation is led by Lynn Harrison, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Lynn Harrison

    President & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Langston

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Martha Ann Langston

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Barbara Hazard

    Secretary

    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 Harrison Foundation

How much does Harrison Foundation give each year?

Harrison Foundation gave $207K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $155K across 23 grants.

What is Harrison Foundation's typical grant size?

Harrison Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,978, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harrison Foundation that year got $7K on average.

Where does Harrison Foundation give grants?

Harrison Foundation's top state is Maine, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (27%) and Massachusetts (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Rafael, CA (2 grants), Novato, CA (2 grants), Bridgton, ME (2 grants) and Portland, ME (2 grants).

Does Harrison Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 83% of Harrison Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Harrison Foundation's largest grantees?

Harrison Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Precious Project Inc ($36,000), The Nature Conservancy in Maine ($32,500) and Mountain Play ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Harrison Foundation?

Harrison Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $211K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $152K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Harrison Foundation fund?

No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as conservation, youth development, humanitarian aid, climate research, and homelessness services. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Harrison Foundation?

The 2024 filing instructs applicants to submit a letter and a copy of their IRS tax-exempt determination letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Harrison Foundation's EIN?

Harrison Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4713023. 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

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 9, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 30, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 6, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Harrison Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Harrison Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harrison-foundation-morg_7f934801259e40289a63e9cbb7910cad

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364713023_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Harrison Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/harrison-foundation-morg_7f934801259e40289a63e9cbb7910cad},
  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 Harrison 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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