The Harvey Samuelsen Scholarship Trust is a private foundation established in 2002 and based in Dillingham, Alaska. The trust is affiliated with the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees. The foundation manages substantial assets and focuses exclusively on providing educational funding and support to residents of Alaska's Bristol Bay region.
Financial Overview
From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$16.9M
+11.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$718K
+10.0% YoY
Grant Count
69
-5.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+16.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Harvey Samuelsen Scholarship Trust provides scholarships to residents of the 17 Bristol Bay Community Development Quota (CDQ) communities to attend accredited colleges. The trust operates two primary program areas:
Scholarship Program: Provides direct scholarship funding to eligible residents. In 2023, 69 individuals received scholarships from the trust.
Academic Support Program: Offers campus support services to scholarship recipients attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), and Fort Lewis College. The program also provides tutoring services to scholarship recipients.
Grantmaking
The Harvey Samuelsen Scholarship Trust made 72 grants in 2023, with 69 of these supporting individual scholarship recipients. The average grant size is approximately $10,400 based on total annual giving relative to number of grants awarded.
Grant Range
is approximately $10,400 based on total annual giving relative to number of grants awarded.
Average Grant
is approximately $10,400 based on total annual giving relative to number of grants awarded.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust's funding is geographically concentrated in Alaska, specifically serving the Bristol Bay region and its 17 Community Development Quota communities. The academic support program extends to three colleges: University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska Anchorage, and Fort Lewis College.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $16,856,608 (as of December 31, 2023)
Annual Revenue (FY 2023): $1,141,717
- Total grants and contributions: $549,936
- Investment income and dividends: $408,873
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $181,357
- Miscellaneous revenues: $1,551
Annual Expenses (FY 2023): $895,489
Revenue Growth: Total revenues increased 21% from FY 2022 ($943,824) to FY 2023 ($1,141,717), driven primarily by a 298.3% increase in gains from asset sales and an 11.3% increase in investment income.
| Metric | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,856,608 | $15,079,385 | $17,904,495 |
| Revenue | $1,141,717 | $943,824 | $1,624,940 |
| Expenses | $895,489 | $827,648 | $958,521 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $870,592 | $793,224 | $913,187 |
| Net Investment Income | $539,248 | $353,806 | $1,025,652 |
| Distributable Amount | $789,847 | $782,568 | $842,245 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The trust is managed by a board of directors including:
- Gusty Ilutsik Jr (President)
- Mary Ann K Johnson (President)
- Betty Gardiner (Secretary)
- Gerda Kosbruk (Treasurer)
- H Robin Samuelsen Jr (Board Member)
- Fritz Sharp (Vice President)
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
From 2023 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BETTY GARDINER | SECRETARY | 0.1 | $2,250 |
| GUSTY ILUTSIK JR | PRESIDENT | 0.1 | $2,250 |
| MARY ANN K JOHNSON | PRESIDENT | 0.1 | $2,250 |
| GERDA KOSBRUK | TREASURER | 0.1 | $1,500 |
| H ROBIN SAMUELSEN JR | BOARD MEMBER | 0.1 | $250 |
| FRITZ SHARP | VICE PRESIDENT | 0.1 | $2,250 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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