Helen R Coe Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Fryeburg, ME EIN: 01-0351827

Helen R Coe Trust is a private foundation based in Fryeburg, Maine. Its 2025 filing lists grants for scholarships and charitable purposes, including support for local youth transportation, emergency services, arts, historical preservation, and community facilities.

Helen R Coe Trust at a glance

In short: Helen R Coe Trust gave $138K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Maine. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$138,247
-1.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
23
+4.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$6,011
-5.5% vs 2024
Median grant
$7,000
Total assets
$2,266,622
+2.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
26% first-time grantees (5 of 19, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Maine (92% 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 Helen R Coe Trust

How to Apply

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing directs scholarship applicants to submit proof of residency in Lovell, Maine, academic performance, achievement test scores, and a teacher recommendation. Charitable organizations are asked to submit a letter requesting assistance for a specific charitable purpose. Requests are subject to the foundation’s stated restrictions for purposes that assist the general welfare of Lovell residents.

Review Cycle
The filing lists July 1 for scholarship requests and January 1 for charitable organization requests. Both dates have passed for the 2026 cycle.
Deadline
The filing lists July 1 for scholarship requests and January 1 for charitable organization requests.
Contact

Application contact: Coe Governing Committee
Mailing address: PO Box 185, Center Lovell, ME 04016
Phone: (207) 925-6272

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

Who Helen R Coe Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

University of Maine: $28K across 3 grantsUniversity of Maine$28K · 3 grantsUniversity of Southern Maine: $13K across 2 grantsUniversity of Southern Maine$13K · 2 grantsLovell Recreation Department: $12KLovell Recreation Department$12KPaul Smith College: $9KPaul Smith College$9KMaine Maritime Academy: $9KMaine Maritime Academy$9KFryeburg Rescue: $8KFryeburg Rescue$8KLovell Brick Church for the Performing Arts: $8KLovell Brick Church for thePerforming Arts$8KLovell Historical Society: $8KLovell Historical Society$8KLovell United Church: $8KLovell United Church$8KThomas College: $8K across 2 grantsThomas College$8K · 2 grants

The largest 2025 recipient was University of Maine ($28K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $112K.

Grant Size Distribution

107 grants across all recorded years

107<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s filing states that awards must assist the general welfare of Lovell, Maine residents. In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 7% to New York, and 2% to Massachusetts.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.

Cities

LovellOronoPortlandFryeburgBrownfieldBostonPaul SmithsWatervilleBridgtonBrunswickStonehamAugustaBronxvilleCastineCobleskillDartmouthLewistonMiltonNorth FryeburgRochester

Is Helen R Coe Trust open to new grantees?

26%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 5 of 19 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $8K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $8K repeat.

  • 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 94% 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 (2021–2025). 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$50K$100K$150K$200K20 grants2021 19 grants2022 23 grants2023 22 grants2024 23 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $106K (2021) to $152K (2023). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $138K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Lovell Recreation Department Lovell, MESupport of Local Youth Program Transportation Costs$12,000
University of Maine Orono, MEScholarship - Courtney Dutton$10,000
Paul Smith College Paul Smiths, NYScholarship - Jade Blood$9,000
University of Maine Orono, MEScholarship - William Fitzgerald$9,000
University of Maine Orono, MEScholarship - Shelby Purslow$9,000
University of Southern Maine Portland, MEScholarship - Alanna Nataluk$9,000
Maine Maritime Academy Castine, MEScholarship - Austin Dorner$9,000
Fryeburg Rescue Fryeburg, MEFunding for Local Emergency Rescue Squad Radio System$8,215
Lovell Brick Church for the Performing Arts Lovell, MELocal Theater Renovation and Equipment$8,215
Lovell Historical Society Lovell, MESupport of Local Historical Society Property Maintenance$8,215
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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$2,266,622$231,752$171,050$138,24723$137,428$201,271$145,953
2024$2,205,920$82,730$170,865$139,86722$145,436$58,924$129,555
2023$2,294,055$53,534$181,940$152,25023$158,039$36,193$123,121
2022$2,422,461$273,655$163,811$125,84419$131,032$247,465$138,861
2021$2,312,617$19,237$141,460$105,66320—$33,878$123,268

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen R Coe Trust reported a distributable amount of $146K 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 foundation’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants include scholarships for individual recipients and grants to organizations for local community purposes. Thomas College, which received grants in 2025, describes its own mission as preparing students for personal and professional success and for leadership and service in their communities.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $138,247. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $12,000, with a median of $7,000. Awards included $12,000 to Lovell Recreation Department for local youth program transportation costs; $10,000 to the University of Maine for a scholarship; and $9,000 each to Paul Smith College, the University of Maine, the University of an individual recipient, and Maine Maritime Academy for scholarships. Other grants included $8,215 each to Fryeburg Rescue, Lovell Brick Church for the Performing Arts, Lovell Historical Society, and Lovell United Church for local emergency, arts, historical, and community-kitchen purposes.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists JOSPEH DORNER, LINDA DUNLEA, and STAN TUPAJ as members, and MICHAEL FRIEDMAN as trustee.

Helen R Coe Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Michael Friedman

    Trustee

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    $3K (2023) → $3K (2025)

  • Jospeh Dorner

    Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Linda Dunlea

    Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stan Tupaj

    Member

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Peter Malia (2021–2022) — Trustee

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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

Michael Friedman — Trustee: $3KMichael FriedmanTrustee$3K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $3K, to Michael Friedman (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about Helen R Coe Trust

How much does Helen R Coe Trust give each year?

Helen R Coe Trust gave $138K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $140K across 22 grants.

What is Helen R Coe Trust's typical grant size?

Helen R Coe Trust's median grant in 2025 was $7,000, and its average grant was $6,011, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helen R Coe Trust that year got $4K on average.

Where does Helen R Coe Trust give grants?

Helen R Coe Trust gives mostly in Maine: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lovell, ME (7 grants), Orono, ME (3 grants), Portland, ME (3 grants) and Waterville, ME (2 grants).

Does Helen R Coe Trust give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Helen R Coe Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are Helen R Coe Trust's largest grantees?

Helen R Coe Trust's largest 2025 grantees include University of Maine ($28,000 across 3 grants), University of Southern Maine ($13,079 across 2 grants) and Lovell Recreation Department ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Helen R Coe Trust?

Helen R Coe Trust reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $137K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $146K (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 Helen R Coe Trust fund?

The foundation’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants include scholarships for individual recipients and grants to organizations for local community purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Helen R Coe Trust?

The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Helen R Coe Trust's EIN?

Helen R Coe Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0351827. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 2, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 23, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 11, 2026)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Helen R Coe Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-r-coe-trust-morg_a218a39485ee45b590bd48d235585aa2

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010351827_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Helen R Coe Trust funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-r-coe-trust-morg_a218a39485ee45b590bd48d235585aa2},
  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 Helen R Coe Trust'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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