Horace Dawson Foundation
The Horace Dawson Foundation is a private foundation based in Rockville, Maryland. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including colleges, food and health organizations, and relief programs.
Horace Dawson Foundation at a glance
In short: Horace Dawson Foundation gave $109K across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state New York. 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $108,577
- +23.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,129
- +21.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $883,300
- -10.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (16 of 47, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (17% 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 Horace Dawson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 132 S Adams Street, Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (301) 367-7436
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Horace Dawson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chautauqua Institution ($10K). Together the top 10 received $70K.
Grant Size Distribution
248 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 248 grants of 248 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported state shares were New York (17%), Illinois (13%), and California, Tennessee, and Massachusetts (11% each). These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Horace Dawson Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 47 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $867; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $680 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (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 $88K (2024) to $109K (2025). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $109K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, NY | In Memory of Richard W. Kahlenberg | $10,000 |
| Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes Evanston, IL | Designated for the employee education project in memory of frances l dawson and horace dawson | $10,000 |
| Maryville College Maryville, TN | designated for the DawsonFund in memory of William R. and Horace Dawson | $10,000 |
| Presbyterian Church (USA) Louisville, KY | In memory of james l alkire, disaster relief, international relief programs, ukrainian relief | $10,000 |
| Simpson College Indianola, IA | designated for theFrances L. Dawson Scholarship Fund | $10,000 |
| Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Concord, CA | General operating support | $6,200 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | General operating support | $5,300 |
| YWCA Seattle King Snohomish Seattle, WA | General operating support | $3,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Boston Boston, MA | General operating support | $2,114 |
| GiveDirectly New York, NY | General operating support | $2,046 |
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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 | $883,300 | $52,038 | $122,104 | $108,577 | 51 | $121,954 | $51,888 | $130,520 |
| 2024 | $985,456 | $49,608 | $100,398 | $87,961 | 50 | $100,248 | $49,458 | $120,767 |
| 2023 | $1,013,576 | $60,770 | $114,052 | $100,831 | 45 | $108,973 | $43,965 | $104,534 |
| 2022 | $1,070,781 | $85,100 | $113,726 | $102,043 | 55 | $109,736 | $78,880 | $106,927 |
| 2021 | $1,114,925 | $51,984 | $100,573 | $89,550 | 47 | $97,143 | $45,170 | $113,079 |
| 2020 | $1,138,768 | $58,271 | $105,838 | $88,739 | 47 | — | $50,193 | $92,255 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Horace Dawson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $131K 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
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Chautauqua Institution describes its mission as exploring human values and enriching life through programs addressing religious, social, and political issues. Simpson College says it cultivates a diverse community of learners through innovative learning and inclusive educational access. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano describes its work as gathering and distributing food to charities meeting emergency food needs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 51 grants totaling $108,577. Grants ranged from $300 to $10,000, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest were $10,000 each to Chautauqua Institution, Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes, Maryville College, Presbyterian Church (USA), and Simpson College. Other reported grants included $6,200 to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano and $5,300 to Wellesley College, both for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Horace Dawson Foundation is led by H. Andrew Alkire, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
H. Andrew Alkire
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeannette D. Kahlenberg
Director
Secretary & Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$4K (2020) → $700 (2025)
Richard D. Kahlenberg
Director & Treasurer
Director → Director & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$2K (2024) → $4K (2025)
Joy K. Fallon
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret D. Alkire
Director
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trudi K. Picciano
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth A. Chabin
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert L. Alkire (2020–2023) — Director
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 $4K, to Richard D Kahlenberg (Director & Treasurer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Horace Dawson Foundation
How much does Horace Dawson Foundation give each year?
Horace Dawson Foundation gave $109K across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $88K across 50 grants.
What is Horace Dawson Foundation's typical grant size?
Horace Dawson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,129, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Horace Dawson Foundation that year got $867 on average.
Where does Horace Dawson Foundation give grants?
Horace Dawson Foundation's top state is New York, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (13%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants), Seattle, WA (6 grants), Tucson, AZ (4 grants) and Boston, MA (3 grants).
Does Horace Dawson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of Horace Dawson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Horace Dawson Foundation's largest grantees?
Horace Dawson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Chautauqua Institution ($10,000), Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes ($10,000) and Maryville College ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Horace Dawson Foundation?
Horace Dawson Foundation reported $883K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $122K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (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 Horace Dawson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Horace Dawson Foundation?
The foundation 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 Horace Dawson Foundation's EIN?
Horace Dawson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6059767. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Horace Dawson 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Horace Dawson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/horace-dawson-foundation-morg_93c3e9874bf246da83ed468f3a622b5c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366059767_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Horace Dawson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/horace-dawson-foundation-morg_93c3e9874bf246da83ed468f3a622b5c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Horace Dawson 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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