John Sage Foundation
The John Sage Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Portland, Maine. Established in 1992, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) exempt private foundation focused on environmental education and fostering positive relationships between humans and the natural environment.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.6M
+8.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$162K
+71.4% YoY
Grant Count
27
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
+14.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Sage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $301K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Giving primarily to educate and develop a pleasant relationship between humans and the natural environment.
Primary Funding Focus Areas:
- Environmental Education
- Science Education and STEM
- Education Nonprofits
- Higher Education
- Community and School Gardens
- Renewable Energy
- Grants for Science Teachers
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with a focus on education-related initiatives, particularly those addressing environmental and science education.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Portland, Maine and operates from:
PO Box 31 Portland, ME 04112-0031
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $3,627,826
- Total Annual Giving: $161,500
- EIN: 01-0469155
- IRS Filing Requirement: Form 990-PF
The foundation maintains Form 990-PF filings with the IRS for tax years 2017 through 2025.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,627,826 | $3,354,594 | $2,422,137 |
| Revenue | $480,121 | $2,557,895 | $1,786,537 |
| Expenses | $206,889 | $130,975 | $108,180 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $166,943 | $95,498 | $102,932 |
| Net Investment Income | $137,024 | $1,011,827 | $813,496 |
| Distributable Amount | $301,026 | $194,096 | $140,036 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from John Sage Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences ($10,000), High Peaks Alliance ($10,000), Saint Joseph's College of Maine ($10,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALLAGASH WILDERNESS WATERWAY FOUNDATION BANGOR, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $7,500 |
| BIGELOW LABORATORY FOR OCEAN SCIENCES EASY BOOTHBAY, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $10,000 |
| CAPE ELIZABETH LAND TRUST CAPE ELIZABETH, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $5,000 |
| COASTAL MOUNTAINS LAND TRUST CAMDEN, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $7,500 |
| COASTAL RIVERS CONSERVATION TRUST DAMARIXCOTTA, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $7,000 |
| COBALT PORTLAND, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $5,000 |
| COBALT PORTLAND, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $9,000 |
| FALMOUTH LAND TRUST FALMOUTH, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $7,500 |
| FRIENDS OF BAXTER STATE PARK BELFAST, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $5,000 |
| FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY PORTLAND, ME | 2025 GRANT AWARD | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORRILLA D HASTINGS | PRESIDENT THRU 9/21/24 | 1 | — |
| JAMES P HASTINGS JR | TREASURER THRU 12/10/24 | 1 | — |
| DONALD A BRACKETT | PRESIDENT EFFECTIVE 9/22/24 | 1 | — |
| THOMAS M PIERCE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN HASTINGS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CAROLINE NORDEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| IAN JAMES BRACKETT | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| RURIK J BRACKETT | TREASURER EFFECTIVE 12/11/24 | 1 | — |
| KIM CHAVEZ | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| HUNTER HASTINGS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| FRITZ HASTINGS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John Sage Foundation fund?
**Mission:** Giving primarily to educate and develop a pleasant relationship between humans and the natural environment. **Primary Funding Focus Areas:** • Environmental Education • Science Education and STEM • Education Nonprofits • Higher Education • Community and School Gardens • Renewable Energy • Grants for Science Teachers
How do I apply for a grant from John Sage Foundation?
**Financial Capacity:** • Total assets: $3,627,826 • Total annual giving: $161,500 The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with a focus on education-related initiatives, particularly those addressing environmental and science education.
Where does John Sage Foundation make grants?
The foundation is based in Portland, Maine and operates from: PO Box 31 Portland, ME 04112-0031
What size grants does John Sage Foundation award?
In 2025, John Sage Foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $162K — an average of about $6K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is John Sage Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, John Sage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $301K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is John Sage Foundation's EIN?
John Sage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0469155. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John Sage Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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