JW Robinson Welfare Trust
JW Robinson Welfare Trust is a private foundation based in Gardiner, Maine. Its 2025 filing reports 21 grants totaling $101,900, with grants going to organizations in Maine and Massachusetts.
JW Robinson Welfare Trust at a glance
In short: JW Robinson Welfare Trust gave $102K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Maine. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $101,900
- +1.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,852
- +15.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,216,244
- -5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (4 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (95% 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 JW Robinson Welfare Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Patricia Hart as the contact, “SAMPLE ATTACHED” for form and materials, and says awards have restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- May 20, 2025. This is a past deadline.
- Deadline
- May 20, 2025.
- Contact
Application contact: Patricia Hart
Mailing address: PO Box 62, Gardiner, ME 04345
Phone: (207) 582-2136
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who JW Robinson Welfare Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Johnson Hall Inc ($17K). Together the top 10 received $72K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 113 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in Maine (95% of grant dollars) and Massachusetts (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is JW Robinson Welfare Trust open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 21 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% 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 $69K (2020) to $102K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $102K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson Hall Inc Gardiner, ME | Project | $17,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Kennebec Val Gardiner, ME | Project | $11,000 |
| Gardiner Main St Gardiner, ME | Project | $8,400 |
| Christ Church Episcopal Gardiner, ME | Project | $8,000 |
| Chrysalis Place Gardiner, ME | Project | $6,500 |
| Healthy Communities Cap Area Hallowell, ME | Project | $6,000 |
| Gardiner Library Associaton Gardiner, ME | Project | $4,500 |
| Gardiner Rotary Club Gardiner, ME | Project | $4,000 |
| Food for Thought Cape Neddick, ME | Project | $3,500 |
| Faith Food Pantry Brunswick, ME | Project | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with JW Robinson Welfare Trust?
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 | $1,216,244 | $57,294 | $133,276 | $101,900 | 21 | $108,258 | $40,630 | $127,644 |
| 2024 | $1,292,719 | $125,422 | $138,416 | $100,900 | 24 | $122,115 | $109,121 | $118,941 |
| 2023 | $1,304,684 | $81,633 | $111,151 | $86,600 | 20 | $94,855 | $65,337 | $97,780 |
| 2022 | $1,331,824 | $85,174 | $128,888 | $93,100 | 21 | $114,964 | $71,250 | $105,037 |
| 2021 | $1,373,333 | $66,048 | $100,786 | $81,200 | 27 | $86,096 | $51,358 | $95,349 |
| 2020 | $1,407,404 | $39,185 | $105,950 | $68,800 | 25 | — | $23,263 | $94,515 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, JW Robinson Welfare Trust reported a distributable amount of $128K 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 mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and performing arts education, youth programs, community projects, churches, libraries, and food-related organizations. Johnson Hall Inc, a 2025 recipient, describes its own mission as promoting and inspiring artistic excellence through entertainment and professional performing arts education, while supporting cultural and economic growth in its community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust gave $101,900 across 21 grants. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $17,000, with a median grant of $3,000. Its largest awards included $17,000 to Johnson Hall Inc, $11,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Kennebec Val, $8,400 to Gardiner Main St, $8,000 to Christ Church Episcopal, and $6,500 to Chrysalis Place. The listed grant purposes were “PROJECT.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Patricia Hart and Sarah Rines as trustees.
JW Robinson Welfare Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Patricia Hart
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$7K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Sarah Rines
Trustee
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $4K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert L. Johnston (2020–2022) — Trustee
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 Patricia Hart (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about JW Robinson Welfare Trust
How much does JW Robinson Welfare Trust give each year?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust gave $102K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $101K across 24 grants.
What is JW Robinson Welfare Trust's typical grant size?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,852, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from JW Robinson Welfare Trust that year got $5K on average.
Where does JW Robinson Welfare Trust give grants?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust gives mostly in Maine: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gardiner, ME (14 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does JW Robinson Welfare Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on JW Robinson Welfare Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Project" (17 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are JW Robinson Welfare Trust's largest grantees?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Johnson Hall Inc ($17,000), Boys and Girls Club of Kennebec Val ($11,000) and Gardiner Main St ($8,400), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is JW Robinson Welfare Trust?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $108K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $128K (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 JW Robinson Welfare Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and performing arts education, youth programs, community projects, churches, libraries, and food-related organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JW Robinson Welfare Trust?
The filing states that 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 JW Robinson Welfare Trust's EIN?
JW Robinson Welfare Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-6009329. 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). JW Robinson Welfare Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jw-robinson-welfare-trust-morg_de3f957e11e940eb81af6b8c24a9b0d9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_016009329_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{JW Robinson Welfare Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jw-robinson-welfare-trust-morg_de3f957e11e940eb81af6b8c24a9b0d9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 JW Robinson Welfare 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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