L Dexter Woodman Family
The L. Dexter Woodman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Essex, Massachusetts. It supports local students and organizations in the Greater Cape Ann area, with giving that includes scholarships, education, and assistance for children and families.
L Dexter Woodman Family at a glance
In short: L Dexter Woodman Family gave $30K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $29,955
- -38.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,997
- -17.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $487,744
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to L Dexter Woodman Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for contributions to organizations. The 2023 filing describes a scholarship application requiring an essay, transcripts, SAT scores, a college essay, and one recommendation. Eligibility is restricted to graduating seniors of Manchester Essex Regional High School, seniors who graduated from Essex Elementary School, and select Woodman employees.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists April 1 as the scholarship deadline. April 1, 2026 has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing lists April 1 as the scholarship deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: L Dexter Woodman Family Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 81, Essex, MA 01929
Phone: (978) 768-3636
Website: https://ldexterwoodmanfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who L Dexter Woodman Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pingree School ($3K). Together the top 8 received $9K.
Organizations only. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($20,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 85 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its support as focused on the Greater Cape Ann area. In filing year 2025, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How L Dexter Woodman Family gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2020) to $49K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $30K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 7 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $20,500 |
| Pingree School South Hamilton, MA | Prep @ Pingree Fund | $2,500 |
| Root North Shore Salem, MA | Culinary Training Program | $2,500 |
| Beverly Bootstraps Beverly, MA | Back to School Backpack PGM | $2,489 |
| Ipswich Caring Rowley, MA | Assist Families in Need | $1,000 |
| Action Inc Gloucester, MA | CA Kids Holiday Fund | $500 |
| Wenham Museum Wenham, MA | Childrens Museum | $258 |
| Tunnels to Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | Support 1ST Resp Children | $105 |
| Generous Gardeners Gloucester, MA | Maintain Public Spaces | $103 |
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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 | $487,744 | $80,921 | $41,232 | $29,955 | 15 | $29,955 | $13,574 | $31,010 |
| 2024 | $448,055 | $22,494 | $58,402 | $48,564 | 20 | $48,564 | $15,544 | $28,455 |
| 2023 | $483,963 | $21,789 | $50,376 | $38,103 | 17 | $38,103 | $12,601 | $28,334 |
| 2022 | $512,550 | $36,227 | $48,011 | $28,899 | 24 | $33,899 | $21,150 | $31,481 |
| 2021 | $524,334 | $34,396 | $40,244 | $23,999 | 9 | — | $18,333 | $30,830 |
| 2020 | $530,182 | $-10,783 | $29,059 | $14,500 | 8 | — | $12,245 | $25,076 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, L Dexter Woodman Family reported a distributable amount of $31K 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 says its mission is to give to local students in recognition of their hard work, community service, dedication, and academic achievement. Its giving includes scholarships for eligible students, support for organizations that award scholarships, and assistance for children in need.
In its 2023 filing, the foundation described providing college scholarships, donations to organizations that award scholarships, support for children through the Beverly Bootstraps backpack program, Connor’s Kindness Project, and Action Inc.’s Cape Ann Kids Holiday Gift Fund, and sponsorship of an honor-scholar dinner for top students from area schools.
Among its 2025 grantees, Action Inc. describes its mission as creating opportunities that promote a thriving Cape Ann for all. Generous Gardeners Inc. describes its work as promoting philanthropy through gardening, providing donated plants for community beautification, advancing gardening education, and supporting school plant-science curricula.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $29,955. Grants ranged from $103 to $5,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest grants included scholarships to individual recipients attending Bucknell University ($5,000), UMass Amherst ($3,000), and the University of South Carolina ($3,000). Other grants included $2,500 to Pingree School for its PREP fund, $2,500 to Root North Shore for a culinary training program, and $2,489 to Beverly Bootstraps for its back-to-school backpack program.
The foundation also gave $1,000 to Ipswich Caring to assist families in need and $500 to Action Inc. for its Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund. Its 2023 filing states that contributions to organizations are made only to preselected charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tracey Carlson as president, Vanessa Woodman de Lazo as vice president, Kristi Leigh Swett as treasurer, Emma Dizio as clerk, and Dexter Viator as director.
L Dexter Woodman Family is led by Tracey Carlson, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tracey Carlson
President
Clerk → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dexter Viator
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristi Leigh Swett
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emma Dizio
Clerk
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vanessa Woodman De Lazo
Vice President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Betsy Devries (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jenna Roy Aiello (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Norman Lemcke (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Julie Burroughs (2020) — Clerk
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.
Frequently asked questions about L Dexter Woodman Family
How much does L Dexter Woodman Family give each year?
L Dexter Woodman Family gave $30K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $49K across 20 grants.
What is L Dexter Woodman Family's typical grant size?
L Dexter Woodman Family's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $1,997, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does L Dexter Woodman Family give grants?
L Dexter Woodman Family gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gloucester, MA (2 grants).
Does L Dexter Woodman Family give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on L Dexter Woodman Family's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are L Dexter Woodman Family's largest grantees?
L Dexter Woodman Family's largest 2025 grantees include Pingree School ($2,500), Root North Shore ($2,500) and Beverly Bootstraps ($2,489), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($20,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is L Dexter Woodman Family?
L Dexter Woodman Family reported $488K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31K (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 L Dexter Woodman Family fund?
The foundation says its mission is to give to local students in recognition of their hard work, community service, dedication, and academic achievement. Its giving includes scholarships for eligible students, support for organizations that award scholarships, and assistance for children in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from L Dexter Woodman Family?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for contributions to organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is L Dexter Woodman Family's EIN?
L Dexter Woodman Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2925975. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does L Dexter Woodman Family 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 October 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 April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 31, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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