Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation
The Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Newport, Rhode Island. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, conservation, sailing, and community services.
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation gave $28K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Rhode Island. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $27,750
- -28.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,110
- -37.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $417,561
- -1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (4 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (88% 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 Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable 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: 62 Washington Street, Newport, RI 02840
Phone: (401) 862-8796
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Sailing Hall of Fame ($5K). Together the top 10 received $20K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Rhode Island. The remaining shares went to organizations in Wyoming (4%), Oregon (4%), South Carolina (2%), and Connecticut (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 25 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $750; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2021) to $39K (2024). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $28K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Sailing Hall of Fame Newport, RI | Education | $5,000 |
| Iyrs School of Technology & Trades Newport, RI | Education | $3,500 |
| Aquidneck Land Trust Middletown, RI | Conservation Andmanagement | $3,000 |
| Sail Newport Newport, RI | Education | $2,000 |
| Martin Luther King Center Newport, RI | Education | $1,000 |
| Aquidneck Community Table Middletown, RI | Education | $1,000 |
| National Outdoor Leadership School Lander, WY | Education Andleadership | $1,000 |
| Center Against Rape & Domestic Violence Corvallis, OR | Education Andleadership | $1,000 |
| Farm Fresh RI Providence, RI | Education | $1,000 |
| Better Bay Alliance Newport, RI | Education | $1,000 |
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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 | $417,561 | $25,359 | $33,358 | $27,750 | 25 | $27,750 | $19,751 | $24,479 |
| 2024 | $425,369 | $15,710 | $44,097 | $38,750 | 22 | $38,750 | $10,363 | $23,077 |
| 2023 | $455,849 | $18,200 | $37,814 | $31,250 | 22 | $31,250 | $12,260 | $22,748 |
| 2022 | $475,570 | $51,419 | $35,745 | $29,250 | 21 | $29,250 | $44,924 | $26,180 |
| 2021 | $459,805 | $35,017 | $31,058 | $24,500 | 17 | — | $28,459 | $25,948 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include awards designated for education, conservation and management, and education and leadership. Supported organizations describe a range of activities: IYRS School of Technology & Trades says it uses hands-on learning to help students realize their potential; Sail Newport describes its work as providing affordable public sailing instruction and rental programs; and the National Outdoor Leadership School says it teaches wilderness skills and leadership in service of people and the environment.
Other grantees describe work in community food access and local agriculture, youth services, and inclusive sailing. For example, Aquidneck Community Table says it works across health, environment, agriculture, and aquaculture to build a thriving local economy and make healthy food accessible.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $27,750. Awards ranged from $250 to $5,000, with a median grant of $500. The largest listed grants were $5,000 to the National Sailing Hall of Fame, $3,500 to IYRS School of Technology & Trades, and $3,000 to Aquidneck Land Trust. Other notable awards included $2,000 to Sail Newport and $1,000 each to the Martin Luther King Center, Aquidneck Community Table, National Outdoor Leadership School, and Conanicut Island Sailing Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lyn Comfort as treasurer/secretary, Margaret D Comfort as president, and Emily Comfort as director.
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation is led by Margaret D. Comfort, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret D. Comfort
President
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Comfort
Director
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lyn Comfort
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation
How much does Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation give each year?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation gave $28K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 22 grants.
What is Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,110, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation that year got $750 on average.
Where does Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation give grants?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Rhode Island: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Newport, RI (13 grants), Middletown, RI (2 grants) and Providence, RI (2 grants).
Does Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (12 grants).
Who are Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Sailing Hall of Fame ($5,000), Iyrs School of Technology & Trades ($3,500) and Aquidneck Land Trust ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation reported $418K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $28K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include awards designated for education, conservation and management, and education and leadership. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable 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 Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1985235. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Figures come from Lyn & Margaret Comfort Charitable 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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