Margaret Collins Charitable Trust
The Margaret Collins Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Methuen, Massachusetts. It reported 15 grants totaling $138,000 in 2024, supporting organizations working in areas including poverty relief, health care, food assistance, animal welfare, education, and services for children and people with disabilities.
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Margaret Collins Charitable Trust gave $138K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $138,000
- +12.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,200
- +4.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,418,368
- +0.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Margaret Collins Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing says applications are usually in the form of a letter. It lists John T. Pollano, attorney at law, as the contact. The trust states there are no restrictions on awards and that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: John T Pollano Atty At Law
Mailing address: 280 B Merrimack St, Methuen, MA 01844
Phone: (978) 683-6700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Margaret Collins Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bread and Roses ($15K). Together the top 10 received $108K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 76 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 4% to recipients in California. The listed grants include recipients in Lawrence and other Massachusetts communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Margaret Collins Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $109K (2021) to $153K (2022). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $138K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bread and Roses Lawrence, MA | POOR | $15,000 |
| Lazarus House Lawrence, MA | Charitable/Poor | $15,000 |
| Lawrence General Hospital Lawrence, MA | Health Care Charitable | $10,000 |
| Mass General Hospital Boston, MA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Merrimack Valley Food Bank Lowell, MA | POOR | $10,000 |
| MSPCA at Nevins Farm Methuen, MA | Animal Welfare Education | $10,000 |
| New England Center for Homeless Vets Boston, MA | POOR | $10,000 |
| Michael P Lisnow Respite Center Hopkinton, MA | Special Needs Children | $10,000 |
| Lawrence History Center Lawrence, MA | Education | $10,000 |
| Essex County Community Foundation Danvers, MA | Children Services | $8,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,418,368 | $182,761 | $170,555 | $138,000 | 15 | $139,085 | $154,291 | $130,867 |
| 2023 | $2,407,313 | $76,991 | $154,066 | $123,000 | 14 | $129,313 | $58,155 | $138,445 |
| 2022 | $2,476,059 | $293,175 | $185,553 | $153,000 | 19 | $175,850 | $285,472 | $146,290 |
| 2021 | $2,361,428 | $146,698 | $142,170 | $108,500 | 15 | $108,535 | $115,188 | $155,155 |
| 2020 | $2,356,900 | $130,429 | $155,486 | $128,000 | 13 | — | $117,470 | $139,438 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Margaret Collins Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $131K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Lazarus House describes its work as providing shelter, food, clothing, education, and support for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Lawrence area. Merrimack Valley Food Bank says it works to meet nutrition needs and alleviate hunger. Lawrence General Hospital describes its work as operating an acute-care hospital and providing health services, including access for area residents regardless of ability to pay. Mission of Deeds says it gives gently used home goods and furniture to people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust awarded 15 grants totaling $138,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable awards included $15,000 each to Bread and Roses and Lazarus House; $10,000 each to Lawrence General Hospital, Mass General Hospital, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, MSPCA at Nevins Farm, New England Center for Homeless Vets, Michael P. Lisnow Respite Center, and Lawrence History Center; and $8,000 to Essex County Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John T. Pollano is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust is led by John T. Pollano, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John T. Pollano
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Margaret Collins Charitable Trust
How much does Margaret Collins Charitable Trust give each year?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust gave $138K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $123K across 14 grants.
What is Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,200, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Margaret Collins Charitable Trust that year got $8K on average.
Where does Margaret Collins Charitable Trust give grants?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust gives mostly in Massachusetts: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lawrence, MA (6 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Margaret Collins Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Poor" (3 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Bread and Roses ($15,000), Lazarus House ($15,000) and Lawrence General Hospital ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Margaret Collins Charitable Trust?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $139K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $131K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Margaret Collins Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Lazarus House describes its work as providing shelter, food, clothing, education, and support for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Lawrence area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Margaret Collins Charitable Trust?
The filing says applications are usually in the form of a letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's EIN?
Margaret Collins Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-6542774. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Margaret Collins Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/margaret-collins-charitable-trust-morg_887ef4e1ed284cdcbaa472a3f7a47404
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_516542774_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Margaret Collins Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/margaret-collins-charitable-trust-morg_887ef4e1ed284cdcbaa472a3f7a47404},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Margaret Collins Charitable 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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