Nelson Talbott Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC EIN: 31-6039441

The Nelson Talbott Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC, established in July 1949. It operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a broad geographic reach across the United States. The foundation is managed by a board of trustees who serve without compensation.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.3M

-1.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$270K

+21.6% YoY

Grant Count

65

-4.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

+27.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nelson Talbott Foundation reported a distributable amount of $264K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with the following characteristics:

Grant Range

**: Awards typically range from $100 to $42,400

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Nelson Talbott Foundation supports a wide geographic area across the United States, including:

  • Major urban centers: New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia
  • Smaller towns and communities
  • States with documented funding activity include: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

Grant Distribution by State

19states
+11 more states

States

AlabamaCaliforniaConnecticutDistrict of ColumbiaDelawareFloridaMassachusettsMarylandMaineNorth CarolinaNew MexicoNew YorkOhioOregonPennsylvaniaSouth DakotaTennesseeVirginiaWest Virginia

Cities

AllentownArcataArlingtonBala CynwydBeachwoodBerkeleyBethesdaBladensburgBronxCambridgeCaryCave JunctionChevy ChaseCoral GablesCusterDavisEast HamptonGarrett ParkGladwyneGlenelg

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2024–2025):

  • Total Assets: $3.25–$5.4 million
  • Annual Revenue: $86,300–$189,311
  • Annual Expenses: $251,863–$252,000
  • Total Liabilities: $0
  • Total Giving: $200,000–$270,000

The foundation maintains a stable financial position with no outstanding liabilities.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$83K$166K$249K$332K201920212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,250,607$3,289,646$3,352,200
Revenue$262,915$189,311$86,272
Expenses$301,954$251,863$227,749
Qualifying Distributions$270,000$222,000$200,000
Net Investment Income$230,961$159,448$58,771
Distributable Amount$263,860$238,537$210,262

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$68K$135K$203K$270K70 grants201967 grants202164 grants202265 grants202368 grants202465 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

CONSERVATION CTR FOR ART…$20KHORIZONS GREATER WASHING…$20KNY SOCIETY LIBRARY TRUST…$17KSPRINGS FOOD PANTRY$16KHATHAWAY BROWN SCHOOL$11KBROOKINGS INSTITUTION$10KMARET SCHOOL$10KSUN VALLEY WRITERS CONFE…$8KFRAXA RESEARCH FDN$8KHEWITT SCHOOL$7K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

250<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Conservation Ctr for Art & Historic ($20,150), Horizons Greater Washington ($19,500), Ny Society Library Trustees ($17,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS INC NEW YORK, NYGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$1,334
ACADEMY OF NAT'L SCIENCES - DREXEL PHILDELPHIA, PAGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$500
AFRICAN LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NYGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$5,000
ALPHA-1 FOUNDATION INC CORAL GABLES, FLGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$1,500
AMERICAL CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FDN NEW YORK, NYGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$1,000
AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY WORCESTER, MAGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$1,500
ANACOSTIA WATERSHED SOCIETY BLADENSBURG, MDGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$5,000
BRADY CENTER TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENC WASHINGTON, DCGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$500
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, DCGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$10,000
CADASTA FOUNATION WASHINGTON, DCGENERAL NEEDS OR PURPOSE$6,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by the following trustees, all serving without compensation:

  • Andrew Fabens III
  • EP Talbott
  • Mary J Talbott
  • Kirk Talbott
  • Melissa R Marshall
  • Nelson S Talbott III

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
ANDREW FABENS IIITRUSTEE——
EP TALBOTTTRUSTEE——
MARY J TALBOTTTRUSTEE——
KIRK TALBOTTTRUSTEE——
MELISSA R MARSHALLTRUSTEE——
NELSON S TALBOTT IIITRUSTEE——

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a grant from Nelson Talbott Foundation?

The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with the following characteristics: • **Grant Range**: Awards typically range from $100 to $42,400 • **Grant Median**: Approximately $1,000 • **Grant Maximum**: $25,000 • **Annual Distribution**: Recent annual giving totals approximately $200,000–$270,000 • **Grant Count**: The foundation distributed 68 grants in the most recent reporting period The foundation does not maintain a public website or specified subject areas for its funding.

Where does Nelson Talbott Foundation make grants?

The Nelson Talbott Foundation supports a wide geographic area across the United States, including: • Major urban centers: New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia • Smaller towns and communities • States with documented funding activity include: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

What size grants does Nelson Talbott Foundation award?

In 2025, Nelson Talbott Foundation awarded 65 grants totaling $270K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Nelson Talbott Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Nelson Talbott Foundation reported a distributable amount of $264K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Nelson Talbott Foundation's EIN?

Nelson Talbott Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-6039441. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in Nelson Talbott Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database

District of Columbia GrantsAlabama GrantsCalifornia Grants

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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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