Northern Forest Center Inc
Northern Forest Center Inc is a public charity based in Concord, New Hampshire. It works across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, investing in people and communities and partnering on economic opportunity, environmental resiliency, and forest stewardship.
Northern Forest Center Inc at a glance
In short: Northern Forest Center Inc gave $5.2M across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $107K), mostly in New Hampshire. 65% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,247,789
- +67.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- +19.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $107,098
- +40.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $24,152
- Total assets
- $16,453,100
- -16.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 65% first-time grantees (32 of 49, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New Hampshire (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Northern Forest Center Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit a proposal for the Community Recreation Grant opportunity. The Center’s stated priorities include reducing barriers to youth participation, promoting healthy activity, incorporating natural-resource stewardship, and providing a clear implementation plan.
- Review Cycle
- March 13, 2026.
- Deadline
- March 13, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 18 North Main Street 204, Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 229-0679
Website: https://northernforest.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Northern Forest Center Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sustainable Forest Futures Inc ($3.2M). Together the top 10 received $4.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
183 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 183 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Center states that it works across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In 2025, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Hampshire, 17% to Maine, 9% to Vermont, 6% to Illinois, and 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Northern Forest Center Inc open to new grantees?
65%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 32 of 49 grantees (65%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $243K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $33K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $411K (2021) to $5.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $5.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Forest Futures Inc Concord, NH | Program assistance - pass through funding | $3,178,387 |
| TMBR Platform LLC Chicago, IL | Forest economy applications | $326,825 |
| Community Concepts Finance Corp Lewiston, ME | Community revitalization applications | $209,405 |
| Regional School Unit 10 Rumford, ME | Community revitalization applications | $171,437 |
| Rural Aspirations Project Bar Harbor, ME | Community revitalization applications | $112,009 |
| University of Maine Bangor, ME | Forest economy applications | $108,569 |
| Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Montpelier, VT | Forest economy applications | $99,128 |
| Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation St Johnsbury, VT | Community revitalization applications | $79,800 |
| Appalachian Mountain Club Boston, MA | Community revitalization applications | $71,187 |
| Regional School Unit 56 DIxfield, ME | Community revitalization applications | $65,777 |
Ready to take the next step with Northern Forest Center Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16,453,100 | $8,877,036 | $8,171,621 | $5,247,789 | 49 | $107,773 |
| 2024 | $19,656,795 | $7,413,891 | $5,760,297 | $3,133,478 | 41 | $234,998 |
| 2023 | $12,276,229 | $4,568,962 | $3,516,988 | $911,739 | 40 | $95,593 |
| 2022 | $6,912,392 | $6,530,935 | $3,026,588 | $699,343 | 32 | $6,169 |
| 2021 | $2,457,944 | $2,789,915 | $2,369,828 | $411,084 | 21 | $14,633 |
| 2020 | $2,357,304 | $2,221,289 | $2,155,208 | $652,058 | 19 | $2,223 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Center’s stated mission is to create bold possibilities for vibrant Northern Forest communities and to help build a thriving, welcoming region sustained by innovation and environmental stewardship. Its stated strategy is to catalyze innovation in the forest economy, develop vibrant rural communities, advance forest stewardship, and provide strategic leadership.
Its grantmaking supports a range of community and forest-economy work. In 2025, grant purposes included “community revitalization applications,” “forest economy applications,” and program assistance through pass-through funding. Recipients included schools and regional school units, economic-development organizations, and groups working in education, recreation, conservation, and community development. For example, the Rural Aspirations Project describes its mission as expanding educational opportunities that develop and honor community; the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund says it works to support economic prosperity, ecological health, and social connectivity in Vermont; and the Appalachian Mountain Club describes its mission as promoting the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the Appalachian region’s mountains, forests, waters, and trails.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Center reported 49 grants totaling $5,247,789. Grant amounts ranged from $6,536 to $3,178,387, with a median of $24,152. The largest grant was $3,178,387 to Sustainable Forest Futures Inc for program assistance and pass-through funding. Other large grants included $326,825 to TMBR Platform LLC for forest economy applications; $209,405 to Community Concepts Finance Corporation and $171,437 to Regional School Unit 10 for community revitalization applications; and $108,569 to the University of Maine for forest economy applications. Sustainable Forest Futures describes itself as a supporting organization of the Center that catalyzes rural economic development through investment.
The Center’s current Community Recreation Grant opportunity seeks to increase youth participation in low-cost, non-motorized outdoor recreation. Eligible applicants include municipalities, schools, nonprofit organizations, tribal organizations, and town-based committees working in specified counties across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Projects may reduce barriers to youth participation, use recreation to address public-health concerns, or engage young people in natural-resource stewardship. Requests should be $1,500–$3,000, and the Center anticipates making up to 15 awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tim Volk and Tabitha Bowling as chairs; Sean Ross as treasurer; and Megan Phillips as secretary. Directors listed include Bill Allen, Mac Cloyes, and Heidi Davis. Roger Milliken and Celina Adams are listed as having termed in April 2025, and Maggie Drummond-Bahl as having termed in January 2025.
Northern Forest Center Inc is led by Robert A. Riley, President on every filing since 2020; 3 of 26 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert A. Riley
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$136K (2020) → $165K (2025)
Tabitha Bowling
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Volk
Chair
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Fowler Wallace
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bradford S. Gentry
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Celina Adams
Director
Vice Chair → Chair, 2021
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kara Hunter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucas St Clair
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ross Whaley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Woolf
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucas Jensen
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maggie Drummond-Bahl
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlie Niebling
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jess Griffiths
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bill Allen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gaye Symington
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heidi Davis
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Espy
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mac Cloyes
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Schwab
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Short
Vice President
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$95K (2023) → $109K (2025)
Laurel Will
Vice President of Finance
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2025)
David Marvin
Director Emeritus
Director → Director Emeritus, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Milliken
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Ross
Treasurer
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Megan Phillips
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Gordon Scannell (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Joy Bueschen (2024) — Director
- Former: Eric Herr (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jerry Delaney Sr. (2020–2023) — Chairman
- Former: Steve Wight (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Christine Heinrich (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Brian Houseal (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Jim Tibbetts (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Keith Ross (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ann Ruzow Holland (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Peter Bergh (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Harold Janeway (2020) — Secretary
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 $165K, to Robert Riley (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Northern Forest Center Inc
How much does Northern Forest Center Inc give each year?
Northern Forest Center Inc gave $5.2M across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.1M across 41 grants.
What is Northern Forest Center Inc's typical grant size?
Northern Forest Center Inc's median grant in 2025 was $24,152, and its average grant was $107,098, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Northern Forest Center Inc that year got $35K on average.
Where does Northern Forest Center Inc give grants?
Northern Forest Center Inc gives mostly in New Hampshire: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maine (17%) and Vermont (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Montpelier, VT (3 grants), Lewiston, ME (2 grants), Rumford, ME (2 grants) and Bethel, ME (2 grants).
Does Northern Forest Center Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 49 grants with a stated purpose on Northern Forest Center Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community revitalization applications" (18 grants), "Outdoor recreation applications" (16 grants) and "Forest economy applications" (9 grants).
Who are Northern Forest Center Inc's largest grantees?
Northern Forest Center Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Sustainable Forest Futures Inc ($3,178,387), TMBR Platform LLC ($326,825) and Community Concepts Finance Corp ($209,405), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Northern Forest Center Inc?
Northern Forest Center Inc reported $16.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.9M.
What does Northern Forest Center Inc fund?
The Center’s stated mission is to create bold possibilities for vibrant Northern Forest communities and to help build a thriving, welcoming region sustained by innovation and environmental stewardship. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northern Forest Center Inc?
Submit a proposal for the Community Recreation Grant opportunity. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Northern Forest Center Inc's EIN?
Northern Forest Center Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3458955. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Northern Forest Center Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/northern-forest-center-inc-morg_962c29dca9fa4a5488ce161110ffadd7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223458955_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Northern Forest Center Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/northern-forest-center-inc-morg_962c29dca9fa4a5488ce161110ffadd7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Northern Forest Center Inc'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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