Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. In its 2025 filing, it reported 18 grants totaling $86,000, supporting charitable organizations working in areas that include conservation, health, the arts, and services for people and communities.
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc gave $86K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Virginia. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $86,000
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,778
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $556,590
- -3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (23% 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 Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4434 Q Street Nw, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (860) 668-7855
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 4 Paws for Ability ($5K). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 78 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (23%), Washington, DC (17%), Maryland (17%), California (12%), and New York (12%). The grants also included recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 18 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 202% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 268% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2022) to $86K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $86K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Paws for Ability Xenia, OH | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| African Wildlife Foundation Washington, DC | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| American Climate Partners Orange, VA | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Cure Childhood Cancer Bethesda, MD | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| International Rhino Foundation Fort Worth, TX | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Lifetime Wells Vision Denton, MD | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Lyon Ranch Therapy Animals Sonoma, CA | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Orangutan Foundation International Los Angeles, CA | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Rainforest Trust Warrenton, VA | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
| Save the Manatee Club Maitland, FL | General Operations Support. | $5,000 |
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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 | $556,590 | $81,047 | $98,210 | $86,000 | 18 | $89,584 | $22,191 | $33,406 |
| 2024 | $573,753 | $113,881 | $98,478 | $85,500 | 18 | $89,628 | $54,862 | $26,571 |
| 2023 | $558,350 | $85,862 | $57,558 | $48,900 | 16 | $48,900 | $34,839 | $28,353 |
| 2022 | $530,046 | $62,379 | $36,065 | $28,500 | 8 | $28,500 | $19,290 | $28,338 |
| 2021 | $503,732 | $86,052 | $55,880 | $48,900 | 18 | $48,900 | $21,858 | $29,288 |
| 2020 | $473,560 | $78,936 | $53,462 | $47,200 | 17 | — | $19,425 | $26,755 |
| 2019 | $444,810 | $68,778 | $54,476 | $47,200 | 17 | — | $16,152 | $22,772 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $33K 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 included organizations whose own descriptions illustrate the range of its grantees. African Wildlife Foundation says its mission is to help wildlife and wild lands thrive in modern Africa. American Climate Partners describes work to help rural America become more resilient to climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Other grantees include 4 Paws for Ability, which trains service dogs for people with disabilities, and Orangutan Foundation International, which provides care and research for orangutans in the wild and public education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $86,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed grants included $5,000 each to 4 Paws for Ability, African Wildlife Foundation, American Climate Partners, Cure Childhood Cancer, International Rhino Foundation, Lifetime Wells Vision, Lyon Ranch Therapy Animals, Orangutan Foundation International, Rainforest Trust, Save the Manatee Club, Schoharie Land Trust, and The Arts Center in Orange. Other $5,000 recipients included Women’s World Banking and Palisades Village.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Arne Paulson and Eric Paulson as directors, Lilly Draney as secretary, Andrina Lebeck as treasurer, and Marie-Louise Sullivan as president.
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Marie-Louise Sullivan, President since 2024 (on filings since 2023); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marie-Louise Sullivan
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Arne Paulson
Director
President & Treasurer → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Paulson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrina Lebeck
Treasurer
Director → President & Treasurer, 2023
President & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lilly Draney
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Liselotte Draney (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Marie Sullivan (2019–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc gave $86K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $86K across 18 grants.
What is Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,778, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $5K on average.
Where does Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's top state is Virginia, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and Maryland (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Orange, VA (2 grants) and Denton, MD (2 grants).
Does Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include 4 Paws for Ability ($5,000), African Wildlife Foundation ($5,000) and American Climate Partners ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc reported $557K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $33K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own descriptions illustrate the range of its grantees. African Wildlife Foundation says its mission is to help wildlife and wild lands thrive in modern Africa. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4395152. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 2, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/paulson-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_a0a03bcbe72e4061a9e2154e24de57f4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204395152_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Paulson Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/paulson-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_a0a03bcbe72e4061a9e2154e24de57f4},
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 Paulson Charitable Foundation 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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