Points North Institute
Points North Institute inspires and supports the creators and audiences of documentary media.
Points North Institute at a glance
In short: Points North Institute gave $250K across 3 grants in 2024 (avg $83K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $250,000
- +150.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 3
- +200.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $83,333
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $1,320,050
- -29.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (80% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
Who Points North Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 3 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Women Make Movies ($150K). Together the top 3 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
10 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 6 grants of 10 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 3 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2022) to $250K (2024). In 2024 it made 3 grants totaling $250K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Women Make Movies New York, NY | Grant for film support for Production of the World and Last Nomads | $150,000 |
| Kilgust and Cohen LLC Oakland, CA | Grant for film support | $50,000 |
| Documentalista LLC Babylon, NY | Grant for film support | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,320,050 | $1,801,395 | $2,388,903 | $250,000 | 3 | $49,929 |
| 2023 | $1,868,917 | $1,928,266 | $1,870,036 | $100,000 | 1 | $32,842 |
| 2022 | $1,751,722 | $2,028,241 | $1,626,094 | $65,000 | 6 | $3,773 |
| 2021 | $1,316,546 | $1,770,861 | $1,251,972 | — | — | $3,756 |
| 2020 | $793,108 | $1,153,759 | $845,466 | — | — | $5,992 |
About Points North Institute
Based on IRS filings
Points North Institute is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Camden, ME. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $1.3M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 3 grants totaling $250K. Net investment income was $50K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Points North Institute is led by Benjamin Fowlie, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 3 of 11 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Benjamin Fowlie
Executive Director
Executive & Artistic Director → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$101K (2022) → $23K (2024)
Rick Rector
Treasurer & Interim Executive Director
Treasurer → Treasurer & Interim Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
35 hrs/week
$50K (2024)
Caroline von Kuhn
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sean Flynn
Program Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$117K (2024)
George Cooke
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monika Navarro
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Meditch
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Aroneau
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexander Jiga
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Metcalfe
Vice Chair
President → Chair, 2022
Chair → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Miguel Gomez-Ibanez
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Bridget Besaw (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Margaret F Williams (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Kerem Durdag (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Lars Perkins (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ben Thompson (2022) — Director
- Former: Benjamin Fowlie Founder (2020–2021) — President & CEO
- Former: Benjamin Thompson IV (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Douglas Stradley (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Emily McDevitt (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Mary Saltonstall (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Patrica O'Toole (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Steven Koltai (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Frederick Rector III (2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Cecily Pingree (2020) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Noble (2020) — Director
- Former: Evelyn Ison (2020) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $117K, to Sean Flynn (Program Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Points North Institute
How much does Points North Institute give each year?
Points North Institute gave $250K across 3 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $100K across 1 grant.
What is Points North Institute's typical grant size?
Points North Institute's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $83,333, across 3 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Points North Institute give grants?
Points North Institute gives mostly in New York: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (20%).
Does Points North Institute give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 3 grants with a stated purpose on Points North Institute's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
How large is Points North Institute?
Points North Institute reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What is Points North Institute?
Points North Institute is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Camden, ME. It holds $1.3M in total assets as of 2024.
What is Points North Institute's EIN?
Points North Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-1622247. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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