Robert C Vance Char Fdn
Robert C Vance Char Fdn is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $945,740, all to recipients in Connecticut.
Robert C Vance Char Fdn at a glance
In short: Robert C Vance Char Fdn gave $946K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $86K), mostly in Connecticut. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $945,740
- -8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $85,976
- -8.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,690
- Total assets
- $2,647,387
- +15.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (100% 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 Robert C Vance Char Fdn
- Contact
Application contact: Herbert E Carlson
Mailing address: 21 Winesap Road, Kensington, CT 06037
Phone: (860) 566-3190
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert C Vance Char Fdn funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New Britain Museum of American Art ($500K). Together the top 10 received $942K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 58 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Connecticut. The 2024 filing’s stated restriction refers to organizations serving the New Britain, Connecticut area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert C Vance Char Fdn open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $108K; repeat grants $81K. How we count
Medians: $108K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $558K (2021) to $1.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $946K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Britain Museum of American Art New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $500,000 |
| Trinity on Main New Britain, CT | Supports Building Repairs | $199,000 |
| United Way of Central & Northeastern CT Hartford, CT | Unrestricted General | $125,000 |
| The Prudence Crandall Center New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $48,300 |
| Salvation Army of New Britain New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $25,000 |
| Pastor & Standing Committee New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $17,690 |
| New Britain Symphony Orchestra New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $10,500 |
| New Britain Institute New Britain, CT | Unrestricted General | $8,250 |
| Peck Memorial Library of Berlin Berlin, CT | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| The Music Series at South Church New Britain, CT | Support for 2022-2023 | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert C Vance Char Fdn?
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 | $2,647,387 | $1,352,527 | $995,996 | $945,740 | 11 | $961,513 | $1,337,886 | $897,317 |
| 2024 | $2,290,856 | $963,849 | $1,073,793 | $1,036,500 | 11 | $1,051,171 | $949,367 | $757,332 |
| 2023 | $2,400,632 | $494,345 | $730,111 | $693,000 | 11 | $702,708 | $472,505 | $740,285 |
| 2022 | $2,636,400 | $383,873 | $758,698 | $727,000 | 12 | $736,397 | $361,623 | $721,308 |
| 2021 | $3,011,225 | $342,117 | $595,281 | $558,000 | 13 | — | $323,094 | $588,362 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert C Vance Char Fdn reported a distributable amount of $897K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, a library, human-services organizations, and other local organizations. The New Britain Museum of American Art describes its mission as presenting and preserving American art and providing public enrichment and education. The New Britain Institute says it promotes literacy, science, and culture through the New Britain Public Library, New Britain Youth Museum, and New Britain Industrial Museum. Connecticut Choral Artists describes its work as presenting choral music and educating and inspiring audiences.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $945,740. Grant amounts ranged from $3,500 to $500,000, with a median grant of $17,690. The largest awards were $500,000 to the New Britain Museum of American Art, $199,000 to Trinity on Main for building repairs, and $125,000 to United Way of Central & Northeastern Connecticut. Other listed awards included $48,300 to the Prudence Crandall Center and $25,000 to the Salvation Army of New Britain.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It names Herbert E. Carlson as the application contact and says applicants must confirm to the United Community Service format. The stated restriction is that an organization serves the New Britain, Connecticut area and can receive tax-deductible contributions. No deadline is listed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Herbert E. Carlson Jr. as director, chairman, and president; Cheryl C. Carlson as director and secretary; and Cynthia A. Carlson as director and treasurer. Bank of America N.A. is listed as agent for fiduciary.
Robert C Vance Char Fdn is led by Herbert E. Carlson Jr., Director, Chairman & President on every filing since 2021; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Herbert E. Carlson Jr.
Director, Chairman & President
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl C. Carlson
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia A. Carlson
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bank Of America N A
Agent for Fiduciary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$20K (2021) → $22K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $22K, to Bank of America N a (Agent for Fiduciary).
Frequently asked questions about Robert C Vance Char Fdn
How much does Robert C Vance Char Fdn give each year?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn gave $946K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 11 grants.
What is Robert C Vance Char Fdn's typical grant size?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn's median grant in 2025 was $17,690, and its average grant was $85,976, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert C Vance Char Fdn that year got $108K on average.
Where does Robert C Vance Char Fdn give grants?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn gives mostly in Connecticut: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New Britain, CT (9 grants).
Does Robert C Vance Char Fdn give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of Robert C Vance Char Fdn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert C Vance Char Fdn's largest grantees?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn's largest 2025 grantees include New Britain Museum of American Art ($500,000), Trinity on Main ($199,000) and United Way of Central & Northeastern CT ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert C Vance Char Fdn?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $962K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $897K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert C Vance Char Fdn fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, a library, human-services organizations, and other local organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert C Vance Char Fdn?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Robert C Vance Char Fdn's EIN?
Robert C Vance Char Fdn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6050188. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert C Vance Char Fdn funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-c-vance-char-fdn-morg_a21a69cb27174e99bb397249bbab02eb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066050188_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert C Vance Char Fdn funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-c-vance-char-fdn-morg_a21a69cb27174e99bb397249bbab02eb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Robert C Vance Char Fdn'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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