Roger K Berle Charitable Trust
The Roger K Berle Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2025, it made 30 grants totaling $91,200, with 98% of grant dollars going to recipients in Maine.
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Roger K Berle Charitable Trust gave $91K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Maine. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $91,200
- -9.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,040
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,750
- Total assets
- $742,546
- -2.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (7 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maine (98% 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 Roger K Berle Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
Phone: (617) 951-7000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Roger K Berle Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Maine Public Broadcasting ($15K). Together the top 10 received $68K.
Grant Size Distribution
175 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 175 grants of 175 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 1% to recipients in California, and 1% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Roger K Berle Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 30 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 218% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $69K (2020) to $120K (2021). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $91K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Public Broadcasting Bangor, ME | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine Portland, ME | Charitable | $10,000 |
| University of Southern Maine Foundation Portland, ME | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Charitable | $9,200 |
| Portland Parks Conservancy Portland, ME | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Portland Symphony Orchestra Portland, ME | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Preble Street Resource Portland, ME | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Cliff Island Corp for Ace Cliff Island, ME | Charitable | $3,500 |
| The Island Institute Rockland, ME | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Friends of Fort Gorges Portland, ME | Charitable | $2,500 |
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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 | $742,546 | $86,746 | $108,930 | $91,200 | 30 | $92,685 | $76,073 | $42,466 |
| 2024 | $764,690 | $214,140 | $113,731 | $100,450 | 40 | $101,885 | $203,294 | $42,271 |
| 2023 | $665,376 | $25,361 | $95,097 | $82,550 | 33 | $85,713 | $15,977 | $41,542 |
| 2022 | $735,141 | $39,968 | $85,394 | $69,963 | 37 | $73,144 | $30,531 | $45,389 |
| 2021 | $780,561 | $137,512 | $138,448 | $120,400 | 35 | $124,774 | $124,496 | $54,317 |
| 2020 | $788,734 | $70,009 | $79,143 | $68,700 | 35 | — | $62,387 | $48,561 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Roger K Berle Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $42K 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation says it connects people in Maine and elsewhere through information, ideas, and cultural content. The University of Southern Maine Foundation says it supports the university’s education, research, and public-service mission. Good Shepherd Food Bank describes its mission as eliminating hunger in Maine, while Portland Parks Conservancy says it works to enhance Portland’s parks and recreational programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 30 grants totaling $91,200. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median of $1,750. The largest grants included $15,000 to Maine Public Broadcasting, $10,000 each to Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine and the University of Southern Maine Foundation, and $9,200 to Bowdoin College. Other 2025 grants included $5,000 each to Portland Parks Conservancy, Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Preble Street Resource.
Other listed 2025 recipients included Waynflete School, Portland Trails, Full Plates Full Potential, and Good Shepherd Food Bank, each receiving $2,500. Waynflete School describes its mission as providing education that engages students’ imagination and intellect and encourages responsible participation in the world. Portland Trails describes work to expand and improve trails and support connectivity and sustainability in Greater Portland. Full Plates Full Potential says it works to end childhood hunger by helping schools and nonprofits maximize participation in child nutrition programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Roger K Berle is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust is led by Roger K. Berle, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Roger K. Berle
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kimberly E. Cohen (2020–2022) — Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about Roger K Berle Charitable Trust
How much does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust give each year?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust gave $91K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $100K across 40 grants.
What is Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,750, and its average grant was $3,040, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Roger K Berle Charitable Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust give grants?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust gives mostly in Maine: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (15 grants), Brunswick, ME (2 grants) and Falmouth, ME (2 grants).
Does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (30 grants).
Who are Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Maine Public Broadcasting ($15,000), Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine ($10,000) and University of Southern Maine Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Roger K Berle Charitable Trust?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust reported $743K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $93K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation says it connects people in Maine and elsewhere through information, ideas, and cultural content. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Roger K Berle Charitable Trust?
The foundation 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 Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's EIN?
Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6691795. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Roger K Berle Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/roger-k-berle-charitable-trust-morg_d6dde5ac74ed49b6b84130861a038e39
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046691795_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Roger K Berle Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/roger-k-berle-charitable-trust-morg_d6dde5ac74ed49b6b84130861a038e39},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Roger K Berle Charitable Trust'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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