Roger K Berle Charitable Trust

Foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 04-6691795

The Roger K Berle Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1991, it operates as an independent foundation with administrative support through Ropes Wealth Advisors.

Key facts about Roger K Berle Charitable Trust

EIN: 04-6691795
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $100,450
Grants made (2024): 40
Average grant: $2,511
Median grant: $1,000
New grantees (estimate): 25% first-time grantees (10 of 40, 2024)
Total assets: $764,690
Primary geography: Maine (87% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: No specific application procedures or deadlines are documented in available sources. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Roger K Berle Charitable Trust's 40 itemized 2024 grants were Maine (87%) and Massachusetts (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (16 grants), Brunswick, ME (5 grants), Falmouth, ME (3 grants) and Bangor, ME (2 grants). None of its 40 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (40 grants).

Is Roger K Berle Charitable Trust open to new grantees?

25%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 10 of 40 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.

70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 241% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Roger K Berle Charitable Trust

How to evaluate Roger K Berle Charitable Trust as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$765K

+14.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$100K

+21.7% YoY

Grant Count

+21.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

+0.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Roger K Berle Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $42K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The trust's grant-making priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Journalism
Arts
Creative Writing
Historic Buildings

Grantmaking

Review Cycle

are documented in available sources.

How to Apply

** No specific application procedures or deadlines are documented in available sources.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The trust primarily funds organizations in:

Maine
Massachusetts
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Maine $87K (87%)

Massachusetts $12K (11%)

New York $1K (1%)

District of Columbia $1K (1%)

Share of all 40 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

District of Columbia Massachusetts Maine Michigan New Jersey New York Virginia

Cities

PortlandCliff IslandBangorBrunswickFalmouthWashingtonAuburnDedhamRocklandSouth PortlandTopshamCamdenFreeportNew YorkBernardsvilleLake CityAlexandriaBostonDanversGorham

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $764,690

Total Giving: $100,450 (most recent reporting period)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$764,690	$665,376	$735,141
Revenue	$214,140	$25,361	$39,968
Expenses	$113,731	$95,097	$85,394
Qualifying Distributions	$101,885	$85,713	$73,144
Net Investment Income	$203,294	$15,977	$30,531
Distributable Amount	$42,271	$41,542	$45,389

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

February 28, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

180 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Maine Public Broadcasting ($11,000), University of Southern Maine ($11,000), Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING Bangor, ME	CHARITABLE	$11,000
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$11,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTHERN MAINE Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$10,000
MAINE TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS Boston, MA	CHARITABLE	$10,000
BOWDOIN COLLEGE Brunswick, ME	CHARITABLE	$8,100
PORTLAND TRAILS Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$6,000
PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$5,000
THE ISLAND INSTITUTE Rockland, ME	CHARITABLE	$3,000
FRIENDS OF FORT GORGES Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$2,500
FULL PLATES FULL POTENTIAL Portland, ME	CHARITABLE	$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Roger K Berle	Trustee	2	—

Contact Information

Address: 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199-8001

Telephone: 617-951-7000

EIN: 04-6691795

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust fund?

The trust's grant-making priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Journalism • Arts • Creative Writing • Historic Buildings

How do I apply for a grant from Roger K Berle Charitable Trust?

No specific application procedures or deadlines are documented in available sources. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust make grants?

The trust primarily funds organizations in: • Maine • Massachusetts • New York

What size grants does Roger K Berle Charitable Trust award?

In 2024, Roger K Berle Charitable Trust awarded 40 grants totaling $100K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Roger K Berle Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Roger K Berle Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $42K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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 2020–2024.