The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam
The Aaron A and Maria H Putnam is a private foundation based in Houlton, Maine. It supports 501(c)(3) organizations addressing health, education, economic development, and community service needs in Houlton.
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam at a glance
In short: The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam gave $187K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Maine. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $187,300
- +6.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,492
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $2,344,388
- -6.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (2 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (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 The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Gary A Severson as the contact for grant requests and specifies a prescribed request for grant form. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations addressing health, education, economic development, or community service needs of Houlton, Maine.
- Review Cycle
- Calendar year end.
- Deadline
- Calendar year end.
- Contact
Application contact: Gary A Severson
Mailing address: 35 Market Square, Houlton, ME 04730
Phone: (207) 532-6527
Email: shn@pwless.net
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Salvation Army ($20K). Together the top 10 received $117K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($7,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 filing specifies eligible organizations serving needs in Houlton, Maine. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 23 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% 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 $151K (2019) to $187K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $187K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Salvation Army Houlton, ME | Support of the Needy | $20,000 |
| Unitarian Church Houlton, ME | Inspire COMMUNITY;SPRITIUAL Growth | $18,000 |
| McGills Community Band Houlton, ME | Community Band Support | $15,000 |
| Adopt a Block Aroostook Houlton, ME | Providing Families Food & Recreation | $10,000 |
| Putnam House Houlton, ME | Senior Center | $10,000 |
| John Millar Civic Center Houlton, ME | Local Recreational Event Center | $10,000 |
| Houlton Regional Health Services FD Houlton, ME | Community Health Care | $9,000 |
| Vital Pathways Houlton, ME | Community HEALTH&IMPROVEMENT | $9,000 |
| American Red Cross Houlton, ME | Care for the Needy | $8,000 |
| Ark Animal Sanctuary Houlton, ME | Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam?
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 | $2,344,388 | $83,872 | $251,076 | $187,300 | 25 | $187,300 | $41,160 | $186,093 |
| 2024 | $2,511,126 | $422,883 | $241,266 | $175,898 | 22 | $175,898 | $34,085 | $171,998 |
| 2023 | $2,329,281 | $94,331 | $216,788 | $156,245 | 22 | $156,245 | $31,098 | $156,530 |
| 2022 | $2,453,199 | $101,318 | $226,665 | $170,857 | 18 | $170,857 | $69,615 | $160,708 |
| 2021 | $2,580,162 | $264,596 | $228,489 | $169,862 | 20 | $169,862 | $20,645 | $179,959 |
| 2020 | $2,540,986 | $86,909 | $208,310 | $152,392 | 20 | — | $6,099 | $162,525 |
| 2019 | $2,663,791 | $104,094 | $217,583 | $151,100 | 16 | — | $43,524 | $168,341 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam reported a distributable amount of $186K 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 separate mission statement is provided. The 2025 filing identifies health, education, economic development, and community service needs in Houlton as areas eligible for support. Its listed 2025 grants included community health care, support for people in need, animal rescue and humane treatment, recreation, and community activities.
Among the 2025 grantees, Aid for Kids describes its mission as providing humanitarian aid to improve the lives of children and families, including in Vietnam and Maine. Houlton Humane Society says its mission is to prevent cruelty and encourage and educate humane treatment of animals. LifeFlight Foundation describes its work as securing resources for Maine’s air medical and critical care transport needs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $187,300 through 25 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median grant of $8,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $20,000 to The Salvation Army for support of the needy; $18,000 to Unitarian Church to inspire community and spiritual growth; and $15,000 to McGills Community Band for community band support. Other grants included $10,000 each to Adopt a Block Aroostook, Putnam House, and John Millar Civic Center. Houlton Regional Health Services FD and Vital Pathways each received $9,000. Aid for Kids, LifeFlight Foundation, and Houlton Humane Society each received $8,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary A Severson and Paul J Callnan as trustees.
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary A. Severson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
$14K (2019) → $13K (2025)
Paul J. Callnan
Trustee
On filings since 2019
$14K (2019) → $13K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $13K, to Gary a Severson (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam
How much does The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam give each year?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam gave $187K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $176K across 22 grants.
What is The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's typical grant size?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $7,492, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam give grants?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam gives mostly in Maine: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Houlton, ME (17 grants) and Presque Isle, ME (3 grants).
Does The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's largest grantees?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's largest 2025 grantees include The Salvation Army ($20,000), Unitarian Church ($18,000) and McGills Community Band ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($7,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $187K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $186K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam fund?
No separate mission statement is provided. The 2025 filing identifies health, education, economic development, and community service needs in Houlton as areas eligible for support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam?
The filing lists Gary A Severson as the contact for grant requests and specifies a prescribed request for grant form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's EIN?
The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2844121. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 16, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-aaron-a-and-maria-h-putnam-morg_62f8244cb95945338a81becec030f0c5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272844121_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-aaron-a-and-maria-h-putnam-morg_62f8244cb95945338a81becec030f0c5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 The Aaron a and Maria H Putnam'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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