The Afognak Fund
The Afognak Fund is a private foundation based in Fox Point, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations working in areas including conservation, food access, healthcare, housing, employment training, and the arts.
The Afognak Fund at a glance
In short: The Afognak Fund gave $2.1M across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $41K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,056,075
- +9.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,122
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $37,635,942
- -10.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (23% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Afognak Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 7240 North Barnett Lane, Fox Point, WI 53217
Phone: (617) 248-2131
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Afognak Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Seacology ($133K). Together the top 10 received $943K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 150 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (23%), Wisconsin (16%), California (10%), New York (6%), and Indiana (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Afognak Fund gives
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.5M (2020) to $2.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Seacology Berkeley, CA | General Operating Support | $132,575 |
| Blessings in a Backpack Fort Wayne, IN | General Operating Support | $125,000 |
| Yellowstone Forever Bozeman, MT | Trails and boardwalk maintenance | $125,000 |
| Remote Area Medical Rockford, TN | General Operating Support | $105,000 |
| Greater Boston Food Bank Inc Boston, MA | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Inc Washington, DC | Rhino protection and conservation | $100,000 |
| NourishMKE Inc Milwaukee, WI | Friedens Community Ministries | $85,000 |
| Acts Community Development Corp (dba Acts Housing) Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| Climb Cheyenne, WY | General Operating Support | $60,000 |
| Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras Boston, MA | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Afognak Fund?
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 | $37,635,942 | $2,029,409 | $2,098,342 | $2,056,075 | 50 | $2,058,162 | $2,009,663 | $2,010,958 |
| 2024 | $41,811,972 | $2,296,560 | $1,951,161 | $1,875,075 | 48 | $1,878,385 | $2,275,818 | $2,043,023 |
| 2023 | $37,536,176 | $3,122,440 | $1,974,462 | $1,883,000 | 50 | $1,885,070 | $3,103,048 | $1,876,680 |
| 2022 | $6,084,684 | $2,379,108 | $1,830,135 | $1,806,847 | 1 | $1,814,676 | $2,364,898 | $1,890,755 |
| 2021 | $5,535,793 | $2,511,454 | $1,711,431 | $1,690,531 | 1 | $1,697,492 | $2,439,249 | $1,822,140 |
| 2020 | $4,736,822 | $1,468,924 | $1,591,639 | $1,466,767 | 1 | — | $1,391,615 | $1,675,531 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Afognak Fund reported a distributable amount of $2.0M 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 fund is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own stated missions span several fields. Seacology says it protects island species and habitats while working with local people to conserve natural resources and improve quality of life. Blessings in a Backpack says it mobilizes communities and resources to provide weekend food to school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry. Remote Area Medical says it provides free quality healthcare to people in need. Climb Wyoming says it trains and places low-income single mothers in careers that support their families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund gave 50 grants totaling $2,056,075. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $132,575, with a median grant of $30,000. Recent giving totals were $1,875,075 across 48 grants in 2024 and $1,883,000 across 50 grants in 2023.
The largest 2025 grants included $132,575 to Seacology for general operating support; $125,000 each to Blessings in a Backpack for general operating support and Yellowstone Forever for trails and boardwalk maintenance; and $105,000 to Remote Area Medical for general operating support. Other notable grants included $100,000 each to the Greater Boston Food Bank for general operating support and World Wildlife Fund for rhino protection and conservation, and $85,000 to NourishMKE for Friedens Community Ministries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Anne Symchych, Stephen Symchych, Catherine Symchych, and Christine Symchych as trustees.
The Afognak Fund's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Anne Symchych
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Symchych
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine Symchych
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Symchych
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Margaret Murphy (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Elizabeth King (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 The Afognak Fund
How much does The Afognak Fund give each year?
The Afognak Fund gave $2.1M across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 48 grants.
What is The Afognak Fund's typical grant size?
The Afognak Fund's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $41,122, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Afognak Fund give grants?
The Afognak Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Wisconsin (16%) and California (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (10 grants), Boston, MA (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Jackson, WY (2 grants).
Does The Afognak Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 74% of The Afognak Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Afognak Fund's largest grantees?
The Afognak Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Seacology ($132,575), Blessings in a Backpack ($125,000) and Yellowstone Forever ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Afognak Fund?
The Afognak Fund reported $37.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Afognak Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own stated missions span several fields. Seacology says it protects island species and habitats while working with local people to conserve natural resources and improve quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Afognak Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Afognak Fund's EIN?
The Afognak Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1521981. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Afognak Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 27, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Afognak Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-afognak-fund-morg_39dbc532ab6f413b8f242c313db18eeb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_061521981_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Afognak Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-afognak-fund-morg_39dbc532ab6f413b8f242c313db18eeb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Afognak Fund'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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