The Bluestone Foundation is a private independent foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Established in 1998, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization designated for religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, and other qualifying philanthropic purposes. The foundation makes grants to preselected charitable organizations across multiple states.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.4M
-7.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$231K
+33.7% YoY
Grant Count
73
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+33.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bluestone Foundation reported a distributable amount of $254K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement on record. However, its grantmaking priorities focus on:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Community and School Garden Grants
- Environmental Education
- Environmental Conservation
Grantmaking
The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations, indicating a non-open application process.
Grant Range
$225–$10,000
Average Grant
$2,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation distributes funding across four states, with primary concentration in:
- Pennsylvania
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- New York
These three primary states account for approximately 75% of all grants. The foundation has supported 88 unique organizations across its funding regions.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $1,469,596 (2023)
- Total assets: $1.37 million (2024)
- Assets have decreased from $1.9 million in 2011 to current levels
Annual Activity:
- Total giving (2023): $172,600
- Revenue (2024): $159,184
- Expenses (2024): $282,262
- Annual income: $472,000
Tax Status:
- Tax-exempt since December 1998
- EIN: 06-1527223
- Contributions are tax-deductible
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,366,740 | $1,469,596 | $1,591,281 |
| Revenue | $159,184 | $82,308 | $170,711 |
| Expenses | $282,262 | $213,096 | $199,038 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $230,700 | $172,600 | $154,150 |
| Net Investment Income | $113,685 | $50,331 | $129,835 |
| Distributable Amount | $253,630 | $209,552 | $203,575 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Nature Conservancy (block Island Conservancy) ($10,000), Horizons at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy ($7,500), Food for Lane County ($7,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACLU FOUNDATION (AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION) PHILADELPHIA, PA | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $3,500 |
| ADIRONDACK EXPERIENCE (ADIRONDACK HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION) BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE, NY | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $1,500 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE ATTINGHAM SUMMER SCHOOL INC NEW YORK, NY | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $1,500 |
| ANTIQUE BOAT MUSEUM CLAYTON, NY | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $1,000 |
| APPLEGATE HOUSE HERITAGE ARTS AND EDUCATION INC YONCALLA, OR | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $6,000 |
| ATLANTIC SHARK INSTITUTE WAKEFIELD, RI | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $1,000 |
| BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE GORHAM, ME | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $4,500 |
| BLOCK ISLAND CONSERVANCY BLOCK ISLAND, RI | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $4,500 |
| BLOCK ISLAND FREE LIBRARY BLOCK ISLAND, RI | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $4,000 |
| BLOCK ISLAND HEALTH SERVICES INC BLOCK ISLAND, RI | CURRENT USE FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer: Paul L Bourdeau
The foundation is governed by 2 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PETER LAPHAM | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| PENELOPE LAPHAM | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
No recent grant announcements or activity specific to The Bluestone Foundation in West Hartford, Connecticut were found in the provided sources. (Note: News articles referenced relate to a different organization—Bluestone Resort Foundation in Wales—and are not applicable to this Connecticut-based foundation.)
BLUESTONE FOUNDATION CELEBRATES A YEAR OF IMPACT WITH OVER \xA360,000 SUPPORTING\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Bluestone Foundation fund?
The foundation does not have a publicly stated mission statement on record. However, its grantmaking priorities focus on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Community and School Garden Grants • Environmental Education • Environmental Conservation
How do I apply for a grant from The Bluestone Foundation?
**Grant Amounts:** • Typical awards range from $300–$10,000 • Historical grant range: $225–$10,000 • Median grant: $2,000 • Average grant: $2,000 **Grant Activity:** • The foundation has made 146 grants totaling $305,000 across its history • Annual distributions ranged between $151,000–$154,000 from 2020–2022 • Most recent annual giving: $172,600 (2023) **Application Process:** The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations, indicating a non-open application pro…
Where does The Bluestone Foundation make grants?
The foundation distributes funding across four states, with primary concentration in: • Pennsylvania • Oregon • Rhode Island • New York These three primary states account for approximately 75% of all grants. The foundation has supported 88 unique organizations across its funding regions.
What size grants does The Bluestone Foundation award?
In 2024, The Bluestone Foundation awarded 73 grants totaling $231K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Bluestone Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Bluestone Foundation reported a distributable amount of $254K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Bluestone Foundation's EIN?
The Bluestone Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1527223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bluestone Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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