The Brewer Family Foundation Inc
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Rowayton, Connecticut. In filing year 2025, it reported 85 grants totaling $1,434,359 to organizations with purposes including environmental education, education, health research and support, cultural education, and community services.
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Brewer Family Foundation Inc gave $1.4M across 85 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Connecticut. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,434,359
- +54.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 85
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,875
- +43.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,685,793
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (17 of 85, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (62% 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 Brewer Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3 Crescent Beach Road, Rowayton, CT 06853
Phone: (914) 659-0066
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Brewer Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Soundwaters ($700K). Together the top 10 received $956K.
Grant Size Distribution
377 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 365 grants of 377 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut, 14% to New York, and 14% to Maine. Pennsylvania and Illinois each received 2% of grant dollars. Examples of 2025 recipients include organizations in Connecticut, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 85 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Brewer Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 85 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 65% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 155% 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 $369K (2019) to $1.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 85 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Soundwaters Stamford, CT | Environmental Education | $700,000 |
| The Landing School Arundel, ME | Education | $50,000 |
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | Education | $35,000 |
| Crohns & Colitis Foundation New York, NY | Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Research | $30,000 |
| Alzheimer's Association Chicago, IL | Alzheimer's Care and Support | $25,000 |
| Save the Sound New Haven, CT | Prevent Climate Change | $25,000 |
| The Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | Cultural Education | $25,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | Education | $25,000 |
| Saint Lukes School New Canaan, CT | Education | $21,198 |
| Freeport Community Services Freeport, ME | Community Services | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Brewer Family Foundation Inc?
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 | $4,685,793 | $1,300,575 | $1,452,653 | $1,434,359 | 85 | $1,436,484 | $511,151 | $928,817 |
| 2024 | $4,837,871 | $800,337 | $938,533 | $929,985 | 79 | $931,910 | $664,032 | $838,356 |
| 2023 | $4,976,067 | $852,104 | $837,910 | $834,210 | 72 | $835,885 | $350,129 | $725,266 |
| 2022 | $4,961,873 | $282,576 | $871,020 | $868,000 | 73 | $869,375 | $280,931 | $722,285 |
| 2021 | $4,653,758 | $3,146,466 | $675,662 | $649,500 | 68 | $650,738 | $220,771 | $715,007 |
| 2020 | $4,481,934 | $2,931,396 | $548,886 | $544,500 | 66 | — | $891,845 | $423,108 |
| 2019 | $7,651,537 | $2,236,777 | $372,622 | $368,500 | 53 | — | $139,605 | $328,318 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brewer Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $929K 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 foundation is provided. Its reported 2025 grants show support for environmental education and protection, education, health-related research and care, cultural education, and community services.
The grantees’ own descriptions provide examples of the work supported. SoundWaters says it works toward “a better world through joyful learning on Long Island Sound,” including environmental education, jobs and skills training, and public engagement. Save the Sound says its mission is to protect and improve the land, air, and water of the Long Island Sound region. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation describes its work as seeking cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the quality of life of people affected by those diseases. Freeport Community Services says it aims to enrich lives, connect neighbors, and help people in need in Freeport and Pownal.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 85 grants totaling $1,434,359. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $700,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest reported grant was $700,000 to SoundWaters in Stamford, Connecticut, for environmental education. Other notable 2025 grants included $50,000 to The Landing School for education; $35,000 to Colgate University for education; $30,000 to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research; and $25,000 each to the Alzheimer’s Association for care and support, Save the Sound to prevent climate change, and The Metropolitan Opera for cultural education.
The foundation also reported grants to several of these organizations in 2024, including $200,000 to SoundWaters, $31,381 to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, $25,100 to Villanova University, and $25,000 to Save the Sound.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John D Brewer Jr as president and director; Margaret S Brewer as vice-president and director; John S Brewer as director; William L Brewer as secretary/treasurer and director; and Kelly Brewer as director.
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc is led by John D. Brewer Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John D. Brewer Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John S. Brewer
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Brewer
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret S. Brewer
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William L. Brewer
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Brewer Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Brewer Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc gave $1.4M across 85 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $930K across 79 grants.
What is The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $16,875, across 85 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Brewer Family Foundation Inc that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Brewer Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Connecticut: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (14%) and Maine (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (16 grants), Norwalk, CT (9 grants), Stamford, CT (7 grants) and Portland, ME (4 grants).
Does The Brewer Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 85 grants with a stated purpose on The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (16 grants), "Cultural Education" (3 grants) and "Community Support" (3 grants).
Who are The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Soundwaters ($700,000), The Landing School ($50,000) and Colgate University ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Brewer Family Foundation Inc?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $929K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Brewer Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2025 grants show support for environmental education and protection, education, health-related research and care, cultural education, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brewer Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3712328. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Brewer Family Foundation Inc 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 12, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Brewer Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brewer Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brewer-family-foundation-inc-morg_9d249ff6d6ed4959938a83ccfde59369
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823712328_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brewer Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brewer-family-foundation-inc-morg_9d249ff6d6ed4959938a83ccfde59369},
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 Brewer Family Foundation Inc'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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