The Butler Foundation

SPRINGFIELD, NH EIN: 22-2701588 Website

The Butler Foundation is a private foundation based in Springfield, New Hampshire. Established in 1994, it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.1M

-6.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$538K

+3.2% YoY

Grant Count

-35.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$60K

+60.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Butler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $496K 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 foundation primarily funds scholarships, conservation efforts, equipment purchases, and administrative operations. Its primary funding areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Health Care

Grantmaking

The foundation made 11 grants in 2023, including:

Grant Range

$17,400

Average Grant

$26,200

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in New Hampshire, Washington, and Vermont.

Grant Distribution by State

New Hampshire $446K (22%)

Maryland $431K (21%)

Vermont $368K (18%)

Massachusetts $355K (18%)

Virginia $185K (9%)

Georgia $154K (8%)

Washington $64K (3%)

Wisconsin $25K (1%)

States

Georgia Massachusetts Maryland New Hampshire Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin

Cities

ArlingtonAtlantaBaltimoreBostonBrattleboroBridgewaterConcordDurhamEnfieldMadisonNewburyPullmanQuecheeWarrentonWenatchee

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

Total assets (2023): $6,563,501

Annual Activity:

Total revenues (2023): $651,661
Total expenses (2023): $674,750

Staffing:

1 employee

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$6,108,561	$6,563,501	$6,590,009
Revenue	$269,459	$651,661	$274,133
Expenses	$724,319	$674,750	$406,169
Qualifying Distributions	$666,487	$628,697	$359,572
Net Investment Income	$277,365	$640,453	$263,217
Distributable Amount	$495,635	$487,987	$500,823

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 9 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

56 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Jocotoco Conservation Foundation ($196,290), Mass Eye & Ear Associates ($100,000), Earth University Foundation ($58,750).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
EARTH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION ATLANTA, GA	1ST AND FINAL PAYMENT FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP	$58,750
IGLESIA EVANGELICA JESUS DE NAZARET	GRANT TO EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN HUAYCOPUNGO ECUADOR FOR PURCHASE OF CHAIRS AND TABLES	$9,105
JOCOTOCO CONSERVATION FOUNDATION BALTIMORE, MD	GRANT FOR PARQUES CONDOR INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCEPURCHASE OF 132 HECTARES FOR BUENAVENTURA PRESERVE IN ECUADORGRANT FOR PARQUE CONDOR FOR BIRD ACQUISION, TELEMETRY AND CONNECTION AND CONFERENCE	$196,290
MASS EYE & EAR ASSOCIATES BOSTON, MA	UPGRADE OF THE OGI'S HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTE CLUSTER	$100,000
NH AUDUBON CONCORD, NH	10,000 TOWARD AERIAL INSECTIVORE STUDY AND 6,000 FOR CLIFF SWALLOW STUDY	$50,850
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN NH ARLINGTON, VA	ACQUISTION OF LAND ON FALL MOUNTAIN	$50,000
THE PHOENIX CONSERVANCY PULLMAN, WA	FOXHOLE FOREST CONSTRUCTION IN MADAGASCAR AND MONARCH HABITAT RESTORATION AT PULLMAN SCHOOL IN WA	$28,500
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON, WI	GRANT TO PUBLISH ARCHEAOLOGICAL WORK OF PALMITOPAMBA IN ECUADOR	$25,000
VERMONT INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCE QUECHEE, VT	EARLY CHILDHOOD EXHIBIT	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Cynthia Wentworth – Executive Director (compensation: $113,136 as of 2023)
Clara Butler – Director
Barbara Butler – Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CYNTHIA WENTWORTH	EXECUTIVE DIR.	25	$100,539
CLARA BUTLER	TRUSTEE	—	—
BARBARA BUTLER	TRUSTEE	—	—
BONNIE BUNNING	TRUSTEE	—	—
MARJORIE BUTLER	TRUSTEE	—	—
JESSIE BUNNING	TRUSTEE	—	—
CAITLIN BUNNING	TRUSTEE	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Butler Foundation fund?

The foundation primarily funds scholarships, conservation efforts, equipment purchases, and administrative operations. Its primary funding areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Health Care

How do I apply for a grant from The Butler Foundation?

**Grant Amounts:** • Typical award range: $1,556–$150,000 • Median grant size: $17,400 • Average grant size: $26,200 **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation made 11 grants in 2023, including: • Chosen Vale Inc Enfield Shaker Museum: $30,146 (Cellar Window Restoration and La Salette Capital Campaign) • Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT): $25,250 (Appraisal for Potential Conservation Property) • Friends of Birdlife International: $23,620 (Inga Planting With Aves Y Conservacion and Travel Expenses…

Where does The Butler Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in New Hampshire, Washington, and Vermont.

What size grants does The Butler Foundation award?

In 2024, The Butler Foundation awarded 9 grants totaling $538K — an average of about $60K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Butler Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Butler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $496K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.