The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Pawling, New York. In its 2024 filing, it reported giving $639,500 through 42 grants to charitable organizations.
Key facts about The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation
In short: The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation gave $680K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-1612539
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $680,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- Average grant
- $17,000
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (8 of 40, 2025)
- Total assets
- $9,835,346
- Primary geography
- New York (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.8M
-4.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$680K
+6.3% YoY
Grant Count
40
-4.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
+11.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $647K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 40 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as preserving natural systems and finding practical, lasting solutions to environmental problems. US Autism Homes says it develops and manages model residences for people on the autism spectrum. WNET describes itself as a public-service nonprofit delivering lifelong learning and meaningful experiences. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 42 grants totaling $639,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $66,500, with a median grant of $10,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (42%), Connecticut (14%), Maryland (10%), California (7%), and Virginia (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 40 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $381K (2020) to $680K (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $680K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wnyc-NY Public Radio ($100K). Together the top 10 received $370K.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 181 grants of 189 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wnyc-NY Public Radio New York, NY | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Wnet New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Childrens Center of New Milford New Milford, CT | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Pro Publica New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Institute for Non Profit Practice Boston, MA | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting New York, NY | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Public Media Bridge Fund Boulder, CO | Charitable | $30,000 |
| ACLU Foundation New York, NY | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Food Bank of NYC Bronx, NY | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research Arlington, VA | Charitable | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,308,864 | $685,033 | $772,152 | $639,500 | 42 |
| 2023 | $10,414,367 | $328,161 | $539,721 | $417,500 | 39 |
| 2022 | $10,625,927 | $763,911 | $556,423 | $434,500 | 32 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,835,346 | $10,308,864 | $10,414,367 |
| Revenue | $336,731 | $685,033 | $328,161 |
| Expenses | $808,603 | $772,152 | $539,721 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $680,000 | $639,500 | $417,500 |
| Net Investment Income | $211,092 | $563,197 | $214,934 |
| Distributable Amount | $647,179 | $606,675 | $517,272 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Caroline M. Barrett as president, director, and treasurer; Barbara Solomon as director; and James Galvin as director, vice president, and secretary.
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation is led by Caroline M. Barrett, President, Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Caroline M. Barrett
President, Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $50K (2025)
Barbara Solomon
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Galvin
Director, Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $50K, to Caroline M Barrett (PRESIDENT,DIRECTOR,TREASUR).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 540, Pawling, NY 12564
Phone: (212) 228-1994
Frequently asked questions about The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation
How much does The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation gave $680K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $640K across 42 grants.
What is The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,000, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation that year got $33K on average.
Where does The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation gives mostly in New York: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (8%) and Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Arlington, VA (2 grants).
Does The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 40 grants with a stated purpose on The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (40 grants).
Who are The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wnyc-NY Public Radio ($100,000), Wnet ($50,000) and Childrens Center of New Milford ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation reported $9.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $680K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $647K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Environmental Defense Fund describes its mission as preserving natural systems and finding practical, lasting solutions to environmental problems. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation?
The foundation 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 Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1612539. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation 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.
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