The Compass Fund is a private foundation located in Kingston, New Hampshire. Established in 1997, it operates as a non-operating foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors and geographic regions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.3M
+5.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$369K
-0.8% YoY
Grant Count
65
+51.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-34.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Compass Fund reported a distributable amount of $414K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- General support and program support
- Land conservation and forest conservation
- Education
- Disease research
- Wildlife preservation and education
- Water quality and habitat preservation
- Veterans' services
- Science and STEM education
Grantmaking
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Capital gains income generated from the sale of investment assets is necessary to generate cash flows needed to make charitable grants.
Average Grant
award: $10,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation distributes funding across multiple states, with primary focus in:
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Vermont
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
Approximately 63% of all grants support organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (2024):
- Total assets: $6,303,457
- Total revenues: $775,884
- Total expenses: $476,553
- Annual income: $2.7 million
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $840,000 in 2011 to $6.3 million in 2024.
Tax Status:
- EIN: 04-3366745
- 501(c)(3) organization
- Tax-exempt since May 1997
- Contributions are tax deductible
- Required to file IRS Form 990-PF
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,303,457 | $6,004,126 | $6,311,073 |
| Revenue | $775,884 | $162,923 | $283,352 |
| Expenses | $476,553 | $469,870 | $215,859 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $369,318 | $372,226 | $120,825 |
| Net Investment Income | $564,732 | $13,408 | $89,333 |
| Distributable Amount | $414,470 | $369,339 | $372,068 |
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
193 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Governor's Academy ($33,000), Granite State Woodland Institute ($25,000), Real American Hardwood Coalition ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| THE GOVERNOR'S ACADEMY BYFIELD, MA | ANNUAL FUND,GENERAL SUPPORT | $33,000 |
| GRANITE STATE WOODLAND INSTITUTE CONCORD, NH | FORESTCONSERVATION | $25,000 |
| BROOKS SCHOOL NORTH ANDOVER, MA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $13,000 |
| TRUSTEES OF UNION COLLEGE SCHENECTADY, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,000 |
| LAWRENCE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS INC LAWRENCE, MA | GENERALSUPPORT | $17,000 |
| SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF BOXFORD BOXFORD, MA | GENERALSUPPORT | $3,000 |
| THE CHARLEY DAVIDSON CHILDREN'S CANCER FUND BOSTON, MA | CANCERRESEARCH | $5,000 |
| THE COTTING SCHOOL LEXINGTON, MA | EDUCATION | $15,000 |
| GOOD SHEPHERD SCHOOL CHARLESTOWN, MA | EARLYCHILDHOODEDUCATION | $2,500 |
| AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL INC AVON, CT | POST-SECONDARYEDUCATION | $1,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer: Robert V French
The foundation is governed by 2 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVEN B FRENCH | TRUSTEE | 2 | $10,000 |
| EMILY F BREAKEY | TRUSTEE | 1 | $10,000 |
Contact Information
Address: PO Box 156 Kingston, NH 03848
Phone: (800) 392-9244
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Compass Fund fund?
The foundation's primary funding areas include: • General support and program support • Land conservation and forest conservation • Education • Disease research • Wildlife preservation and education • Water quality and habitat preservation • Veterans' services • Science and STEM education
How do I apply for a grant from The Compass Fund?
**Grant Activity & Amounts:** • Total giving in 2023: $372,100 • Total giving in 2024: $369,200 • Individual grants have ranged from $300 to $190,000 • Average grant award: $10,000 • Median grant: $3,000 • The foundation has made 63 grants totaling $614,000 to 45 unique organizations **Recent Grants (2024):** • The Governor's Academy: $33,000 (Annual Fund, general support) • Granite State Woodland Institute: $25,000 (Forest conservation) • Real American Hardwood Coalition: $20,000 (Promote Real…
Where does The Compass Fund make grants?
The foundation distributes funding across multiple states, with primary focus in: • Massachusetts • New Hampshire • New York • Vermont • Virginia • District of Columbia Approximately 63% of all grants support organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 12 states.
What size grants does The Compass Fund award?
In 2024, The Compass Fund awarded 65 grants totaling $369K — an average of about $6K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Compass Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Compass Fund reported a distributable amount of $414K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Compass Fund's EIN?
The Compass Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3366745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Compass Fund'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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