The Fledgling Fund is a private, family-run foundation based in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Established in 2007, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization designated for philanthropic and grantmaking purposes. The foundation supports initiatives that improve the health of communities in its primary geographic focus areas.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
-18.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$986K
+8.2% YoY
Grant Count
55
+7.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$18K
+0.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Fledgling Fund seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, families, and communities by supporting innovative projects that target entrenched social problems.
The foundation's primary focus areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Visual arts
- Film and video
- Environment
- Health and mental health care
- Addiction services and substance abuse prevention
- Community and economic development
- Community improvement and beautification
- Housing development
- Human rights and antidiscrimination
- Human services, family services, and child welfare
- International relations
Grantmaking
The foundation awards grants and no-interest loans to community-based organizations. Based on recent filings, the foundation awarded 51-55 grants totaling approximately $910,000-$985,000 annually.
Average Grant
amount: $18,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation maintains active grantmaking in three primary areas:
- Palm Beach County, Florida (2004–Present)
- Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (2002–Present)
- Bandwidth Creation (2023–Present)
Recent grant distribution shows concentration in:
- West Palm Beach, FL (8 grants)
- Vineyard Haven, MA (6 grants)
- New York, NY (6 grants)
- Palm Beach, FL (4 grants)
- Chilmark, MA (3 grants)
- Edgartown, MA (3 grants)
- San Francisco, CA (2 grants)
- Washington, DC (2 grants)
- Boston, MA (2 grants)
The foundation also supports projects in California, Florida, New York, and other states across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $2,755,053–$3,376,631
- Total Revenue: $26,036–$977,770
- Total Expenses: $1,299,128–$1,450,841
- Total Giving: $985,828–$911,000
- Total Liabilities: $2,600
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since June 2007 (EIN: 20-2450707)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,755,053 | $3,376,631 | $4,757,405 |
| Revenue | $977,770 | $26,036 | $83,582 |
| Expenses | $1,450,841 | $1,299,128 | $1,323,871 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $985,828 | $910,875 | $998,058 |
| Net Investment Income | $893,898 | $23,295 | $16,002 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
103 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Diana Barrett — President, Director, Secretary (40 hours/week, $135,000 compensation)
- Sheila Morris — Executive Director (40 hours/week, $139,000 compensation)
- Christopher Vila — Director, Vice President (0.2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Robert Vila — Director, Vice President, Treasurer (0.2 hours/week, no compensation)
- Susannah Vila — Director, Vice President (10 hours/week, $20,000 compensation)
The foundation has 2 employees on staff.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIANA BARRETT FOUNDATION SOURCE | PRES., DIR., SEC. | 40 | $135,457 |
| CHRISTOPHER VILA FOUNDATION SOURCE | DIR., VP | 0.2 | — |
| ROBERT VILA FOUNDATION SOURCE | DIR., VP, TREAS. | 0.2 | — |
| SUSANNAH VILA FOUNDATION SOURCE | DIR., VP | 10 | $20,004 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported notable initiatives including:
**Martha's Vineyard grantees:** Island Housing Trust (affordable housing), MV Youth Inc. (youth enrichment), Martha's Vineyard Hospital (workforce housing complex), and Sheriff's Meadow Foundation (natural landscape conservation)
**Palm Beach County grantees:** The Lord's Place (homelessness solutions), Miracle Feet (clubfoot treatment access), and The Everglades Foundation ($30,000 grant in 2023)
**Other recent grants:** National Trust for Historic Preservation ($33,350 in 2023), Harvard School of Public Health (educational film projects)
**Filmmaker support:** The foundation has provided fellowships and support for documentary filmmakers through partnerships with institutions like MacDowell and the Santa Fe Film Institute
Santa Fe Film Institute Awards $40,000 to Fledgling Filmmakers \u2014 Santa\Contact Information
Address: 500 Ocean Street 25, Hyannis, Massachusetts
Email: info@thefledglingfund.org
Phone: (508) 737-7754
Website: www.thefledglingfund.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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