The Foster Family Foundation
The Foster Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Vero Beach, Florida. Its 2024 grants supported organizations in education, the arts, health care, emergency services, and community outreach.
The Foster Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Foster Family Foundation gave $101K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state Connecticut. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $101,365
- +34.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,899
- +34.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,155,244
- +0.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Foster Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 Beachland Blvd PO Box 1-279, Vero Beach, FL 32963-1710
Phone: (203) 227-1006
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Foster Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Greens Farms Academy ($13K). Together the top 10 received $79K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 119 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Connecticut (39%), New York (25%), and Florida (20%), followed by Vermont (10%) and Pennsylvania (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Foster Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 26 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $900; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 46% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $58K (2020) to $101K (2024). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $101K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greens Farms Academy Greens Farms, CT | Educational Programs Support | $13,000 |
| Bascom Palmer Eye Institute University of Miami Health System Miami, FL | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Fund of Friends Seminary New York, NY | Educational Programs Support | $10,000 |
| Middlebury College Middlebury, VT | Educational Programs Support - Annual Giving | $10,000 |
| The Metropolitan Opera New York, NY | Program Support | $8,500 |
| Goodspeed Opera Company East Haddam, CT | Program Support | $7,500 |
| The Fund for Yale New Haven Hospital New Haven, CT | Program Support | $7,500 |
| Westport Volunteer EMS Westport, CT | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Educational Programs Support | $4,500 |
| The Vero Beach Museum of Art Vero Beach, FL | Program Support | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Foster Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,155,244 | $127,426 | $122,601 | $101,365 | 26 | $105,455 | $104,263 | $96,280 |
| 2023 | $1,150,419 | $28,467 | $92,099 | $75,660 | 26 | $75,660 | $12,028 | $84,174 |
| 2022 | $1,214,051 | $106,988 | $95,907 | $75,300 | 22 | $76,971 | $1,374 | $82,452 |
| 2021 | $1,176,308 | $387,213 | $83,646 | $69,660 | 25 | $76,616 | $269,556 | $74,871 |
| 2020 | $896,894 | $109,800 | $69,349 | $58,160 | 20 | — | $17,975 | $57,020 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Foster Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $96K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s grants include educational-program and general program support. Among its grantees, Greens Farms Academy describes its mission as preparing students for “a life of purpose”; the Metropolitan Museum of Art says it connects people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas through art; and Vero Beach Opera says it encourages and supports opera in Indian River County, Florida. Other grantees include a hospital fund, an eye institute, volunteer emergency medical services, and a community outreach program.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $101,365. Grants ranged from $100 to $13,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants included $13,000 to Greens Farms Academy for educational programs support; $10,000 each to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute University of Miami Health System for program support, Fund of Friends Seminary for educational programs support, and Middlebury College for educational programs support; and $8,500 to the Metropolitan Opera for program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists five trustees: Charles M Foster, Elena M Foster, Charles M Foster V, Michelle F Miller, and Catherine Foster Ellison.
The Foster Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Catherine Foster Ellison
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Charles M. Foster
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Charles M. Foster V
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elena M. Foster
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michelle F. Miller
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Foster Family Foundation
How much does The Foster Family Foundation give each year?
The Foster Family Foundation gave $101K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $76K across 26 grants.
What is The Foster Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Foster Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,899, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Foster Family Foundation that year got $900 on average.
Where does The Foster Family Foundation give grants?
The Foster Family Foundation's top state is Connecticut, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (25%) and Florida (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), New Haven, CT (3 grants), Vero Beach, FL (3 grants) and Westport, CT (2 grants).
Does The Foster Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of The Foster Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (19 grants) and "Educational Programs Support" (5 grants).
Who are The Foster Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Foster Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Greens Farms Academy ($13,000), Bascom Palmer Eye Institute University of Miami Health System ($10,000) and Fund of Friends Seminary ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Foster Family Foundation?
The Foster Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $105K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $96K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Foster Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s grants include educational-program and general program support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Foster Family 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 Foster Family Foundation's EIN?
The Foster Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6801625. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Foster Family Foundation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Foster Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-foster-family-foundation-morg_4212af5375234938bb6cf39691cfb8a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356801625_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Foster Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-foster-family-foundation-morg_4212af5375234938bb6cf39691cfb8a8},
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 Foster Family Foundation'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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