The Harbor Oaks Foundation
The Harbor Oaks Foundation is a private foundation based in Marion, Massachusetts. In its 2024 filing, it reported giving grants to organizations in several states, including New Mexico, Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts.
The Harbor Oaks Foundation at a glance
In short: The Harbor Oaks Foundation gave $38K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), top state New Mexico. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $38,000
- +58.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,727
- +43.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $346,503
- -6.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (2 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Mexico (45% 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 Harbor Oaks Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists a letter requesting funds as the application material and names Lurline R Paulsen as the contact. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed in the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed in the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Lurline R Paulsen
Mailing address: PO Box 576, Marion, MA 02738
Phone: (508) 748-0800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Harbor Oaks Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Santa Fe Conservation Trust ($5K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 94 grants of 94 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 45% of grant dollars went to recipients in New Mexico, 34% to Oregon, 8% to Maine, 8% to Massachusetts, and 3% to Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Harbor Oaks Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 21 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 184% 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 $9K (2020) to $38K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $38K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Conservation Trust Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Wild Earth Guardians Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Immigrant and Refugee Comunity Portland, OR | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Community Cycling Center Portland, ME | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Do Good Multnomah Portland, OR | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Buzzards Bay Musicfest Inc Marion, MA | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Commonweal Conservancy Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Lewis & Clark Graduate School Portland, OR | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Santa Fe Children's Museum Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
| Cooking with Kids Inc Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted | $1,000 |
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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 | $346,503 | $21,872 | $45,754 | $38,000 | 22 | $38,035 | $14,653 | $20,622 |
| 2023 | $370,385 | $6,840 | $31,662 | $24,000 | 20 | $24,035 | $3,543 | $21,125 |
| 2022 | $395,206 | $-37,944 | $45,297 | $34,500 | 19 | $34,535 | — | $23,460 |
| 2021 | $478,507 | $53,115 | $37,078 | $29,967 | 20 | $30,002 | $76,277 | $26,188 |
| 2020 | $462,410 | $358,571 | $13,240 | $8,809 | 13 | — | $15,593 | $12,293 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Harbor Oaks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $21K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Santa Fe Conservation Trust says it works to protect culturally and environmentally significant landscapes in northern New Mexico, while Do Good Multnomah says it provides shelter, housing, and support services for veterans and other marginalized people experiencing homelessness. Cooking with Kids says it provides hands-on nutrition education to children and families, and Sippican Lands Trust says it works to conserve land in Marion, Massachusetts.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $38,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among the larger grants were $5,000 each to Santa Fe Conservation Trust and Wild Earth Guardians, both in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Immigrant and Refugee Community in Portland, Oregon. Other notable grants included $2,500 to Community Cycling Center in Portland, Maine, and $2,500 to Do Good Multnomah in Portland, Oregon. The grants listed in the filing were designated unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Armstrong, Josh Carswell, Lurline R Paulsen, and Cristy P Carswell as trustees.
The Harbor Oaks Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cristy P. Carswell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Josh Carswell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lurline R. Paulsen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Armstrong
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 Harbor Oaks Foundation
How much does The Harbor Oaks Foundation give each year?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation gave $38K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $24K across 20 grants.
What is The Harbor Oaks Foundation's typical grant size?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,727, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Harbor Oaks Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Harbor Oaks Foundation give grants?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation's top state is New Mexico, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Oregon (34%) and Maine (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Fe, NM (7 grants), Portland, OR (7 grants), Portland, ME (2 grants) and Marion, MA (2 grants).
Does The Harbor Oaks Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of The Harbor Oaks Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Harbor Oaks Foundation's largest grantees?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Santa Fe Conservation Trust ($5,000), Wild Earth Guardians ($5,000) and Immigrant and Refugee Comunity ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Harbor Oaks Foundation?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation reported $347K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $38K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $21K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Harbor Oaks Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Harbor Oaks Foundation?
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Harbor Oaks Foundation's EIN?
The Harbor Oaks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6934058. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Live grants for the work The Harbor Oaks Foundation funds
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Harbor Oaks 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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