The Kelsey Trust
The Kelsey Trust is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Its giving is limited to organizations that serve people and protect the natural environment of the Lake Champlain Basin.
The Kelsey Trust at a glance
In short: The Kelsey Trust gave $224K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Vermont. 60% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $223,500
- -3.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,450
- -19.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,750
- Total assets
- $3,817,681
- -1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (18 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Vermont (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Kelsey Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The trust accepts unsolicited requests, but funds a limited number of proposals through a letter-of-interest application. The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact the Vermont Community Foundation. The letter should summarize the proposal and its fit with the trust’s mission and priorities; identify the target population and communities served; describe expected outcomes and how success will be assessed; state the amount requested and its share of the project or program budget; give the period in which the grant would be spent; and list other public and private support for the proposed work. It should also include an organizational statement on letterhead giving the organization’s legal name, address, executive director, and whether it is an IRS 501(c)(3). The trust’s giving is limited to organizations serving people and protecting the natural environment of the Lake Champlain Basin.
- Contact
Application contact: Vermont Community Foundation
Mailing address: 3 Court Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: (802) 388-3355
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Kelsey Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Planned Parenthood of Northern New England ($13K). Together the top 10 received $103K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s stated restriction is the Lake Champlain Basin. In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Vermont, 13% to New York, and 3% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Kelsey Trust open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 30 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $188K (2023) to $232K (2024). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $224K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Colchester, VT | General Support | $12,500 |
| Adirondack Foundation Lake Placid, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Committee on Temporary Shelter Inc Burlington, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Addison County Community Action Group Inc DBA Hope Middlebury, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| The John W Graham Emergency Shelter and Services Vergennes, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Spectrum Youth & Family Services Inc Burlington, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of the North Country NY Inc Watertown, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Burlington Inc Burlington, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Resource a Nonprofit Community Enterprise Inc Williston, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Shelburne Farms Shelburne, VT | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Kelsey Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,817,681 | $233,866 | $273,096 | $223,500 | 30 | $230,835 | $186,217 | $235,591 |
| 2024 | $3,856,686 | $480,287 | $266,635 | $232,000 | 25 | $237,963 | $480,287 | $215,105 |
| 2023 | $3,643,034 | $240,941 | $219,214 | $187,500 | 28 | $194,647 | $219,853 | $208,531 |
| 2022 | $3,621,307 | $140,282 | $227,603 | $198,500 | 30 | $202,915 | $118,463 | $224,469 |
| 2021 | $3,708,629 | $269,328 | $224,151 | $199,500 | 19 | — | $166,499 | $227,929 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Kelsey Trust reported a distributable amount of $236K for 2025 — 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 trust’s filing describes its geographic giving restriction but does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grantees included organizations whose own missions address reproductive and sexual health care, emergency shelter and housing, youth and family services, sustainable learning, environmental stewardship, and community support. For example, Shelburne Farms says its mission is to “inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future,” while the Committee on Temporary Shelter says it provides shelter, services, and housing for people who are homeless or marginally housed in Vermont.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 30 grants totaling $223,500. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $12,500, with a median of $7,750. Twelve of the largest listed awards included $12,500 to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and $10,000 each to the Adirondack Foundation, Committee on Temporary Shelter, Addison County Community Action Group (doing business as HOPE), the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter and Services, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, Planned Parenthood of the North Country New York, Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, Resource, Shelburne Farms, and Vermont Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paula D. Johnson and Stephen P. Johnson as trustees.
The Kelsey Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paula D. Johnson
Trustee - As Required
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Stephen P. Johnson
Trustee - As Required
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sally P. Johnson (2021–2022) — Trustee - As Required
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Kelsey Trust
How much does The Kelsey Trust give each year?
The Kelsey Trust gave $224K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $232K across 25 grants.
What is The Kelsey Trust's typical grant size?
The Kelsey Trust's median grant in 2025 was $7,750, and its average grant was $7,450, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Kelsey Trust that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Kelsey Trust give grants?
The Kelsey Trust gives mostly in Vermont: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Burlington, VT (9 grants), Middlebury, VT (3 grants), Williston, VT (2 grants) and Lake Placid, NY (2 grants).
Does The Kelsey Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Kelsey Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Kelsey Trust's largest grantees?
The Kelsey Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Planned Parenthood of Northern New England ($12,500), Adirondack Foundation ($10,000) and Committee on Temporary Shelter Inc ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Kelsey Trust?
The Kelsey Trust reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $231K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $236K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Kelsey Trust fund?
The trust’s filing describes its geographic giving restriction but does not state a separate mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Kelsey Trust?
The trust accepts unsolicited requests, but funds a limited number of proposals through a letter-of-interest application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Kelsey Trust's EIN?
The Kelsey Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6609917. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Kelsey Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Kelsey Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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—
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Kelsey Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-kelsey-trust-morg_1d493e91cf41463491285bbe3ef6aaa7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046609917_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Kelsey Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-kelsey-trust-morg_1d493e91cf41463491285bbe3ef6aaa7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Kelsey Trust'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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