The Marian Foundation
The Marian Foundation is a private foundation based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 giving included organizations working in mentorship, education, professional development, humanitarian aid, and nature conservation.
The Marian Foundation at a glance
In short: The Marian Foundation gave $15K across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $441.176), top state Colorado. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,000
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +3.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $441
- -3.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $200
- Total assets
- $215,297
- -3.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (13 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Marian 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: 1617 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Phone: (919) 929-9219
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Marian Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mamabird Alumni Mentorship Association ($6K). Together the top 10 received $12K.
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 121 grants of 121 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipient locations accounted for these shares of grant dollars: Colorado, 41%; North Carolina, 21%; Washington, DC, 8%; New York, 7%; and Virginia, 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Marian Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 34 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $731; repeat grants $262. How we count
Medians: $200 first-time, $200 repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2023) to $15K (2024). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $15K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mamabird Alumni Mentorship Association Denver, CO | Mentorship | $6,000 |
| PBS Foundation Arlington, VA | Educational | $1,000 |
| NPR Washington, DC | Educational | $1,000 |
| American Dance Festival Durham, NC | Professional Development | $1,000 |
| HL Ferguson Museum Fishers Island, NY | Educational | $500 |
| Prison Mindfulness Institute South Deerfield, MA | Humanitarian Education | $500 |
| Book Harvest Durham, NC | Educational | $500 |
| Triangle Land Conservancy Durham, NC | Nature Conservation | $500 |
| Cambodian Childrens Santa Monica, CA | Humanitarian Aid | $400 |
| Appalachian Trail Conservancy Harpers Ferry, WV | Nature Conservation | $300 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $215,297 | $11,074 | $19,896 | $15,000 | 34 | — |
| 2024 | $224,118 | $11,848 | $19,643 | $15,015 | 33 | — |
| 2023 | $231,913 | $12,411 | $13,596 | $8,700 | 14 | — |
| 2022 | $231,596 | $7,546 | $18,429 | $13,200 | 21 | $31,270 |
| 2021 | $210,678 | $8,426 | $13,645 | $12,660 | 19 | $49,338 |
| 2020 | $163,615 | $5,330 | $14,551 | $11,100 | 16 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied activities. For example, Book Harvest says it provides books to children and promotes lifelong literacy; Triangle Land Conservancy says it protects natural habitats and connects people with nature; and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy says it protects and helps manage the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. American Dance Festival describes its work as supporting modern dance, while Feeding America says it works to ensure equitable access to nutritious food.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 34 grants totaling $15,000. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $6,000, with a median of $200. Its largest award was $6,000 to Mamabird Alumni Mentorship Association in Denver for mentorship. Other notable grants included $1,000 each to PBS Foundation for educational purposes, NPR for educational purposes, and American Dance Festival for professional development. The foundation also gave $500 to Book Harvest for educational purposes and $500 to Triangle Land Conservancy for nature conservation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Helen Davidson as President/Treasurer and Richard Tapper as Secretary.
The Marian Foundation is led by Helen Davidson, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Helen Davidson
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Tapper
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Marian Foundation
How much does The Marian Foundation give each year?
The Marian Foundation gave $15K across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $15K across 33 grants.
What is The Marian Foundation's typical grant size?
The Marian Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $200, and its average grant was $441, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Marian Foundation that year got $731 on average.
Where does The Marian Foundation give grants?
The Marian Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (21%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Raleigh, NC (3 grants) and Chapel Hill, NC (3 grants).
Does The Marian Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on The Marian Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Nature Conservation" (8 grants), "Humanitarian Aid" (5 grants) and "Educational" (4 grants).
Who are The Marian Foundation's largest grantees?
The Marian Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mamabird Alumni Mentorship Association ($6,000), PBS Foundation ($1,000) and NPR ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Marian Foundation?
The Marian Foundation reported $215K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $11K.
What does The Marian Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Marian 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 Marian Foundation's EIN?
The Marian Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2169788. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Marian Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Marian Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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