The Old Bug Light Charitable
The Old Bug Light Charitable is a private foundation based in Portland, Maine. Its 2026 filing reports 23 grants totaling $200,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations in Maine, New York, and California.
The Old Bug Light Charitable at a glance
In short: The Old Bug Light Charitable gave $200K across 23 grants in 2026 (avg $9K), mostly in Maine. 13% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $200,000
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 23
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $8,696
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,214,166
- -4.9% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (3 of 23, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (75% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Old Bug Light Charitable
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 7160, Portland, ME 04112-7160
Phone: (207) 553-7160
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Old Bug Light Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Friends of Deering Oaks ($50K). Together the top 10 received $158K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 107 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 20% to recipients in New York, and 5% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Old Bug Light Charitable open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 3 of 23 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 78% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+0%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 152% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $171K (2024) to $200K (2026). In 2026 it made 23 grants totaling $200K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Deering Oaks Portland, ME | For Operations | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | For Operations | $30,000 |
| Sailmaine Portland, ME | For Operations | $20,000 |
| ACLU of Maine Portland, ME | For Operations | $10,000 |
| Portland Parks Conservancy Portland, ME | For Operations | $10,000 |
| Surfaid International San Francisco, CA | For Operations | $10,000 |
| Too Young to Wed Peekskill, NY | For Operations | $10,000 |
| Friends of Congress Square Park Portland, ME | For Operations | $7,500 |
| Foundation for Portland Public Portland, ME | For Operations | $5,500 |
| Bicycle Coalition of Maine Portland, ME | For Operations | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Old Bug Light Charitable?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2,214,166 | $109,736 | $223,851 | $200,000 | 23 | $201,811 | $99,048 | $132,696 |
| 2025 | $2,328,281 | $445,861 | $212,881 | $200,000 | 23 | $201,762 | $435,304 | $124,397 |
| 2024 | $2,095,301 | $48,340 | $182,596 | $171,000 | 19 | $172,706 | $54,826 | $121,689 |
| 2023 | $2,229,557 | $-17,218 | $236,404 | $200,000 | 21 | $200,000 | $40,093 | $124,283 |
| 2022 | $2,483,179 | $1,873,393 | $214,198 | $200,000 | 21 | $200,000 | $709,653 | $136,882 |
| 2021 | $1,453,428 | $219,838 | $186,812 | $179,000 | 26 | — | $213,151 | $110,285 |
| 2020 | $1,392,228 | $83,437 | $184,368 | $175,000 | 22 | — | $76,402 | $81,982 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Old Bug Light Charitable reported a distributable amount of $133K for 2026 — 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 2026 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as parks and recreation, health care, arts, leadership, bicycling and walking, and ocean research. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
For example, Portland Parks Conservancy describes its mission as enhancing Portland’s parks and recreational programs through philanthropic capital and community engagement. Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute says it works to elevate high school girls’ confidence and aspirations by building leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Gulf of Maine Research Institute says it develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $200,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $50,000 to Friends of Deering Oaks, $30,000 to Doctors Without Borders, and $20,000 to SailMaine. A further $10,000 each went to ACLU of Maine, Portland Parks Conservancy, SurfAid International, and Too Young to Wed.
Other 2026 grantees included Friends of Congress Square Park ($7,500), Foundation for Portland Public ($5,500), Bicycle Coalition of Maine ($5,000), Gulf of Maine Research Institute ($5,000), and Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership ($5,000). The listed grant purposes were for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists six trustees: Nathaniel T Moore, Christopher S Moore, Jennifer M Vandekreeke, Meryl Nierman, Robin Vandekreeke, and Bree Lacasse.
The Old Bug Light Charitable's 2026 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Bree Lacasse
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Christopher S. Moore
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jennifer M. Vandekreeke
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meryl Nierman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nathaniel T. Moore
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robin Vandekreeke
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Richard E. Curran Jr. (2020–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 Old Bug Light Charitable
How much does The Old Bug Light Charitable give each year?
The Old Bug Light Charitable gave $200K across 23 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $200K across 23 grants.
What is The Old Bug Light Charitable's typical grant size?
The Old Bug Light Charitable's median grant in 2026 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,696, across 23 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Old Bug Light Charitable that year got $21K on average.
Where does The Old Bug Light Charitable give grants?
The Old Bug Light Charitable gives mostly in Maine: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (20%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, ME (17 grants).
Does The Old Bug Light Charitable give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on The Old Bug Light Charitable's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Operations" (23 grants).
Who are The Old Bug Light Charitable's largest grantees?
The Old Bug Light Charitable's largest 2026 grantees include Friends of Deering Oaks ($50,000), Doctors Without Borders ($30,000) and Sailmaine ($20,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Old Bug Light Charitable?
The Old Bug Light Charitable reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $202K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $133K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Old Bug Light Charitable fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as parks and recreation, health care, arts, leadership, bicycling and walking, and ocean research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Old Bug Light Charitable?
The foundation states that it 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 Old Bug Light Charitable's EIN?
The Old Bug Light Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0514859. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does The Old Bug Light Charitable 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Old Bug Light Charitable's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Old Bug Light Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-old-bug-light-charitable-morg_a4192c0ae5274106989be3911cd15e8b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010514859_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Old Bug Light Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-old-bug-light-charitable-morg_a4192c0ae5274106989be3911cd15e8b},
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 Old Bug Light Charitable'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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