The Van Horn Foundation
The Van Horn Foundation is a private foundation based in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing states that it makes contributions to charitable organizations for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes.
The Van Horn Foundation at a glance
In short: The Van Horn Foundation gave $34K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Maryland. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $33,960
- -1.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,787
- +3.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $347,804
- -2.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (37% 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 Van Horn 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: Co Wayne Bank 717 Main Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: (570) 253-8506
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Van Horn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was McDaniel College ($12K). Together the top 10 received $27K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 102 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland (37%), Pennsylvania (24%), New Jersey (20%), and South Carolina (19%). The listed grants include organizations in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, as well as recipients in the other three states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Van Horn Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 18 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $500; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $27K (2019) to $34K (2024). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $34K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| McDaniel College Westminster, MD | Further Mission of Organizaiton | $11,560 |
| St Vincent Academy Newark, NJ | Scholarship Funds | $3,000 |
| Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church Point Pleasant, NJ | Further Mission of Organization | $2,400 |
| Deep Well Project Hilton Head Island, SC | Further Mission of Organization | $2,000 |
| First Union African Baptist Church Daufuskie Island, SC | Further Mission of Organization | $2,000 |
| Wayne County Public Library Honesdale, PA | Further Mission of Organization | $2,000 |
| Common Ground on the Hill Westminster, MD | Scholarship Funds | $1,000 |
| Friends of East Broadtop RR State College, PA | Restoration | $1,000 |
| Honesdale Communities That Care Inc Honesdale, PA | Futher Mission of Organization | $1,000 |
| Honesdale Emergency Pantry Honesdale, PA | Further Mission of Organization | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $347,804 | $34,280 | $44,243 | $33,960 | 19 | $39,057 | $30,234 | $36,517 |
| 2024 | $357,767 | $41,559 | $43,240 | $34,460 | 20 | $39,185 | $37,778 | $32,997 |
| 2023 | $359,448 | $11,013 | $37,865 | $29,839 | 20 | $34,119 | $16,671 | $31,308 |
| 2022 | $386,300 | $30,007 | $42,489 | $34,189 | 23 | $38,565 | $26,296 | $32,953 |
| 2021 | $398,782 | $33,881 | $41,942 | $34,245 | 20 | $38,391 | $30,560 | $33,765 |
| 2020 | $406,843 | $18,310 | $38,004 | $31,186 | 25 | — | $16,580 | $32,277 |
| 2019 | $426,537 | $18,306 | $33,812 | $27,386 | 17 | — | $18,133 | $30,056 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Van Horn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $37K 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 foundation’s 2025 filing describes its charitable activity as funding charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes through contributions to charitable organizations.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. McDaniel College describes its mission as providing a student-centered liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies education. Common Ground on the Hill says it provides opportunities to study musical instruments and art forms representing varied cultural traditions and sponsors artistic events. Other grantees describe work that includes providing basic necessities to people in need, educating communities about domestic and sexual violence, and feeding people facing hunger.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $33,960. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $11,560, with a median grant of $1,000.
The largest reported grants included $11,560 to McDaniel College for “further mission of organization,” $3,000 to St Vincent Academy for scholarship funds, $2,400 to Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church for “further mission of organization,” and $2,000 each to Deep Well Project, First Union African Baptist Church, and Wayne County Public Library for “further mission of organization.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Wayne Bank, John Van Horn, Mary Ellen Luthy, and Mellissa Wertman as trustees.
The Van Horn Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wayne Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$5K (2019) → $8K (2025)
John Van Horn
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Ellen Luthy
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mellissa Wertman
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $8K, to Wayne Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Van Horn Foundation
How much does The Van Horn Foundation give each year?
The Van Horn Foundation gave $34K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $34K across 20 grants.
What is The Van Horn Foundation's typical grant size?
The Van Horn Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,787, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Van Horn Foundation that year got $500 on average.
Where does The Van Horn Foundation give grants?
The Van Horn Foundation's top state is Maryland, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (24%) and New Jersey (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Honesdale, PA (7 grants), Westminster, MD (2 grants) and Hilton Head Island, SC (2 grants).
Does The Van Horn Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Van Horn Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Further Mission of Organization" (14 grants).
Who are The Van Horn Foundation's largest grantees?
The Van Horn Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include McDaniel College ($11,560), St Vincent Academy ($3,000) and Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church ($2,400), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Van Horn Foundation?
The Van Horn Foundation reported $348K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $37K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Van Horn Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its charitable activity as funding charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes through contributions to charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Van Horn 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 Van Horn Foundation's EIN?
The Van Horn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8246406. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Van Horn 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 11, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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