The William and Alice Mortensen

Private foundation · Grantmaker West Hartford, CT EIN: 06-1064150

The William and Alice Mortensen is a private foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. In 2025, it reported 57 grants totaling $716,418, with nearly all grant dollars going to recipients in Connecticut.

The William and Alice Mortensen at a glance

In short: The William and Alice Mortensen gave $716K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Connecticut. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$716,418
+2.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
57
+7.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$12,569
-4.3% vs 2024
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$9,511,380
-0.6% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
5% first-time grantees (3 of 57, 2025)
Primary geography
Connecticut (99% 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 William and Alice Mortensen

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: PO Box 370113, West Hartford, CT 06137-0113
Phone: (860) 402-7347

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The William and Alice Mortensen funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Real Art Ways: $60KReal Art Ways$60KCharter Oak Cultural Center: $50KCharter Oak Cultural Center$50KUconn Foundation: $50KUconn Foundation$50KFirst Night Hartford: $30KFirst Night Hartford$30KHartford Public Library: $26KHartford Public Library$26KWadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: $20KWadsworth Atheneum Museum ofArt$20KNew England Air Museum: $18KNew England Air Museum$18KNew Britain Museum of Art Inc: $16KNew Britain Museum of Art Inc$16KConnecticut Science Center: $15KConnecticut Science Center$15KElizabeth Park Conservancy Inc: $15KElizabeth Park Conservancy Inc$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Real Art Ways ($60K). Together the top 10 received $300K.

Grant Size Distribution

313 grants across all recorded years

293<$50K17$50–100K3$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 293 grants of 313 (94%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, recipients in Connecticut received 99% of grant dollars and recipients in Massachusetts received 1%.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.

Cities

HartfordWest HartfordStorrsEast HartfordNew BritainSimsburyWethersfieldWindsorAshfordEast WindsorFarmingtonWindsor LocksAvonWallingfordWaterburyWest HavenEast HaddamManchesterNewingtonBloomfield

Is The William and Alice Mortensen open to new grantees?

5%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 57 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $13K. How we count

Medians: $16K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 87% 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 (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

$0$500K$1M$1.5M75 grants2020 68 grants2021 63 grants2022 72 grants2023 53 grants2024 57 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $696K (2024) to $1.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $716K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Real Art Ways Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$60,000
Charter Oak Cultural Center Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$50,000
Uconn Foundation Storrs, CTProgram Assistance$50,000
First Night Hartford West Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$30,000
Hartford Public Library Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$26,020
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$20,000
New England Air Museum Windsor Locks, CTProgram Assistance$17,500
New Britain Museum of Art Inc New Britain, CTProgram Assistance$15,587
Connecticut Science Center Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$15,466
Elizabeth Park Conservancy Inc West Hartford, CTProgram Assistance$15,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$9,511,380$847,144$899,808$716,41857$724,136$684,552$833,661
2024$9,564,044$742,682$872,226$696,07653$782,706$663,301$798,892
2023$9,693,588$468,330$946,741$783,50772$864,733$395,553$737,171
2022$10,164,054$499,051$1,139,230$937,28063$1,019,524$391,580$735,842
2021$10,795,647$1,203,964$1,216,908$1,041,32668$1,123,875$1,117,395$854,184
2020$10,753,734$578,739$1,246,225$1,077,19275—$494,403$727,834

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The William and Alice Mortensen reported a distributable amount of $834K 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

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Real Art Ways describes its work as presenting and supporting contemporary artists and engaging audiences and communities; the Hartford Public Library says it provides free resources that inspire reading and guide learning; and the Connecticut Science Center describes its mission as inspiring lifelong learning through interactive experiences in science.

Other 2025 recipients describe work in horticulture and public education (Elizabeth Park Conservancy), shelter and personalized support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness (South Park Inn), and housing, transportation, and care services for seniors and adults with disabilities (New Horizons).

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 57 grants totaling $716,418. Awards ranged from $3,500 to $60,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Its largest reported awards included $60,000 to Real Art Ways, $50,000 each to Charter Oak Cultural Center and the UConn Foundation, and $30,000 to First Night Hartford. Other notable grants included $26,020 to Hartford Public Library, $20,000 to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and $17,500 to the New England Air Museum. These grants were listed for program assistance.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Tim Covello as president, Suzanne Giuffrida as vice president, Dr. Ellen W. Solek as secretary, and Rodney Mortensen as director.

The William and Alice Mortensen is led by Tim Covello, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Tim Covello

    President

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rodney Mortensen

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellen W. Solek

    Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $300 (2020) → $0 (2025)

  • Suzanne Giuffrida

    Vice President

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: Alfred V. Covello (2020–2021) — President
  • Former: Robert M. Hadley (2020–2021) — Assistant Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
  • Former: Robert S. Carter Jr. (2020–2021) — Director

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Dr Ellen W Solek — Secretary: $600Dr Ellen W SolekSecretary$600

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $600, to Dr Ellen W Solek (Secretary).

Frequently asked questions about The William and Alice Mortensen

How much does The William and Alice Mortensen give each year?

The William and Alice Mortensen gave $716K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $696K across 53 grants.

What is The William and Alice Mortensen's typical grant size?

The William and Alice Mortensen's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,569, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The William and Alice Mortensen that year got $14K on average.

Where does The William and Alice Mortensen give grants?

The William and Alice Mortensen gives mostly in Connecticut: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hartford, CT (26 grants), West Hartford, CT (11 grants), Storrs, CT (2 grants) and New Britain, CT (2 grants).

Does The William and Alice Mortensen give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 57 grants with a stated purpose on The William and Alice Mortensen's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Assistance" (57 grants).

Who are The William and Alice Mortensen's largest grantees?

The William and Alice Mortensen's largest 2025 grantees include Real Art Ways ($60,000), Charter Oak Cultural Center ($50,000) and Uconn Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The William and Alice Mortensen?

The William and Alice Mortensen reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $724K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $834K (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 William and Alice Mortensen fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The William and Alice Mortensen?

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 William and Alice Mortensen's EIN?

The William and Alice Mortensen's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1064150. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The William and Alice Mortensen 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

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The William and Alice Mortensen funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-and-alice-mortensen-morg_2627c93138e442c4932622849691ca18

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_061064150_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The William and Alice Mortensen funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-william-and-alice-mortensen-morg_2627c93138e442c4932622849691ca18},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 William and Alice Mortensen'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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