The Windham Foundation Inc
The Windham Foundation is a Vermont-based operating foundation headquartered in Grafton. Established in 1963, it was founded by Dean Mathey, a New York financier who spent summers in Grafton and sought to support the local community. The foundation operates as both a grantmaker and an operating entity, managing mission-driven businesses including the Grafton Inn and the Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.5M
+9.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$409K
+2.8% YoY
Grant Count
136
+11.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
-7.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to preserve and enhance the social, economic, and cultural vitality of Vermont's smaller communities and their rural way of life. It recognizes that "the social and economic vitality of a town is maintained through many activities."
Primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Historical activities and historic preservation
- Education and enhanced learning
- Environment, biodiversity, and plant biodiversity
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
- Community and economic development
- Food security and food processing/distribution
- Conservation and healthy forests and streams
- Climate change adaptation
- Wellness, housing, and health access
- Senior programs and outdoor activities
Grantmaking
The foundation offers multiple grant types including operational support, special initiatives, capacity building, and matching and challenge grants. Grants are capped at $10,000, and the foundation typically does not fund the same organization for more than three years in a row.
Review Cycle
March 15 at 5 p.m.) focuses on: (1) economic development, workforce development, and job readiness; and (2) cultivation of food, food security, food processing and distribution, healthy forests and streams, conservation, and climate change adaptation
Grant Types
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects across multiple states including Vermont (primary focus), Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It has a particular emphasis on Grafton and Vermont's rural communities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving
- Total assets: $20,461,243 (2024)
- Total annual giving: $393,000–$408,670 (2024)
- Annual expenses: $2,676,512–$2,839,855
- Annual revenue: $2,200,411–$2,534,450
- Giving rate: 1.9% of assets
Grant Activity
- 2024: 103 grants awarded
- 2023: 94 grants awarded
- 2022: 86 grants awarded
- Historical total: Over $12 million in grants distributed since inception
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,461,243 | $18,614,532 | $18,476,181 |
| Revenue | $2,200,411 | $2,534,450 | $2,398,908 |
| Expenses | $2,839,855 | $2,676,512 | $2,329,611 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,264,742 | $1,253,441 | $1,090,046 |
| Net Investment Income | $630,823 | $935,862 | $992,484 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Windham Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- William Bruett – Chairman
- Alan Yuspeh – Vice Chair
- Robert Donald – President/CFO (only compensated staff member, receiving $200,000 annually)
- Ellen Lovell – Secretary
- Suzanne Welch – Treasurer
- Jeffrey Smith – Trustee
- Robin Stern – Trustee
- Robert Reese – Trustee
- Dennis D'Amico – Trustee
The foundation employs 4–6 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM BRUETT | TRUSTEE | 8 | — |
| ROBERT DONALD | PRESIDENT/CFO | 40 | $200,000 |
| ELLEN MCCULLOCH-LOVELL | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| SUZANNE WELCH | TREASURER | 4 | — |
| JEFFREY SMITH | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ROBIN STERN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ROBERT REESE | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| DENNIS D'AMICO | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ALAN YUSPEH | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| LISA VENTRISS | CHAIR | 2 | — |
| TIM BRIGLIN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| PETER KUNIN | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced changes to its 2026 grants program, introducing a new two-cycle structure (spring and fall) with distinct mission-driven focus areas. This represents a shift from the previous four-round annual cycle while maintaining accessibility for small local organizations.
The Windham Foundation announces changes to grants program - The VermontRecent grant recipients have included Food Connects, Montgomery Center for the Arts, Vermont Works for Women, and Bull Creek Common Lands, Inc.
The Windham Foundation announces changes to grants program - The VermontRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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