Watering Pond Foundation Inc
Watering Pond Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Guilford, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with listed recipients working in areas including humanitarian response, food access, health, the environment, and meditation.
Watering Pond Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Watering Pond Foundation Inc gave $64K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state New York. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $63,682
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,274
- +40.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,427,886
- +7.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (36% 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 Watering Pond Foundation Inc
- 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: 80 Watering Pond Road, Guilford, CT 06437
Phone: (203) 494-1355
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Watering Pond Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doctors Without Borders USA ($13K). Together the top 10 received $49K.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 159 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (36%), Massachusetts (17%), Connecticut (12%), Washington, DC (11%), and Iowa (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Watering Pond Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 28 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $738; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $738 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $53K (2020) to $65K (2022). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $64K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders USA New York, NY | General Support | $13,000 |
| Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health Stockbridge, MA | General Support | $7,000 |
| Enviromental Defense Fund New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Mercy Corps Boone, IA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Partners in Health Boston, MA | General Support | $4,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Support | $3,589 |
| Guest House Retreat & Conference Center Chester, CT | General Support | $3,032 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | General Support | $3,000 |
| Spirit Rock Meditation Center Woodacre, CA | General Support | $3,000 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | General Support | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,427,886 | $57,884 | $79,544 | $63,682 | 28 | $65,825 | $44,797 | $66,112 |
| 2024 | $1,326,361 | $59,909 | $72,751 | $58,240 | 36 | $60,430 | $48,259 | $61,511 |
| 2023 | $1,206,198 | $46,702 | $67,168 | $58,525 | 28 | $60,425 | $34,593 | — |
| 2022 | $933,431 | $58,325 | $76,630 | $65,075 | 36 | $65,075 | $28,677 | — |
| 2021 | $956,376 | $69,751 | $66,937 | $55,500 | 31 | $55,500 | $29,867 | — |
| 2020 | $960,262 | $39,207 | $62,396 | $53,350 | 49 | — | $33,299 | $51,243 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Watering Pond Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $66K 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 include support for organizations addressing humanitarian crises, hunger, reproductive freedom, and human rights, as well as organizations focused on environmental defense, yoga, and meditation.
The grantees describe their own missions as follows: World Central Kitchen provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises; the International Rescue Committee responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster; Feeding America works to ensure equitable access to nutritious food; Connecticut Foodshare mobilizes community partners to respond to hunger; Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation works to build support for reproductive choices; and the International Campaign for Tibet promotes human rights and democratic freedoms for the people of Tibet.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $63,682. Grants ranged from $100 to $13,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest awards included $13,000 to Doctors Without Borders USA, $7,000 to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, $5,000 each to Environmental Defense Fund and Mercy Corps, and $4,000 to Partners in Health. Each of these grants was designated for general support. Other notable grants included $3,589 to World Central Kitchen, $3,032 to Guest House Retreat & Conference Center, and $3,000 each to the International Rescue Committee and Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dorothy L Cochrane as president, Michael F Bower as treasurer and secretary, and Lily Bower as director.
Watering Pond Foundation Inc is led by Dorothy L. Cochrane, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dorothy L. Cochrane
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lily Bower
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael F. Bower
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/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 Watering Pond Foundation Inc
How much does Watering Pond Foundation Inc give each year?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc gave $64K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58K across 36 grants.
What is Watering Pond Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,274, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Watering Pond Foundation Inc that year got $738 on average.
Where does Watering Pond Foundation Inc give grants?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (17%) and Connecticut (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Boone, IA (2 grants) and Guilford, CT (2 grants).
Does Watering Pond Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Watering Pond Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Watering Pond Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Doctors Without Borders USA ($13,000), Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health ($7,000) and Enviromental Defense Fund ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Watering Pond Foundation Inc?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $66K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $66K (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 Watering Pond Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations addressing humanitarian crises, hunger, reproductive freedom, and human rights, as well as organizations focused on environmental defense, yoga, and meditation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Watering Pond Foundation Inc?
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 Watering Pond Foundation Inc's EIN?
Watering Pond Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3282518. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Watering Pond Foundation Inc 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 2025 (received by the IRS June 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Watering Pond Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/watering-pond-foundation-inc-morg_08619cef4dde44a591b14724a3a34c7a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223282518_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Watering Pond Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/watering-pond-foundation-inc-morg_08619cef4dde44a591b14724a3a34c7a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Watering Pond Foundation Inc'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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