Willard C Tilson Foundation
The Willard C Tilson Foundation is a private foundation based in Exeter, New Hampshire. Its 2024 filing lists awards to qualifying nonprofit organizations operating in Massachusetts, with each listed grant designated for ongoing operational support.
Willard C Tilson Foundation at a glance
In short: Willard C Tilson Foundation gave $290K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Massachusetts. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $290,000
- +205.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +83.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,364
- +66.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $4,933,048
- +2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Willard C Tilson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Laurie Kelly as the contact and states that application form and materials are available by request. Awards are restricted to qualifying nonprofit organizations that operate in Massachusetts.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Laurie Kelly
Mailing address: 58 Watson Road, Exeter, NH 03833
Phone: (603) 303-3876
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Willard C Tilson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Waring School ($50K). Together the top 10 received $275K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 58 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 filing specifies that awards are restricted to qualifying nonprofit organizations operating in Massachusetts. All listed 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Willard C Tilson Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 11 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. How we count
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2023) to $378K (2020). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Waring School Beverly, MA | On-going operational support | $50,000 |
| Elevated Thought Lawrence, MA | On-going operational support | $40,000 |
| Art Haven Gloucester, MA | On-going operational support | $25,000 |
| Raw Art Works Lynn, MA | On-going operational support | $25,000 |
| The Cornerstone Creative Gloucester, MA | On-going operational support | $25,000 |
| The Haven Project Inc Lynn, MA | On-going operational support | $25,000 |
| Womens Money Matter Boston, MA | On-going operational support | $25,000 |
| Building Bridges Through Music Lynn, MA | On-going operational support | $20,000 |
| Greater Lawrence Community Boating Lawrence, MA | On-going operational support | $20,000 |
| Someone Cares New England Haverhill, MA | On-going operational support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Willard C Tilson Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,933,048 | $491,547 | $368,536 | $290,000 | 11 | $314,000 | $432,409 | $287,294 |
| 2023 | $4,810,037 | $277,062 | $308,171 | $95,000 | 6 | $254,000 | $219,288 | $274,692 |
| 2022 | $4,841,146 | $100,562 | $267,666 | $190,000 | 15 | $214,000 | $50,673 | $282,255 |
| 2021 | $5,008,250 | $306,134 | $472,761 | $206,000 | 10 | $421,000 | $258,549 | $332,588 |
| 2020 | $5,174,877 | $227,850 | $433,708 | $377,500 | 16 | — | $82,229 | $289,865 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Willard C Tilson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $287K for 2024 — 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 own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations whose work includes youth arts, music education, boating and environmental education, and youth leadership. For example, Raw Art Works says its mission is to inspire creativity and confidence in underserved youth; Building Bridges Through Music describes providing after-school and summer music programs; and Greater Lawrence Community Boating says it teaches safe boating and environmental awareness. Top Notch Scholars describes its work as helping inner-city youth explore their passions and career goals through mentorship, training, and real-world experiences.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $290,000. Awards ranged from $15,000 to $50,000, with a median of $25,000. All 11 listed grants were to Massachusetts organizations and designated for ongoing operational support. Recipients included The Waring School ($50,000), Elevated Thought ($40,000), Art Haven and Raw Art Works ($25,000 each), and The Haven Project Inc and Womens Money Matter ($25,000 each).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laurie Kelly and Rokhaya Waring as trustees.
Willard C Tilson Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Laurie Kelly
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $20K (2024)
Rokhaya Waring
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $20K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $20K, to Laurie Kelly (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Willard C Tilson Foundation
How much does Willard C Tilson Foundation give each year?
Willard C Tilson Foundation gave $290K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $95K across 6 grants.
What is Willard C Tilson Foundation's typical grant size?
Willard C Tilson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $26,364, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Willard C Tilson Foundation give grants?
Willard C Tilson Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lawrence, MA (3 grants), Lynn, MA (3 grants) and Gloucester, MA (2 grants).
Does Willard C Tilson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Willard C Tilson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Willard C Tilson Foundation's largest grantees?
Willard C Tilson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Waring School ($50,000), Elevated Thought ($40,000) and Art Haven ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Willard C Tilson Foundation?
Willard C Tilson Foundation reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $314K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $287K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Willard C Tilson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations whose work includes youth arts, music education, boating and environmental education, and youth leadership. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Willard C Tilson Foundation?
The filing lists Laurie Kelly as the contact and states that application form and materials are available by request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Willard C Tilson Foundation's EIN?
Willard C Tilson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6036556. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Willard C Tilson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/willard-c-tilson-foundation-morg_8869a34abf474601be93861d5be30843
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046036556_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Willard C Tilson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/willard-c-tilson-foundation-morg_8869a34abf474601be93861d5be30843},
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 Willard C Tilson Foundation'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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