William Searls Scholarship Fund
The William Searls Scholarship Fund is a private foundation based in Damariscotta, Maine. Its 2025 filing reports grants for scholarships to educational institutions.
William Searls Scholarship Fund at a glance
In short: William Searls Scholarship Fund gave $20K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Maine. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $19,575
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +54.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,151
- -41.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,125
- Total assets
- $455,629
- +6.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (5 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (53% 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 William Searls Scholarship Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that applications are made at an area school. It lists Margo Stanley Donald Worcester as the contact, says there are no restrictions on awards, and states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Margo Stanley Donald Worcester
Mailing address: PO Box 461, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
Phone: (207) 563-1900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William Searls Scholarship Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Empire Beauty School ($1K). Together the top 10 received $12K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($3,450), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 61 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 18% to Massachusetts, 6% to Pennsylvania, and 6% to Florida. The filing also reports 6% in an unspecified recipient-state category.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William Searls Scholarship Fund open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 12 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 88% 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 (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 $13K (2020) to $22K (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $20K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Empire Beauty School Bangor, ME | Scholarship | $1,200 |
| Maine Maritime Academy Castine, ME | Scholarship | $1,200 |
| Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA | Scholarship | $1,200 |
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $3,450 |
| York County Community College Wells, ME | Scholarship | $1,200 |
| Clark University Worcester, MA | Scholarship | $1,200 |
| Bowdoin Brunswick, ME | Scholarship | $1,125 |
| Flagler College St Augustine, FL | Scholarship | $1,125 |
| Hartpury University | Scholarship | $1,125 |
| Husson University Bangor, ME | Scholarship | $1,125 |
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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 | $455,629 | $53,356 | $25,900 | $19,575 | 17 | $21,454 | $27,943 | $24,508 |
| 2024 | $428,141 | $40,526 | $27,817 | $21,600 | 11 | $23,390 | $21,079 | $21,534 |
| 2023 | $415,486 | $19,934 | $23,170 | $18,000 | 12 | $19,547 | $14,302 | $21,402 |
| 2022 | $418,906 | $27,069 | $22,621 | $15,900 | 12 | $18,309 | $11,754 | $20,361 |
| 2021 | $414,572 | $45,201 | $21,829 | $16,100 | 9 | $19,332 | $19,505 | $24,336 |
| 2020 | $391,146 | $43,841 | $17,136 | $12,850 | 16 | — | $14,974 | $18,397 |
| 2019 | $364,385 | $27,205 | $20,348 | $14,900 | 21 | — | $15,852 | $19,597 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William Searls Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $25K 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 were designated for scholarships. Among the recipients, Muhlenberg College describes a mission of preparing students for leadership and service through intellectual, ethical, and civic development; Flagler College describes its mission as providing an education within an inclusive academic community and preparing students to be responsible citizens and leaders; and Husson University says it prepares students for professional careers through an education informed by the sciences and humanities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $19,575. Grants ranged from $1,125 to $1,200, with a median of $1,125. Listed recipients included Empire Beauty School, Maine Maritime Academy, Muhlenberg College, an individual recipient England University, York County Community College, and Clark University, each receiving $1,200. Flagler College and Husson University each received $1,125.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists First National Bank as trustee.
William Searls Scholarship Fund's only listed officer is First National Bank, Trustee on every filing since 2019 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
First National Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2019
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.
Frequently asked questions about William Searls Scholarship Fund
How much does William Searls Scholarship Fund give each year?
William Searls Scholarship Fund gave $20K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $22K across 11 grants.
What is William Searls Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
William Searls Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2025 was $1,125, and its average grant was $1,151, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William Searls Scholarship Fund that year got $1K on average.
Where does William Searls Scholarship Fund give grants?
William Searls Scholarship Fund gives mostly in Maine: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (18%) and Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bangor, ME (2 grants).
Does William Searls Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on William Searls Scholarship Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (17 grants).
Who are William Searls Scholarship Fund's largest grantees?
William Searls Scholarship Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Empire Beauty School ($1,200), Maine Maritime Academy ($1,200) and Muhlenberg College ($1,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($3,450), which are not listed by name. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William Searls Scholarship Fund?
William Searls Scholarship Fund reported $456K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $21K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (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 William Searls Scholarship Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were designated for scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William Searls Scholarship Fund?
The 2024 filing states that applications are made at an area school. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William Searls Scholarship Fund's EIN?
William Searls Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-6009698. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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 2019 (received by the IRS April 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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