The Barbara and Franklin Carson Family Foundation concentrates its giving on direct human services and poverty-relief programs, with a strong preference for faith-aligned and community-based service providers. Most dollars support a small number of repeat recipients that provide emergency assistance, shelter/food services, and educational supports (ESL and scholarships), while also making place-based investments in Collier County civic infrastructure.
Barbara and Franklin Carson Family Foundation Inc gives at a level that supports a small set of repeat grantees rather than a wide-open portfolio. The clearest signal is the sustained support for Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa, which received $150,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025. That pattern matches the foundation’s broader emphasis on direct human services: emergency assistance, shelter, food, and related support for low-income individuals and families. Its recent grants also show a mix of community support and education-related funding. Scholarship America received awards in 2023 and 2024, while Collier Community Foundation in Naples appears across multiple years as part of the foundation’s place-based giving. The foundation also supports organizations serving adults and families through English language instruction, veterans’ support, faith-based relief, and local community needs. The recipient list is entirely U.S.-based, and several awards go to Naples organizations, reflecting a strong local thread alongside national grantmaking.
Direct poverty relief is a central theme. Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa received $150,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2024 and 2025 for services tied to emergency assistance, shelter, and food support. Education and access also appear in the portfolio. Scholarship America received $50,000 in 2023 and $20,000 in 2023, while Naples Yacht Club Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund received $10,000 in 2023. Those grants point to postsecondary support and scholarship funding. The foundation also backs adult education and language access. English in Action received $50,000 in 2024, indicating support for English-language instruction for immigrants and low-income adults. Faith-based relief is another recurring lane: Samaritans Purse received multiple grants, including $50,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024.
Typical awards cluster around a modest core size: the p25 is $3,750, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $18,750. The recent record suggests a concentrated strategy, with several organizations appearing in multiple years rather than one-off gifts. Metropolitan Ministries, Samaritans Purse, Collier Community Foundation, St Matthew's House Inc, Roaring Fork Conservancy, and Theatre Aspen each show repeated support. The foundation is a private family foundation, not an entity that funds individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Grants are made nationally, with a strong share of awards going to recipients in Florida.
$235K
$5M
$362K
$273K
Most grants fall between $4K and $19K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$19K
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Concentrated giving: few, relatively large grants with multiple repeat awards to core grantees. Funding skews toward hands-on service providers and faith-based organizations, supplemented by targeted investments in local community infrastructure and education access.
Notable grantees: Metropolitan Ministries, Samaritan's Purse, Collier Community Foundation, English in Action, Scholarship America
Grantmaking is national, but the distribution is weighted toward Florida and a smaller set of repeat cities. Recipients in Florida make up 40% of grants, with Naples appearing often through Collier Community Foundation, St Matthew's House Inc, Starability Foundation, Naples Yacht Club Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund, and Naples Botanical Garden. Tampa is another repeat location through Metropolitan Ministries. Outside Florida, the foundation also gives to organizations in Basalt, Boone, Minneapolis, Aspen, Arlington, and Herndon.
The recent grants point to direct human services, faith-based relief, adult education, scholarship support, and local civic capacity. Examples include emergency assistance and shelter through Metropolitan Ministries, English-language instruction through English in Action, scholarships through Scholarship America and Naples Yacht Club Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund, and local community philanthropy through Collier Community Foundation.
Its grant sizes are usually modest: the 25th percentile is $3,750, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $18,750. The recent list also includes larger awards such as $150,000 and $100,000 to major recurring grantees.
Yes. Several grantees appear across multiple years, including Metropolitan Ministries, Samaritans Purse, Collier Community Foundation, St Matthew's House Inc, Roaring Fork Conservancy, and Theatre Aspen. That pattern suggests a core-grantee strategy rather than one-time giving.
The top state by grant count is Pennsylvania, while 40% of grants go to recipients in Florida. The recipient list is entirely U.S.-based, with Florida organizations appearing frequently in Naples, Tampa, and Fort Myers.
The list shows emphasis on poverty relief and emergency services, faith-aligned disaster and humanitarian aid, adult education and ESL, scholarships, and local community support. Named recipients include Metropolitan Ministries, Samaritans Purse, English in Action, Scholarship America, and Collier Community Foundation.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES | TAMPA, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | BASALT, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| STARABILITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER | FORT MYERS, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| RAM VETERANS FOUNDATION INC | HERNDON, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN | NAPLES, FL | $7,061 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS | ARLINGTON, VA | $5,650 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET | ASPEN, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | DOWNINGTOWN, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF THE BLUE GAVEL | PORT HUENEME, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE | SANTA ROSA, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ENGLISH IN ACTION | BASALT, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES | TAMPA, FL | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| ENGLISH IN ACTION | BASALT, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC | NAPLES, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | BASALT, CO | $12,250 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER | FORT MYERS, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | DOWNINGTOWN, PA | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| STARABILITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| THEATRE ASPEN | ASPEN, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET | ASPEN, CO | $2,500 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION | WILKESBARRE, PA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN | NAPLES, FL | $640 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES | TAMPA, FL | $150,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES | TAMPA, FL | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | BASALT, CO | $17,500 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| STARABILITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $10,466 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | BASALT, CO | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | DOWNINGTOWN, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| CHALLENGE ASPEN | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| THEATRE ASPEN | ASPEN, CO | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE | DOWNINGTOWN, PA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER | FORT MYERS, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| STARABILITY FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES
$100,000CHARITY
COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$25,000CHARITY
ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY
$20,000CHARITY
STARABILITY FOUNDATION
$10,000CHARITY
SAMARITANS PURSE
$10,000CHARITY
ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC
$10,000CHARITY
CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER
CHARITY
RAM VETERANS FOUNDATION INC
$10,000CHARITY
NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN
$7,061CHARITY
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS
$5,650CHARITY
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
$5,000CHARITY
FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE
$5,000CHARITY
INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF THE BLUE GAVEL
$5,000CHARITY
CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE
$5,000CHARITY
ENGLISH IN ACTION
$5,000CHARITY
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$2,500CHARITY
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES
$100,000CHARITY
COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$50,000CHARITY
ENGLISH IN ACTION
$50,000CHARITY
SAMARITANS PURSE
$25,000CHARITY
ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC
$25,000CHARITY
ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY
$12,250CHARITY
CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER
$10,000CHARITY
FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE
$5,000CHARITY
STARABILITY FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITY
THEATRE ASPEN
$5,000CHARITY
NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$5,000CHARITY
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
$2,500CHARITY
PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS
$1,000CHARITY
THE LUZERNE FOUNDATION
$1,000CHARITY
NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN
$640CHARITY
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES
$150,000CHARITY
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES
$100,000CHARITY
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA
$50,000CHARITY
SAMARITANS PURSE
$50,000CHARITY
SAMARITANS PURSE
$50,000CHARITY
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA
$20,000CHARITY
ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY
$17,500CHARITY
STARABILITY FOUNDATION
$10,466CHARITY
ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY
$10,000CHARITY
NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$10,000CHARITY
ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC
$10,000CHARITY
FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE
$5,000CHARITY
NAPLES YACHT CLUB BLUE GAVEL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
$5,000CHARITY
CHALLENGE ASPEN
$5,000CHARITY
ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE INC
$5,000CHARITY
THEATRE ASPEN
$5,000CHARITY
FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA RESEARCH ALLIANCE
$5,000CHARITY
CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER
$5,000CHARITY
STARABILITY FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITY