The Britton Fund makes a small number of large institutional gifts, primarily to cultural, educational, and land/museum organizations. Recent grants show a strong interest in supporting arts institutions and public park/museum stewardship, with sizable unrestricted or "general charitable" gifts rather than narrowly restricted program grants. While based in Philadelphia, its giving is regional and not limited to one city—major recent recipients are in the Cleveland area and the Lake Champlain region. One substantial award routed through a trustee/finance company suggests use of intermediary or donor-advised mechanisms for some grants.
Concentrated giving: a very small number of large grants (six-figures to seven-figures), favoring general operating or unrestricted support; uses an intermediary trustee for at least one large disbursement.
Britton Fund 4240-00-44 made two seven-figure grants in 2025, each for $1,000,000: one to Cleveland Metroparks and one to Cleveland Institute of Art. That pairing captures the fund’s pattern well. The foundation gives mostly general charitable support to established institutions, with a tilt toward arts, museums, park systems, and other civic organizations. Its recent gifts also include substantial support for Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Herreshoff Marine Museum, and Cleveland Zoological Society, alongside broader community grants to education, food access, and family-service groups. The grant list suggests a funder that favors organizations with clear institutional roles and public-facing missions rather than narrowly targeted projects. Some awards are large enough to stand out in a single year, while others sit in the $10,000 to $25,000 range, indicating a mix of major institutional commitments and smaller supplemental gifts. One 2023 entry routed through Glenmede Trust Co. points to intermediary handling for at least part of the grantmaking.
Arts and cultural institutions are a clear priority. In 2025, the fund gave $1,000,000 to Cleveland Institute of Art for general charitable purpose, and it also supported Boulder Ballet Company & School with $20,000 in 2025 and $13,000 in 2023. Public recreation and land stewardship appear as another thread: Cleveland Metroparks received $1,000,000 in 2025, while Manchester Skate Park received $100,000 in 2023. Museum and maritime history organizations also recur in the recent grants, including $115,000 to Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in 2025, $60,000 more to the same museum in 2023, and $25,000 to Herreshoff Marine Museum in 2025. Smaller grants extend into education and community services, such as $25,000 to Intercambio Uniting Communities in both 2023 and 2025.
Britton Fund 4240-00-44 gives at a mid-to-large institutional scale, with a typical grant size of $3,750 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $17,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows both repeated support and one-off awards: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Intercambio Uniting Communities, Blue Sky Bridge, and Burr & Burton Academy each appear in multiple years, while several larger gifts are single-year commitments. The foundation’s pattern is mostly general charitable support, and the presence of a 2023 grant to "See Schedule Attached c/o The Glenmede Trust Co Na" suggests some grants may be processed through an intermediary or trust vehicle.
$2.3M
$18M
$1.3M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $4K and $18K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 2% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Notable grantees: Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Institute of Art, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Glenmede Trust Co. (intermediary/see-schedule grant)
The foundation gives nationally, but its recent grants cluster in a few places. Ohio is the top state by grant count, driven by repeated awards in Cleveland and Chagrin Falls, including Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Zoological Society, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and Hiram House. Vermont is another visible region, with grants in Vergennes, Manchester Center, Manchester, and Weston. Colorado recipients are concentrated in Boulder and Colorado Springs, and the grants list also includes organizations in Rhode Island and Maine. All listed recent grants go to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants lean toward cultural, educational, and public-serving institutions. Examples include Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Metroparks, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Herreshoff Marine Museum, and Cleveland Zoological Society, along with community groups such as Blue Sky Bridge and Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $3,750 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $17,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes much larger awards, including two $1,000,000 grants in 2025.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Intercambio Uniting Communities, Blue Sky Bridge, Burr & Burton Academy, and Herreshoff Marine Museum. That suggests some ongoing relationships rather than only one-time gifts.
Ohio is the top state by grant count. Recent Ohio recipients include organizations in Cleveland and Chagrin Falls, such as Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Zoological Society, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Hiram House, and Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center.
The recent grants are largely labeled "general charitable purpose" or "general charitable purposes," which points to flexible support rather than tightly restricted project funding. The largest grants to Cleveland Metroparks and Cleveland Institute of Art were both described that way.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART | Cleveland, OH | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| CLEVELAND METROPARKS | Cleveland, OH | $1,000,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| Lake Champlain Maritime Museum | VERGENNES, VT | $115,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Intercambio Uniting Communities | BOULDER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Burr & Burton Academy | Manchester, VT | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Blue Sky Bridge | BOULDER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Herreshoff Marine Museum | Bristol, RI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EFAA | Boulder, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Boulder Ballet Company & School | BOULDER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Dairy Arts | BOULDER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Vocational Guidance Services | CLEVELAND, OH | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HEALTHY ACADIA | Machias, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Down East Salmon Federation | Columbia Falls, ME | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| National Philanthropic Trust | Jenkintown, PA | $344,810 | 2024 | TO FURTHER THE WORKS OF THE |
| Studio Arts Boulder | BOULDER, CO | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Lake Champlain Maritime Museum | VERGENNES, VT | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SpayFirst | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EFAA | Boulder, CO | $40,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Intercambio Uniting Communities | BOULDER, CO | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COLORADO COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Weston Playhouse Theatre Company | WESTON, VT | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Blue Sky Bridge | BOULDER, CO | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Blue Hill Library | BLUE HILL, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Burr & Burton Academy | Manchester, VT | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Dairy Arts | BOULDER, CO | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOCA | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TGTHR | BOULDER, CO | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Cleveland Zoological Society | CLEVELAND, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Tree of Life | BLUE HILL, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Greater Cleveland Food Bank | CLEVELAND, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Herreshoff Marine Museum | Bristol, RI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center | CHAGRIN FALLS, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Clinica | WESTMINSTER, CO | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Hiram House | CHAGRIN FALLS, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Blue Hill Heritage Fund | BLUE HILL, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival | BLUE HILL, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Bagaduce | BLUE HILL, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Geauga Humane Society | Novelty, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Down East Community Partners | ELLSWORTH, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| The Foundry | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HEALTHY ACADIA | Machias, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Hildene (Lincoln Family Home) | MANCHESTER, VT | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Kollegewidgwok Sailing Edu | BLUE HILL, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| The Collaborative | SOUTH LONDONDERRY, VT | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Vocational Guidance Services | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art | BOULDER, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOUNTAIN VALLEY HEALTH COUNCIL | LONDONDERRY, VT | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE LITTLE SCHOOL | Langhorne, PA | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
CLEVELAND METROPARKS
$1,000,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
$115,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Burr & Burton Academy
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Herreshoff Marine Museum
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Boulder Ballet Company & School
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Dairy Arts
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HEALTHY ACADIA
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Down East Salmon Federation
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Studio Arts Boulder
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SpayFirst
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COLORADO COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Blue Hill Library
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Burr & Burton Academy
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Dairy Arts
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOCA
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Tree of Life
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Herreshoff Marine Museum
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Blue Hill Heritage Fund
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Bagaduce
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Geauga Humane Society
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Down East Community Partners
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
The Foundry
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HEALTHY ACADIA
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Hildene (Lincoln Family Home)
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
Kollegewidgwok Sailing Edu
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
The Collaborative
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOUNTAIN VALLEY HEALTH COUNCIL
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE LITTLE SCHOOL
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES