The Brooks Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on higher education, giving large institutional gifts to support academic programs in public policy. Its entire reported giving went to Cornell University's Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, indicating a targeted interest in strengthening university-based public policy education and research rather than broad community or multiple-sector funding.
Highly concentrated: very large gifts directed to a single grantee/program, with repeat payments to the same institution rather than many small or diversified grants.
Brooks Family Foundation’s giving is anchored by a long-running relationship with Cornell University: a $3,000,000 general support grant in 2023 and a $2,000,000 award in 2025 for the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. That pattern points to a funder that favors concentrated, institution-level support rather than scattered small grants. The foundation’s reported grants also extend beyond higher education into Maine community organizations, with awards to colleges, health centers, arts groups, and local intermediaries. The recent record includes repeated support for Southern Maine Community College Foundation, Portland Stage Company, and Good Shepherd Food Bank, alongside funding for public health and community services in towns such as Waterville, Brunswick, Rockland, Auburn, and Portland. The mix suggests a portfolio that combines major university support with a regional set of general operating grants in Maine. Across the data on file, every reported recipient is in the United States, and the foundation’s award sizes range from modest five-figure grants to multi-million-dollar commitments.
Higher education is the clearest throughline in the Brooks Family Foundation’s giving. Cornell University received both a $3,000,000 general support grant in 2023 and a $2,000,000 grant in 2025 for the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, showing sustained support for a public policy program. In Maine, the foundation also backed Southern Maine Community College Foundation with $70,000 in 2023, $50,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2025, plus $40,000 to The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges in 2024. Beyond education, the foundation funded Healthreach Community Health Centers in Waterville with $60,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023, indicating support for community health access. Arts and civic life also appear in the record through grants to Portland Stage Company, Mayo Street Arts, and Greater Portland Landmarks.
Typical award size is modest relative to the foundation’s largest gifts: the p25 is $3,000, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $10,000. The recent record also shows a small number of much larger institutional grants, including million-dollar support to Cornell University. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Cornell University, Southern Maine Community College Foundation, Portland Stage Company, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Healthreach Community Health Centers, and United Way of Southern Maine, which points to repeated support rather than one-off giving alone. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are institutional and general-support oriented, with some program-specific naming in the recipient descriptions.
$2.2M
$17.7M
$1.2M
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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Notable grantees: Cornell University — Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
Grantmaking is concentrated in the northeastern United States, with every recorded recipient located in the US. New York leads by grant count because of repeated awards to Ithaca-based Cornell University, while Maine receives a broad share of the foundation’s smaller and mid-sized gifts. Within Maine, Portland appears often through Portland Stage Company, Mayo Street Arts, Greater Portland Landmarks, and United Way of Southern Maine. Other Maine recipients include South Portland, Waterville, Brunswick, Rockland, Auburn, Farmington, Presque Isle, Bangor, Bath, and Lewiston. Massachusetts appears in the record through Partners in Health in Boston and the foundation’s own headquarters in Boston, but the giving pattern is centered elsewhere.
The foundation’s recent record is centered on higher education, especially Cornell University’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, along with Maine-based colleges, health centers, arts organizations, food access groups, and United Way affiliates. The pattern is institution-focused and largely general support.
The typical award is small to mid-sized: p25 is $3,000, median is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. At the same time, the foundation sometimes makes much larger commitments, including multi-million-dollar grants.
No. The grant recipient country distribution shows 176 grants, all in the US, for 100.0% of recorded giving.
Yes. Cornell University appears in multiple years, as do Southern Maine Community College Foundation, Portland Stage Company, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Healthreach Community Health Centers, and United Way of Southern Maine. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing relationships, not isolated awards.
The foundation supports universities and higher-education affiliates, community health centers, arts organizations, food banks, and local nonprofit intermediaries. Recent grants include Cornell University, Southern Maine Community College Foundation, Healthreach Community Health Centers, Portland Stage Company, and Good Shepherd Food Bank.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $2,000,000 | 2025 | Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy |
| Southern Maine Community College Foundation | South Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Portland Stage Company | Portland, ME | $32,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Mayo Street Arts | Portland, ME | $22,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Sunrise Opportunities | Machias, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | $5,000 General Support; $5,000 Washington County Children's Program |
| Doctors Without Borders USA | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Kennebec Valley Dental Coalition DBA Waterville Community Dental Center | Oakland, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Foodlink Inc | Rochester, NY | $7,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Center for Transformative Action (FBO Ithaca City of Asylum) | Ithaca, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Foodnet Meals on Wheels | Ithaca, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Health Equity International (FBO St Boniface Haiti Foundation) | Newton, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York | Latham, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| FeedMore WNY | Buffalo, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Trustees of Hamilton College | Clinton, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Food Bank of Central New York | Syracuse, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Christian Medical Ministry to Cambodia Jeremiahs Hope | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Friends of Blaine House Inc | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Greater Portland Health | Portland, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Saving Smiles Inc | Circleville, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Grassroots International | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Smile Train Inc | New York, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Madre | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| West End Neighborhood Association | Portland, ME | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| High 5 Adventure Learning Center | Brattleboro, VT | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Speech Therapy Cambodia | San Francisco, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Advocacy Center of Tompkins County | Ithaca, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Portland Symphony Orchestra | Portland, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Choral Art Society | Portland, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Friendship with Cambodia | Eugene, OR | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Maine Public | Lewiston, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Friends of Mount Auburn Cemetery | Cambridge, MA | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Opera Maine | Portland, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Mechanics Hall | Portland, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Healthreach Community Health Centers | Waterville, ME | $60,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Southern Maine Community College Foundation | South Portland, ME | $50,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Mayo Street Arts | Portland, ME | $47,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges | South Portland, ME | $40,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Oasis Health Network Inc (FBO Oasis Free Clinic) | Brunswick, ME | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Mid-Coast Health Net Inc (FBO Knox County Health Clinic) | Rockland, ME | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Southern Maine | Portland, ME | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Greater Portland Landmarks | Portland, ME | $27,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Portland Stage Company | Portland, ME | $26,500 | 2024 | General Support |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank | Auburn, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Tri-Valley Area | Farmington, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Mid Coast Maine | Bath, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Aroostook | Presque Isle, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Friends of the Portland Community Free Clinic | South Portland, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Androscoggin County | Lewiston, ME | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
Mayo Street Arts
$22,000General Support
Sunrise Opportunities
$5,000 General Support; $5,000 Washington County Children's Program
Doctors Without Borders USA
$10,000General Support
Kennebec Valley Dental Coalition DBA Waterville Community Dental Center
$10,000General Support
Center for Transformative Action (FBO Ithaca City of Asylum)
$5,000General Support
Foodnet Meals on Wheels
$5,000General Support
Health Equity International (FBO St Boniface Haiti Foundation)
$5,000General Support
FeedMore WNY
$5,000General Support
Christian Medical Ministry to Cambodia Jeremiahs Hope
$5,000General Support
Friends of Blaine House Inc
$5,000General Support
Greater Portland Health
$5,000General Support
Saving Smiles Inc
$5,000General Support
West End Neighborhood Association
$2,000General Support
High 5 Adventure Learning Center
$2,000General Support
Speech Therapy Cambodia
$2,000General Support
Advocacy Center of Tompkins County
$2,000General Support
Portland Symphony Orchestra
$1,000General Support
Choral Art Society
$1,000General Support
Friendship with Cambodia
$1,000General Support
Maine Public
$1,000General Support
Opera Maine
$1,000General Support
Mechanics Hall
$1,000General Support
Healthreach Community Health Centers
$60,000General Support
Mayo Street Arts
$47,000General Support
The Foundation for Maine Community Colleges
$40,000General Support
Mid-Coast Health Net Inc (FBO Knox County Health Clinic)
$30,000General Support
Greater Portland Landmarks
$27,000General Support
United Way of Tri-Valley Area
$20,000General Support
United Way of Mid Coast Maine
$20,000General Support
United Way of Aroostook
$20,000General Support
Friends of the Portland Community Free Clinic
$20,000General Support