The Charles Foundation concentrates large, targeted gifts to a small set of institutions, primarily supporting higher education and regional medical care. Its giving repeatedly funds specific colleges and a local hospital, suggesting long‑term relationships and major capital or program investments. The geographic focus appears to be regional (Northeast) small liberal‑arts colleges and community hospitals.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a handful of repeat grantees (multiple grants per recipient), favoring multi‑year or phased large gifts rather than many small one‑off grants.
Charles Foundation Inc C/o Robert C Rooke gives large, repeated grants to a small set of colleges and medical institutions. The clearest pattern in the recent record is multi-year support for Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, which received $430,000 in 2024 and $340,000 in 2025. Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire also appears across multiple years, including a $400,000 grant in 2025 after $300,000 awards in both 2024 and 2023. That same repeat pattern shows up with Susquehanna University and Speare Memorial Hospital, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation’s work is centered on higher education, especially small liberal arts colleges, with a second stream of support for regional medical care. Recent grants also include institutions in New Jersey and New Hampshire, along with select gifts to other schools and health-related nonprofits. The giving pattern suggests organization-level support for institutions that can absorb large restricted or unrestricted awards, including capital, academic, or operating purposes tied to colleges and hospitals.
Higher education dominates the foundation’s recent grant list. In 2025, it gave $145,000 to Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and $50,000 to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. It also supported Babson College in Babson Park, Massachusetts with a $40,000 grant in 2025, extending its reach beyond a single state. Regional medical care is another clear theme. Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth, New Hampshire received $237,000 in 2025 after $200,000 grants in both 2024 and 2023. Morristown Medical Center Foundation in Morristown, New Jersey was also supported with $110,000 in 2023, $100,000 in 2024, and $106,000 in 2025. The foundation also funds environmental work. In 2025, it gave $45,000 to Appalachain Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. That grant sits alongside its education and medical gifts, showing a broader regional portfolio.
Typical grants cluster tightly around $5,000 at the low end, with a median of $5,000 and a third quartile of $20,000. That said, the recent record also includes much larger institutional awards, especially to colleges and hospitals. The pattern is repetitive: several recipients appear in multiple years, including Bucknell University, Colby-Sawyer College, Susquehanna University, Speare Memorial Hospital, Pingry School, and Morristown Medical Center Foundation. The foundation is organized as a private grantmaker rather than an operating charity making program-related investments, and it does not fund individuals.
$6.5M
$49.1M
$23.5M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 28% of grants go to recipients in PA.
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Notable grantees: Bucknell University, Colby‑Sawyer College, Susquehanna University, Speare Memorial Hospital
Giving is regional and concentrated in the Northeast. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, while New Jersey accounts for 28% of grants. Recent awards land in Lewisburg and Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania; New London, Hanover, Plymouth, and Andover, New Hampshire; and Morristown and Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The recipient base is entirely U.S.-based, with 209 grants in the United States and no non-U.S. recipient countries in the recent distribution.
The recent record centers on colleges, schools, hospitals, and a small number of conservation and nonprofit organizations. Bucknell University, Colby-Sawyer College, Susquehanna University, Speare Memorial Hospital, Morristown Medical Center Foundation, and Appalachain Trail Conservancy all appear in the latest grants list.
The grant-size profile is small in the lower half of the distribution, with p25 at $5,000, a median of $5,000, and p75 at $20,000. The recent list also shows much larger awards to a few institutions, including grants above $400,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Bucknell University, Colby-Sawyer College, Susquehanna University, Speare Memorial Hospital, Pingry School, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and Morristown Medical Center Foundation. That points to ongoing institutional relationships.
Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, and New Jersey accounts for 28% of grants. The recipient geography is regional, with repeated awards in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
No. The profile shows Funds individuals: False and Makes program-related investments: False, so its giving is directed to organizations rather than individual recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE | NEW LONDON, NH | $400,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY | LEWISBURG, PA | $340,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SPEARE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | PLYMOUTH, NH | $237,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY | SELINSGROVE, PA | $200,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PINGRY SCHOOL | BASKING RIDGE, NJ | $145,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MORRISTOWN MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $106,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION | TRUCKEE, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| DARTMOUTH COLLEGE | HANOVER, NH | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| APPALACHAIN TRAIL CONSERVANCY | HARPERS FERRY, WV | $45,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| YALE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY-BROAD ARROW SCHOLARSHIP | NEW HAVEN, CT | $45,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PROCTOR ACADEMY | ANDOVER, NH | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BABSON COLLEGE | BABSON PARK, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| WILTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | WILTON, ME | $30,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| TUCK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT DARTMOUTH | HANOVER, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MAYHEW PROGRAM | BRISTOL, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| OVERLOOK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SUMMIT, NJ | $25,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| NEWFOUND LAKE REGION ASSOCIATION | BRISTOL, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| WILTON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY | WILTON, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| GROVER HERMANN HOSPITAL | CALLICOON, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| FARMINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY | FARMINGTON, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ANDOVER FIRE | ANDOVER, NH | $20,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| KENT PLACE SCHOOL | SUMMIT, NJ | $17,500 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ANDWELL HEALTH PARTNERS | LEWISTON, ME | $15,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| HERITAGE MUSEUM AND GARDENS | SANDWICH, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CULVER ACADEMIES | CULVER, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE INC | PENNINGTON, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| STAR FOUNDATION INC | BRUNSWICK, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| STRONG UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | STRONG, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| TRAVIS MANION FOUNDATION | DOYLESTOWN, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SPAULDING YOUTH CENTER FOUNDATION | NORTHFIELD, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ST SIMONS LAND TRUST | ST SIMONS ISLAND, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| DELAWARE VALLEY FOOD PANTRY | LAMBERTVILLE, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| DREAMWEAVER EQUINE CENTER | RINGOES, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN MORRISTOWN | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| PENNINGTON SCHOOL | PENNINGTON, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| DAMASCUS CITIZENS FOR SUSTAINABILITY INC | MILANVILLE, PA | $7,500 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
| TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION | ELIZABETH, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| BOSTON MUSIC PROJECT | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| DELBARTON SCHOOL | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ADAPTIVE DEFENSE | MAGNOLIA, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| CHRIST THE KING CHURCH | NEW VERNON, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| SKIDMORE COLLEGE | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HANOVER LIONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | HANOVER, NH | $5,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| GOLDEN ISLES LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION INC | BRUNSWICK, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TAPPLY-THOMPSON COMMUNITY CENTER | BRISTOL, NH | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MARKET STREET MISSION | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | COUNSELING |
| MAYO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | MORRISTOWN, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF NURSING | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BOSTON COLLEGE SCHOOL OF NURSING | CHESTNUT HILL, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| GRANITE STATE WOODLAND INSTITUTE | CONCORD, NH | $5,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENT |
COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE
$400,000EDUCATION
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
$340,000EDUCATION
SPEARE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$237,000MEDICAL
SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY
$200,000EDUCATION
PINGRY SCHOOL
$145,000EDUCATION
MORRISTOWN MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION
$106,000MEDICAL
HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION
MEDICAL
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
$50,000EDUCATION
APPALACHAIN TRAIL CONSERVANCY
$45,000ENVIRONMENT
YALE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY-BROAD ARROW SCHOLARSHIP
$45,000EDUCATION
PROCTOR ACADEMY
$40,000EDUCATION
BABSON COLLEGE
$40,000EDUCATION
WILTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$30,000RELIGIOUS
TUCK SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT DARTMOUTH
$25,000EDUCATION
MAYHEW PROGRAM
$25,000EDUCATION
OVERLOOK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$25,000MEDICAL
NEWFOUND LAKE REGION ASSOCIATION
$25,000CONSERVATION
WILTON FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
$20,000EDUCATION
GROVER HERMANN HOSPITAL
$20,000MEDICAL
FARMINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$20,000EDUCATION
ANDOVER FIRE
$20,000MEDICAL
KENT PLACE SCHOOL
$17,500EDUCATION
ANDWELL HEALTH PARTNERS
$15,000MEDICAL
HERITAGE MUSEUM AND GARDENS
$10,000EDUCATION
CULVER ACADEMIES
$10,000EDUCATION
THE WATERSHED INSTITUTE INC
$10,000EDUCATION
STAR FOUNDATION INC
$10,000EDUCATION
STRONG UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$10,000RELIGIOUS
TRAVIS MANION FOUNDATION
$10,000EDUCATION
SPAULDING YOUTH CENTER FOUNDATION
$10,000EDUCATION
ST SIMONS LAND TRUST
$10,000ENVIRONMENT
DELAWARE VALLEY FOOD PANTRY
$10,000SOCIAL SERVICES
DREAMWEAVER EQUINE CENTER
$10,000EDUCATION
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN MORRISTOWN
$10,000RELIGIOUS
PENNINGTON SCHOOL
$10,000EDUCATION
DAMASCUS CITIZENS FOR SUSTAINABILITY INC
$7,500ENVIRONMENT
TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$5,000MEDICAL
BOSTON MUSIC PROJECT
$5,000EDUCATION
DELBARTON SCHOOL
$5,000EDUCATION
ADAPTIVE DEFENSE
$5,000MEDICAL
CHRIST THE KING CHURCH
$5,000RELIGIOUS
SKIDMORE COLLEGE
$5,000EDUCATION
HANOVER LIONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$5,000MEDICAL
GOLDEN ISLES LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION INC
$5,000EDUCATION
TAPPLY-THOMPSON COMMUNITY CENTER
$5,000EDUCATION
MARKET STREET MISSION
$5,000COUNSELING
MAYO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
$5,000ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF NURSING
$5,000EDUCATION
BOSTON COLLEGE SCHOOL OF NURSING
$5,000EDUCATION
GRANITE STATE WOODLAND INSTITUTE
$5,000ENVIRONMENT