Deerbrook Charitable Trust makes a small number of very large gifts focused on applied science, youth development, and health systems, often funding both national organizations and local affiliates. Their grants support targeted research (notably marine/radiological science), Boys & Girls Clubs at national and local levels, major hospital systems, and community foundation vehicles—suggesting a mix of issue-driven and place-based philanthropy.
Deerbrook Charitable Trust’s largest recent gift went to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for Fukushima radionuclide research, a signal of how the trust uses outsized grants to back specialized science. In 2023, it also made another major commitment to Boys & Girls Club of America for the advancing philanthropy project, showing that youth development and organizational capacity sit alongside research in its portfolio. The trust’s giving is not broad-based in the sense of many small awards; instead, it concentrates capital in a small set of organizations and often supports both national intermediaries and local affiliates. That pattern is visible across community-serving institutions, hospital systems, and place-based nonprofits. Recent recipients include MedStar Health Gift Account, Baylor Health Care System, Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, and Harlem Children’s Zone, each receiving support tied to general exempt purposes or mission-specific work. The result is a grantmaking profile that combines high-dollar project funding with flexible support for established institutions working in science, health, youth services, and local philanthropy.
Applied science is a defining thread in the trust’s portfolio. It gave $10,525,000 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for Fukushima radionuclide research, and also supported the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science with a $50,000 general exempt-purpose grant. Youth development appears through multiple channels: Boys & Girls Club of Martin County received $2,900,000 for general exempt purposes, while Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County received $492,500 for the Daughtrey Elementary Project Learn. The foundation also funds educational and child-focused services beyond club networks. Vision to Learn received $1,175,000 for general exempt purposes, and Wills Eye Hospital received $200,000 for vision screening for children. These grants show attention to both research and direct services for children.
Typical grant size is large: the 25th percentile is $35,000, the median is $162,500, and the 75th percentile is $1,116,472. The 2023 slate includes both multi-million-dollar awards and smaller operating grants, indicating a deliberate mix of concentrated, high-dollar support and modest local gifts. Recipients also appear to serve as both national organizations and local affiliates, with Boys & Girls Club of America and local Boys & Girls Club chapters both in the recent record. Deerbrook Charitable Trust is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$33M
$0
$14K
$33.6M
Most grants fall between $35K and $1.1M, with a median of $163K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$163K
75th Percentile
$1.1M
About 10% of grants go to recipients in MD.
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Highly concentrated giving: very few grants but very large dollar amounts, combining support for flagship national institutions and select local affiliates; tends to make single multi-million-dollar awards rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Boys & Girls Club of America, Boys & Girls Club of Martin County, MedStar Health, Baylor Health Care System
Deerbrook Charitable Trust gives nationally, with all recent grants in the United States. Maryland is the top state by grant count, and recent Maryland recipients include MedStar Health Gift Account in Columbia, Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County and Annapolis Maritime Museum in Annapolis, and Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maryland in North Beach. Outside Maryland, recent grants reached Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Arlington. New York accounted for 10% of grants in the HQ state, including Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City.
The trust funds a mix of science, youth services, health systems, and community philanthropy. Recent grants include a $10,525,000 award for Fukushima radionuclide research, a $5,940,610 grant to Boys & Girls Club of America for the advancing philanthropy project, and support for major health and community organizations such as MedStar Health Gift Account and Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County.
The grant-size distribution is weighted toward large awards. The 25th percentile is $35,000, the median grant is $162,500, and the 75th percentile is $1,116,472. Recent grants range from five-figure operating support to multi-million-dollar gifts.
Yes. Youth development is a clear part of the portfolio. Recent examples include $2,900,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Martin County for general exempt purposes, $492,500 to Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County for the Daughtrey Elementary Project Learn, and $350,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis for general exempt purposes.
The trust gives nationally, but Maryland receives the most grants by count. Recent Maryland recipients include organizations in Columbia, Annapolis, North Beach, Elkton, Cambridge, and other cities, while the broader 2023 list also includes grantees in Dallas, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Arlington.
The recent record shows repeated support for a common set of institutions and networks rather than one-off giving across many unrelated groups. Boys & Girls Club entities appear multiple times, and the portfolio also includes repeated support for health, education, and community foundation vehicles within the same year.
2023
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2023.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION | WOODS HOLE, MA | $10,525,000 | 2023 | OPERAIONAL; FUKUSHIMA RADIONUCLIDE RESEARCH |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA | ATLANTA, GA | $5,940,610 | 2023 | ADVANCING PHIANTHROPY PROJECT |
| MEDSTAR HEALTH GIFT ACCOUNT | COLUMBIA, MD | $3,159,751 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MARTIN COUNTY | HOBE SOUND, FL | $2,900,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $2,238,581 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BAYLOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM | DALLAS, TX | $2,234,871 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PACE CENTER FOR GIRLS INC | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $1,300,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXMEPT PURPOSE |
| VISION TO LEARN | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,175,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON- MAIN CONCETRATION ACCOUNT | ARLINGTON, TX | $940,889 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MANATEE COUNTY | BRADENTON, FL | $492,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF DAUGHTREY ELEMENTARY PROJECT LEARN |
| GENESIS WOMEN'S SHELTER & SUPPORT | DALLAS, TX | $483,129 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF ANNAPOLIS | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $350,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MOMENTOUS INSTITUTE | DALLAS, TX | $232,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WILLS EYE HOSPITAL | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $200,000 | 2023 | VISION SCREENING FOR CHILDREN |
| MEALS ON WHEELS PLUS OF MANATEE COUNTY | BRADENTON, FL | $125,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEWSHOUR PRODUCTIONS | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMPASSION FOR LIFE CORPORATION | ELKTON, MD | $95,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND | NORTH BEACH, MD | $70,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ANNAPOLIS MARITIME MUSEUM | ANNAPOLIS, MD | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CHESTER COUNTY FOOD BANK | DOWNINGTON, PA | $50,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | CAMBRIDGE, MD | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HEARTS AFTER SCHOOL READING PROGRAM | COLUMBUS, MS | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LOOMIS CHAFFEE SCHOOL | WINDSOR, CT | $4,000 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL |
| AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| RECTORY SCHOOL INC | POMFRET, CT | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| DONORSCHOOSEORG | NEW YORK, NY | $1,200 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA INC | WINSTONSALEM, NC | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LOAVES AND FISHES | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY RADIO FOUNDATION INC- WFAE | CHARLOTTE, NC | $500 | 2023 | GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE |
WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION
$10,525,000OPERAIONAL; FUKUSHIMA RADIONUCLIDE RESEARCH
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA
$5,940,610ADVANCING PHIANTHROPY PROJECT
MEDSTAR HEALTH GIFT ACCOUNT
$3,159,751GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
BAYLOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON- MAIN CONCETRATION ACCOUNT
$940,889GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
SUPPORT OF DAUGHTREY ELEMENTARY PROJECT LEARN
WILLS EYE HOSPITAL
$200,000VISION SCREENING FOR CHILDREN
NEWSHOUR PRODUCTIONS
$100,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
COMPASSION FOR LIFE CORPORATION
$95,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND
$70,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
$50,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
HEARTS AFTER SCHOOL READING PROGRAM
$30,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
LOOMIS CHAFFEE SCHOOL
$4,000OPERATIONAL
GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
RECTORY SCHOOL INC
$3,000GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
DONORSCHOOSEORG
$1,200GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE
GENERAL EXEMPT PURPOSE