The Howard P. Colhoun Family Foundation largely directs its resources through donor-advised vehicles while making targeted, sizable gifts to outdoors and place-based community efforts. Its grants are few but large, repeatedly funding the same intermediary funds and a small set of program organizations focused on outdoor leadership and Maine-focused community/environmental initiatives.
Howard P Colhoun Family Foundation Inc repeatedly makes large, program-restricted grants through donor-advised vehicles, with several seven-figure-pattern gifts spread across multiple years. The clearest example is the foundation’s recurring support for Vanguard Charitable Trust- Williwaw and Vanguard Charitable Trust- Jigsaw Fund, both receiving substantial allocations in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a grantmaker that uses intermediary funds alongside direct support for operating organizations. Alongside those vehicles, the foundation backs a small set of organizations tied to outdoors, conservation, and place-based community work. National Outdoor Leadership School appears more than once, including support for the organization’s exempt function and a separate project to create Zoom classes for wilderness medicine. Maine Community Foundation’s Wild Blue Fund also appears in the recent-grants list, indicating a recurring connection to Maine-focused initiatives. The foundation’s recent giving also reaches education, leadership development, and disaster relief organizations such as New Profit Inc, Acumen Fund NYC, Shelburne Farms, and World Central Kitchen. The mix suggests a portfolio that combines intermediary giving with direct grants to established nonprofits working on outdoor learning, community development, and emergency response.
Outdoor and experiential education are a visible theme. National Outdoor Leadership School received $420,000 in 2025 for the exempt function of the organization, and another $200,000 in 2023 to create Zoom classes for wilderness medicine. The foundation also supports community and conservation work with a Maine connection. Maine Community Foundation received $342,000 in 2023 and $170,000 in 2025 for the Wild Blue Fund, showing repeated support for that named fund. Leadership and youth-adjacent development appear in the grants to New Profit Inc, which received $220,000 in 2023, $217,500 in 2024, and $212,500 in 2025. Separately, Braven received $100,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025, both for the exempt function of the organization.
Typical gifts are mid-sized but with a wide spread: the p25 grant is $7,125, the median is $15,000, and the p75 is $50,000. The recent-grants list shows a different pattern at the top end, where the foundation makes repeated six-figure and larger awards. Recurring support is a clear feature: multiple recipients appear across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including intermediary funds and several operating nonprofits. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, does not fund individuals, and makes no program-related investments. Grants in the list are generally project- or function-specific rather than open-ended.
$3.8M
$105.9M
$10.8M
$4.1M
Most grants fall between $7K and $50K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small number of recipients — heavy use of donor-advised/pass-through funds plus recurring multi-grant support to select program organizations. Few grants overall, with repeat payments to the same intermediaries rather than many small, diversified grants.
Notable grantees: Vanguard Charitable Trust — Williwaw, Vanguard Charitable Trust — Jigsaw Fund, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Maine Community Foundation (Wild Blue Fund)
The foundation gives nationally, with every recent grant going to U.S. recipients. Maryland is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent grants also land in Rhode Island, Wyoming, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Illinois, New York, and Washington, DC. Recipient cities include Warwick, Lander, Ellsworth, Boston, Shelburne, Bristol, Cambridge, Chicago, New York, and Washington, showing a multi-state pattern rather than a single regional concentration.
Recent grants go to donor-advised or intermediary vehicles such as Vanguard Charitable Trust- Williwaw and Vanguard Charitable Trust- Jigsaw Fund, plus operating nonprofits in outdoor education, conservation, leadership development, and disaster relief. Examples include National Outdoor Leadership School, Maine Community Foundation’s Wild Blue Fund, New Profit Inc, Acumen Fund NYC, Shelburne Farms, and World Central Kitchen.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Vanguard Charitable Trust- Williwaw appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Vanguard Charitable Trust- Jigsaw Fund appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and New Profit Inc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. National Outdoor Leadership School and Acumen Fund NYC also recur across years.
The foundation’s stated grant-size distribution is p25 $7,125, median $15,000, and p75 $50,000. The recent list also includes much larger gifts, including multiple six-figure awards, so typical and peak grants are quite different.
The foundation gives nationally, and 22% of grants go to recipients in Maryland, which is the top state by grant count. Recent recipients are also located in Rhode Island, Wyoming, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Illinois, New York, and Washington, DC.
The recent grants point to outdoor leadership and experiential education, Maine-focused conservation and community work, leadership development, and emergency response. Named examples include National Outdoor Leadership School for wilderness medicine Zoom classes, Maine Community Foundation’s Wild Blue Fund, New Profit Inc, Braven, and World Central Kitchen.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE TRUST- WILLIWAW | WARWICK, RI | $553,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| VANGUARD CHARITABLE TRUST- JIGSAW FUND | WARWICK, RI | $500,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL | LANDER, WY | $420,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NEW PROFIT INC | BOSTON, MA | $212,500 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ACUMEN FUND NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ELLSWORTH, ME | $170,000 | 2025 | WILD BLUE FUND |
| SHELBURNE FARMS (IN HONOR OF CHARLOTTE STETSON) | SHELBURNE, VT | $165,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $120,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BRAVEN | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| VERMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $90,000 | 2025 | PINE LEVEL FUND |
| BRYN MAWR SCHOOL 2024 GRANT ENDOWMENT (COLHOUN FUND) | BALTIMORE, MD | $75,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS BOULDER COUNTY | BOULDER, CO | $75,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| MAINE FARMLAND TRUST | BELFAST, ME | $75,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NEXT GEN PERSONAL FINANCE | BURLINGAME, CA | $71,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GREATER BALTIMORE MEDICAL CENTER | BALTIMORE, MD | $65,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| THE HILL SCHOOL - FOR NEW PROGRAMS | POTTSTOWN, PA | $60,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $48,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BRYN MAWR SCHOOL | BALTIMORE, MD | $40,000 | 2025 | NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM |
| FUNDS FOR JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $40,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ROOTS AND WINGS INC | DELRAY BEACH, FL | $35,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| VALLEY PLANNING COUNCIL | TOWSON, MD | $35,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF MARYLAND | BALTIMORE, MD | $30,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| CAMP PASQUANEY | HEBRON, NH | $28,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| GREENLIGHT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| THE PLUMMER HOME FOR BOYS | SALEM, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| TEENS TO TRAILS | BRUNSWICK, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| STEPHEN P JOHNSON-JOHNSON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BOSTON FOUNDATION INC | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| CHEWONKI FOUNDATION | WISCASSET, ME | $15,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| THE FIDELITY CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PRINCETON UNIVERSITY - ANNUAL GIVING | PRINCETON, NJ | $12,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ASSOCIATION OF C5 YOUTH PROGRAMS | DUXBURY, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL | SEATTLE, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| COLORADO NATURE CONSERVANCY | BOULDER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| NORTHERN LIGHT MAINE COAST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | ELLSWORTH, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST THOMAS' CHURCH | OWINGS MILLS, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ISLANDS COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER | VINALHAVEN, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| DESIGN CHALLENGE NETWORK | HOPKINTON, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BOSTON COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOL | DORCHESTER, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE | MIDDLEBURY, VT | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| QUEBEC LABRADOR FOUNDATION | IPSWICH, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| KIEVE - WAVUS EDUCATION INC | NOBLEBORO, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ELLSWORTH PUBLIC LIBRARY | ELLSWORTH, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE | LOUISVILLE, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BRYN MAWR SCHOOL 2024 ANNUAL GIVING | BALTIMORE, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION |
VANGUARD CHARITABLE TRUST- WILLIWAW
$553,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
VANGUARD CHARITABLE TRUST- JIGSAW FUND
$500,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
$420,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ACUMEN FUND NYC
$200,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
WILD BLUE FUND
SHELBURNE FARMS (IN HONOR OF CHARLOTTE STETSON)
$165,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
BRYN MAWR SCHOOL 2024 GRANT ENDOWMENT (COLHOUN FUND)
$75,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
MAINE FARMLAND TRUST
$75,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
NEXT GEN PERSONAL FINANCE
$71,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
THE HILL SCHOOL - FOR NEW PROGRAMS
$60,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
BRYN MAWR SCHOOL
$40,000NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
FUNDS FOR JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE
$40,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION
$35,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
VALLEY PLANNING COUNCIL
$35,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
CAMP PASQUANEY
$28,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
THE PLUMMER HOME FOR BOYS
$20,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
TEENS TO TRAILS
$20,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
STEPHEN P JOHNSON-JOHNSON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND
$15,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
THE FIDELITY CHARITABLE GIFT FUND
$15,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY - ANNUAL GIVING
$12,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ASSOCIATION OF C5 YOUTH PROGRAMS
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
COLORADO NATURE CONSERVANCY
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
NORTHERN LIGHT MAINE COAST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST THOMAS' CHURCH
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ISLANDS COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
DESIGN CHALLENGE NETWORK
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
ELLSWORTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION
BRYN MAWR SCHOOL 2024 ANNUAL GIVING
$10,000FOR THE EXEMPT FUNCTION OF THE ORGANIZATION