The Lucy E Holcombe Charitable Foundation makes a small number of relatively large, project-focused grants concentrated in New England to protect natural places, shorelines and wildlife, preserve local historic sites and churches, and support community services like scholarships, emergency family housing, and food/agriculture programs. Grants are often capital or infrastructure–oriented (repairs, construction, HVAC, storage, stairways) and include both conservation organizations and community institutions such as camps, museums, and faith-based buildings.
Lucy E Holcombe Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $100,000 grant to Friends of Cape Cod Nat'l Seashore to replace the Marconi Beach stairway. That gift fits a broader pattern of funding physical repairs and site-specific projects for places that matter locally: churches, historic buildings, camps, conservation groups, and community-serving institutions. The foundation’s grants are generally project-focused rather than open-ended, with many awards sized for a specific repair, construction effort, or program need. Across the recent list, the foundation supported shoreline access, wildlife work, historic preservation, scholarship access, emergency housing, and regional food and health needs. Awards reached organizations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, all in the United States. The grant record shows a mix of capital work and practical operating support, including construction of an avian release center, HVAC and building restoration, storage upgrades, and equipment purchases. That combination suggests a funder that often backs the physical capacity of organizations as well as selected direct-service programs.
Conservation and habitat infrastructure are a clear thread. The foundation gave $50,000 to Congress of the Birds in Providence, Rhode Island, for Avian Release Center Construction, and $45,000 to Audubon Society of RI in Smithfield for General Purposes. Historic preservation and building repair appear in several awards. It gave $50,000 to Sugar Hill Historical Museaum for a New storagefacility, $50,000 to First Church of Christ in Hartford for Repair steps& columns, and $25,000 to Society for Protection of NH Forests in Concord for Barn bldgrestoration. Community support also shows up through direct assistance and student aid. The foundation awarded $50,000 to Women's Resource Center in Newport for Emergencyhousing & familycare, $75,000 to Hartford Promise for Scholarships, and $25,000 to The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr for ScholarshipFund.
Typical awards are relatively large: the p25 grant size is $25,000, the median is $35,000, and the p75 is $50,000. The recent record includes both one-time project grants and repeat support for some organizations. Hartford Promise received grants in 2023 and 2024, and Sugar Hill Historical Museaum and Franconia Are Heritage Council appear more than once across the recent list. The foundation is not a vehicle for individual giving and does not make program-related investments. Its awards are concentrated in a small number of targeted grants rather than many small ones.
$291K
$3.8M
$385K
$328K
Most grants fall between $25K and $50K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in NH.
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A concentrated portfolio of fewer (about 10) mid-to-large one-off or project grants rather than many small gifts; emphasis on capital, repair or construction funding with a mix of repeat regional beneficiaries but mostly single-purpose awards.
Notable grantees: Friends of Cape Cod National Seashore, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Hartford Promise, Farm Fresh RI (Hope's Harvest), Franconia Area Heritage Council
Giving is regional and concentrated in the Northeast. Massachusetts receives the most grants by count, while Rhode Island accounts for 20% of grants. Recent recipients include Wellfleet, Hartford, Providence, Franconia, Sugar Hill, Littleton, Manchester, Concord, Newport, Smithfield, and Bethlehem. The list also reaches one Pennsylvania recipient in Bryn Mawr. All recent grants shown are to U.S. organizations.
The recent record includes conservation groups, historic preservation organizations, churches, camps, scholarship programs, food and health organizations, and family-support nonprofits. Examples include Friends of Cape Cod Nat'l Seashore, Hartford Promise, Women's Resource Center, and Audubon Society of RI.
Recent grants cluster around larger project awards. The p25 is $25,000, the median is $35,000, and the p75 is $50,000. The list also includes awards at $100,000 and $75,000.
Yes. Hartford Promise appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Sugar Hill Historical Museaum and Franconia Are Heritage Council each appear more than once in the recent grants list. That points to some repeat support alongside one-off awards.
The foundation gives regionally, with the most grants going to Massachusetts. Rhode Island recipients account for 20% of grants, and the recent list also includes organizations in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
Yes. Recent scholarship support includes $75,000 to Hartford Promise for Scholarships, $25,000 to The Shipley School for ScholarshipFund, and $20,000 to Gale River Cooperative Preschool for Scholarships, clothing &equipment.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granby Land Trust | Granby, CT | $180,000 | 2026 | Landconservationpurchase |
| St Matthew's Chapel | Sugar Hill, NH | $83,000 | 2026 | New roof &organ |
| Sugar Hill Imprvmnt Assoc | Sugar Hill, NH | $15,000 | 2026 | Design, purchase& install VillageWelcome signs |
| All Saints Food Bank | Littleton, NH | $12,500 | 2026 | Renovationsto meet buildingcodes |
| Friends of Cape Cod Nat'l Seashore | Wellfleet, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | ReplaceMarconi Beachstairway |
| Franconia Are Heritage Council | Franconia, NH | $50,000 | 2025 | HVAC,bldg restorationcomputer equip |
| Congress of the Birds | Providence, RI | $50,000 | 2025 | Avian ReleaseCenterConstruction |
| Waypoint | Manchester, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | GeneralPurposes |
| North Country Health Cons | Littleton, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | GeneralPurposes |
| Society for Protection of NH Forests | Concord, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | Barn bldgrestoration |
| The Shipley School | Bryn Mawr, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | ScholarshipFund |
| Sugar Hill Historical Museaum | Sugar Hill, NH | $50,000 | 2024 | New storagefacility |
| Women's Resource Center | Newport, RI | $50,000 | 2024 | Emergencyhousing & familycare |
| Audubon Society of RI | Smithfield, RI | $45,000 | 2024 | GeneralPurposes |
| North Country Home Health & Hospice | Littleton, NH | $25,000 | 2024 | Trainingvideos |
| Hartford Promise | Hartford, CT | $25,000 | 2024 | Scholarships |
| All Saints Episcopal Church | Littleton, NH | $25,000 | 2024 | Churchorgan |
| Bethlehem Food Pantry | Bethlehem, NH | $15,000 | 2024 | New refrigerators |
| Hartford Promise | Hartford, CT | $75,000 | 2023 | Scholarships |
| Farm Fresh RI Hope's Harvest | Providence, RI | $65,065 | 2023 | Insurance costs |
| Copper Cannon Camp | Franconia, NH | $60,000 | 2023 | Improvements& repairs |
| First Church of Christ | Hartford, CT | $50,000 | 2023 | Repair steps& columns |
| Gale River Cooperative Preschool | Franconia, NH | $20,000 | 2023 | Scholarships,clothing &equipment |
| St Matthews Church | Sugar Hill, NH | $10,000 | 2023 | Steeplerepair |
Granby Land Trust
$180,000Landconservationpurchase
St Matthew's Chapel
$83,000New roof &organ
Sugar Hill Imprvmnt Assoc
$15,000Design, purchase& install VillageWelcome signs
All Saints Food Bank
$12,500Renovationsto meet buildingcodes
Friends of Cape Cod Nat'l Seashore
$100,000ReplaceMarconi Beachstairway
Franconia Are Heritage Council
$50,000HVAC,bldg restorationcomputer equip
Congress of the Birds
$50,000Avian ReleaseCenterConstruction
North Country Health Cons
$25,000GeneralPurposes
Society for Protection of NH Forests
$25,000Barn bldgrestoration
Sugar Hill Historical Museaum
$50,000New storagefacility
North Country Home Health & Hospice
$25,000Trainingvideos
Hartford Promise
$25,000Scholarships
All Saints Episcopal Church
$25,000Churchorgan
Bethlehem Food Pantry
$15,000New refrigerators
Farm Fresh RI Hope's Harvest
$65,065Insurance costs
Copper Cannon Camp
$60,000Improvements& repairs
First Church of Christ
$50,000Repair steps& columns
Gale River Cooperative Preschool
$20,000Scholarships,clothing &equipment
St Matthews Church
$10,000Steeplerepair