The Mitchell & Emily Rales Family Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of relatively large grants, with a strong emphasis on private independent education and community organizations. Most of its dollars are directed to a repeat beneficiary (Norwood School), while the remainder supports community resilience and cultural/historic institutions, plus local religious and sports-related charitable causes. Grants span the foundation’s home region (MD/DC area) and selective out-of-region investments (notably Mount Desert, ME).
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small set of grantees with repeat, multi-grant support for a primary beneficiary (Norwood School). Other awards are sizable single grants to place-based community organizations and cultural/historic institutions rather than many small, distributed gifts.
A single education grant anchors the Mitchell & Emily Rales Family Foundation’s recent record: $3,010,717 to Norwood School in Bethesda for educational support. That kind of award sets the tone for a funder that directs a large share of its giving to a small number of organizations, especially in private independent K–12 education. The foundation’s grant list also shows a steady commitment to Mount Desert 365 in Northeast Harbor, Maine, along with support for community institutions, historic preservation, and local charitable organizations. Alongside school funding, the foundation has backed place-based civic and cultural work in Maine, synagogue support in Bethesda, and education-related gifts in Washington, DC. The pattern is not broad, but it is varied within a defined set of relationships: one major school beneficiary, several recurring Maine-based organizations, and a few additional grantees in the Mid-Atlantic and elsewhere. The result is a profile of a family foundation that gives nationally in reach but selectively, with most grants clustered around education, community life, and institutions tied to specific places.
Independent school support is a central thread. In 2025, the foundation gave $329,232 to Norwood School in Bethesda for educational support, following a much larger 2023 gift of $3,010,717 to the same school. The foundation also supported Maret School Inc in Washington, DC with $10,000 in 2025. Beyond education, place-based civic and cultural work is visible in Maine. Mount Desert 365 received $1,209,656 in 2025 for general support, and the foundation also funded Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, Northeast Harbor Library, Mount Desert Island Historical Society, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust with smaller grants. Religious and community support appears in Bethesda through Congregation Beth El Montgomery County MD, which received grants in 2024 and 2025. Historic and public-history work also appears through Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville.
The foundation’s recent grants show a typical size of $1,750 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $7,500 at the 75th percentile. The distribution is highly skewed by a few very large awards, alongside many smaller $5,000 to $10,000 grants. Repeat giving is a clear pattern: Norwood School appears in multiple years, as do Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Northeast Harbor Library, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Willowind Therapeutic Riding Center Inc, and Congregation Beth El Montgomery County MD. The foundation is a family foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant descriptions include both educational support and general support, suggesting flexibility in how gifts are structured.
$285K
$471K
$28K
$288K
Most grants fall between $2K and $8K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$8K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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Notable grantees: Norwood School, Mount Desert 365, The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Congregation Beth El (Montgomery County, MD)
Grants are national in scope, and every recipient in the recent list is in the United States. Maine is the top state by grant count, with multiple recipients in Northeast Harbor, Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, Mount Desert, Topsham, and Islesford. Maryland is the headquarters state, but only 9% of grants go there; recent Maryland recipients include Bethesda and Boyds. Other recipient cities include Ashburn, Charlottesville, Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, and Landover. The map of giving is therefore broader than the foundation’s home region, but still weighted toward Maine and the Washington, DC area.
Its recent grants center on independent/private K–12 education, community and civic organizations in Mount Desert, Maine, and local religious or cultural institutions. The list also includes historic preservation, public history, and sports-related charitable support.
Yes. Norwood School appears in multiple years, including a $3,010,717 grant in 2023 and $412,236 in 2024. Several Maine organizations also recur across years, including Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Northeast Harbor Library, and Mount Desert Island Historical Society.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $1,750 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $7,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a few much larger awards, including one above $3 million and another above $1.2 million.
Maine is the top state by grant count, with recipients in Northeast Harbor, Bar Harbor, Seal Harbor, Mount Desert, Topsham, and Islesford. Maryland is the headquarters state, but only 9% of grants go there.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, based on the provided foundation data.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD | BETHESDA, MD | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART | BALTIMORE, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INSPIRE ACCESS | POTOMAC, MD | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREAT AND SMALL | BOYDS, MD | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND | TOWSON, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC | BAR HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF ACADIA | BAR HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF LANGUAGE ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT ISLAND HOSPITAL | BAR HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT LAND & GARDEN PRESERVE | SEAL HARBOR, ME | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MT DESERT, ME | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE VIVA SCHOOL OF DANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST | TOPSHAM, ME | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY | NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEAL HARBOR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY | SEAL HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHILDREN'S OPPORTUNITY ALLIANCE | ROCKVILLE, MD | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT DESERT POLICE ASSOCIATION | MOUNT DESERT, ME | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAINE SEACOAST MISSION | N E HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE | NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MARIETTA MENTORING FOR LEADERSHIP | MARIETTA, GA | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ISLESFORD BOATWORKS | ISLESFORD, ME | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEPHARDIC TEMPLE CONGREGATION EMETH VE'SHALOM | CEDARHURST, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SPCA OF HANCOCK COUNTY | TRENTON, ME | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY | BAR HARBOR, ME | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT NURSING ASSOCIATION | N E HARBOR, ME | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT DESERT 365 | N E HARBOR, ME | $1,209,656 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORWOOD SCHOOL | BETHESDA, MD | $329,232 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | ASHBURN, VA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD | BETHESDA, MD | $56,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT ISLAND HOSPITAL | BAR HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MARET SCHOOL INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC | BAR HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT NURSING ASSOCIATION | N E HARBOR, ME | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREAT AND SMALL | BOYDS, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST | TOPSHAM, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY | NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAGEN DAVID SEPHARDIC CONGREGATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON | NORTH BETHESDA, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT LAND & GARDEN PRESERVE | SEAL HARBOR, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MT DESERT, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE | NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEAL HARBOR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY | SEAL HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MAINE SEACOAST MISSION | N E HARBOR, ME | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BETA THETA PI FOUNDATION | OXFORD, OH | $1,839 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| CHARLOTTE LATIN SCHOOLS INC | CHARLOTTE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| ERIKA'S LIGHTHOUSE | WINNETKA, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ISLESFORD BOATWORKS | ISLESFORD, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SPCA OF HANCOCK COUNTY | TRENTON, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY | BAR HARBOR, ME | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORWOOD SCHOOL | BETHESDA, MD | $412,236 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT |
| CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD | BETHESDA, MD | $28,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT AND SMALL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE VIVA SCHOOL OF DANCE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEAL HARBOR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MONTGOMERY COUNTY CHILDREN'S OPPORTUNITY ALLIANCE
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT DESERT POLICE ASSOCIATION
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MAINE SEACOAST MISSION
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MARIETTA MENTORING FOR LEADERSHIP
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
ISLESFORD BOATWORKS
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEPHARDIC TEMPLE CONGREGATION EMETH VE'SHALOM
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SPCA OF HANCOCK COUNTY
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MT DESERT NURSING ASSOCIATION
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT DESERT 365
$1,209,656GENERAL SUPPORT
THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD
$56,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WILLOWIND THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MT DESERT NURSING ASSOCIATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT AND SMALL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NORTHEAST HARBOR LIBRARY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MAGEN DAVID SEPHARDIC CONGREGATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
SEAL HARBOR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
MAINE SEACOAST MISSION
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
ERIKA'S LIGHTHOUSE
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ISLESFORD BOATWORKS
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SPCA OF HANCOCK COUNTY
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CONGREGATION BETH EL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MD
$28,000GENERAL SUPPORT