Collis Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
PROVIDENCE, RI4013315005
EIN (Tax ID):
About Collis Foundation
The Collis Foundation concentrates its giving on education and youth development, supporting a mix of K–12 schools, youth programs, and education-focused nonprofits both locally in Rhode Island and beyond. It also invests substantially in arts and cultural institutions, notably classical music, and makes occasional higher-education gifts. The foundation favors sizable gifts to a small number of organizations and repeats support for strategic education partners.
Focus Areas
International and domestic K–12 education initiatives (e.g., Pencils of Promise)Independent/private school support (e.g., Benjamin Private School)Youth development and community-based education programs (e.g., YMCA, San Miguel Education Center)Classical music and regional cultural institutions (e.g., Rhode Island Philharmonic)Targeted higher-education funding/partnerships (e.g., Wake Forest University)
Who They Fund
students (scholarship recipients)educational institutions/schoolspatients and communities affected by Lyme disease
About Collis Foundation
The Collis Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $1,000,000 general-support grant to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, which signals a willingness to make large, unrestricted commitments to institutions it backs. Across the 2023–2025 grants listed here, the foundation also made repeated six-figure awards to education and youth-serving organizations, including Pencils of Promise and San Miguel Education Ctr. That pattern points to a funder that supports both local institutions in Rhode Island and selected partners farther afield. Education is a central thread in the portfolio. The foundation funded K–12 and youth-development groups, private-school support, and higher-education partnerships, alongside grants to charities serving basic needs and community programs. It also maintains a visible arts and culture presence through classical music and related institutions. The grant list shows a mix of one-time and repeated support, with several organizations receiving multiple awards over more than one year. The foundation’s giving is regional in scope, but the recipient list includes organizations in Rhode Island, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Connecticut.
What Collis Foundation Funds
Education appears throughout the portfolio. The foundation gave $530,000 to Pencils of Promise for charitable purpose in 2024 and another $500,000 to the same organization in 2025, showing sustained support for international and domestic K–12 education work. Local education support is also visible in Rhode Island. San Miguel Education Ctr received $280,000 in 2024 for general operating support and $105,309 in 2025 for general support, while Bryant University received $100,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024, plus another $50,000 in 2025. Youth and community services are another area of support. YMCA Cape Cod Inc received $500,000 in 2023 for general operating support, and The Lord's Place Inc received $100,000 in 2023, $100,000 in 2024, and $100,000 in 2025. The foundation also supported health-related charitable work with a $150,000 grant to Global Lyme Alliance in 2023.
How Collis Foundation Gives
The listed grants show a typical size of $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $100,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile, which indicates a portfolio built around six-figure gifts. The foundation also makes outsize awards above that range, including a $1,000,000 grant. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Pencils of Promise, San Miguel Education Ctr, The Lord's Place Inc, Amos House, Rhode Island Community Food Bank Association, and Bryant University, suggesting recurring support rather than isolated one-offs. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are all United States recipients.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.5M
Total Assets
$86.7M
Total Revenue
$21.9M
Total Expenses
$3.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$100K
Geographic Reach
Regional6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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