The Knapp Foundation primarily funds local Eastern Shore community needs with a strong emphasis on high school student scholarships across multiple counties. They also support local public services (volunteer fire departments, state trooper association), library and accessibility services for the visually impaired, and wildlife/animal rehabilitation and equipment needs. Grants are typically program- or equipment-driven and often targeted to small institutions serving a specific community purpose.
The Knapp Foundation Inc centers much of its giving on high school student scholarship programs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, with the largest recent award going to Kent Island High School for $25,650. That scholarship pattern reaches across multiple counties and school communities, including North Caroline High School, Easton High School, Queen Anne County High School, and St Michaels High School. Alongside education support, the foundation also backs local institutions that serve everyday community needs: library acquisitions at Talbot County Free Library Foundation, equipment support for wildlife rehabilitation at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, and operating help for emergency services such as Easton Volunteer Fire Department and St Michael’s Fire Department. The grant history shows a mix of school-based scholarships, restricted grants for books and equipment, and annual contributions to community organizations. Smaller grants also appear in food pantry and seasonal relief support, showing that the foundation’s giving extends beyond schools to local service providers and direct community assistance. Its grantmaking is regional and heavily concentrated in Maryland communities, with a recurring emphasis on practical, targeted support.
Student scholarships are the clearest thread in the grant record. In 2025, the foundation gave $16,693 to North Caroline High School for its Student Scholarship Program and $14,750 to Queen Anne County High School for the same purpose. It also supported North Dorchester High School with $11,903 and Washington High School with $8,500, both for scholarship programs. Beyond education, the foundation funds library resources: Talbot County Free Library Foundation received $25,000 in 2025 for book acquisitions, and Learning Ally received $5,000 for library education materials. Public safety and community equipment also appear in the record, including $5,000 to Maryland State Troopers Alumni Association for equipment and $10,275 to Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation for equipment acquisition. Food pantry supplies and seasonal relief round out the picture through grants to Neighborhood Service Center, St Michaels Community Center, and Talbot County Sheriff’s Department.
Typical grants are small and tightly clustered: p25 is $3,500, median is $5,000, and p75 is $5,000. The recent record shows repeated annual support to the same organizations across years, including Easton Volunteer Fire Department, Learning Ally, American Foundation for the Blind, St Michael’s Fire Department, and the foundation’s scholarship recipients. Grants are usually restricted to a specific purpose such as scholarships, book acquisitions, equipment, or pantry supplies rather than general support. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and the pattern is consistent with direct, program-specific giving.
$123K
$14.5M
$857K
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $4K and $5K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Distributed, mid-sized grants focused on many local organizations rather than a few large multi-year commitments. Frequently issues one-time or annual restricted grants for scholarships, equipment acquisitions, and operating support; several grantees receive repeat or multiple-year gifts (e.g., fire departments, blindness services).
Notable grantees: Kent Island High School, Talbot County Free Library Foundation, Learning Ally, St Michaels Fire Department, Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States, with 33 recent grants and the strongest concentration in Maryland. The foundation gives most often in New Jersey by count, but the recipient list also shows many Maryland communities, including Easton, St Michaels, Princess Anne, Cambridge, Federalsburg, Centreville, Crisfield, Hurlock, and Stevensville. Outside Maryland, recent grants reached Princeton and Medford in New Jersey, Arlington in Virginia, Barco in North Carolina, Tavernier in Florida, and Dunkirk in Maryland for a statewide alumni association.
The recent record shows support for schools, libraries, fire departments, wildlife and animal rehabilitation groups, and food pantry or seasonal-relief organizations. Many grants are tied to a specific purpose such as student scholarships, book acquisitions, equipment, pantry supplies, or emergency-service support.
The foundation’s grants are usually modest: p25 is $3,500, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is also $5,000. That clustering suggests a strong preference for smaller, targeted awards.
Yes. The grant list includes repeated support across years for Easton Volunteer Fire Department, St Michael’s Fire Department, Learning Ally, and American Foundation for the Blind, alongside recurring scholarship support to several high schools.
Giving is regional and concentrated in Maryland communities on the Eastern Shore, with many recipients in Easton, St Michaels, Princess Anne, Cambridge, Federalsburg, Centreville, Crisfield, Hurlock, and Stevensville. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easton High School | Easton, MD | $14,497 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Kent Island High School | Stevensville, MD | $11,150 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| North Caroline High School | Ridgely, MD | $11,125 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Colonel Richardson High School | Federalsburg, MD | $9,250 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| North Dorchester High School | Hurlock, MD | $7,889 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Queen Anne County High School | Centreville, MD | $7,000 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Wildlife Center of Virginia | Waynesboro, VA | $6,919 | 2026 | One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment |
| Currituck County High School | Barco, NC | $6,386 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| South Florida Audubon Society | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $6,000 | 2026 | One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment |
| St Michaels High School | St Michaels, MD | $5,461 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Talbot County Sherriff Dept | Easton, MD | $5,257 | 2026 | Nicole's Promise Christmas supplies |
| Easton Vol Fire Dept | Easton, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | Annual Contribution |
| Learning Ally | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | Library Education Materials |
| St Michael's Fire Department | St Michaels, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | Annual contribution |
| Amer Foundation for the Blind | Arlington, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | Annual contribution library collection acquisitions |
| South Dorchester High School | Cambridge, MD | $4,500 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Crisfield High School | Crisfield, MD | $4,457 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Washington High School | Princess Anne, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Ducks Unlimited | Memphis, TN | $500 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Kent Island High School | Stevensville, MD | $25,650 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Talbot County Free Library Foundati | Easton, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Book Acquistions |
| North Caroline High School | Ridgely, MD | $16,693 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Queen Anne County High School | Centreville, MD | $14,750 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Easton High School | Easton, MD | $14,750 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Currituck County High School | Barco, NC | $14,500 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| North Dorchester High School | Hurlock, MD | $11,903 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| St Michaels High School | St Michaels, MD | $11,300 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitati | Tavernier, FL | $10,275 | 2025 | Equipment Acquisition |
| Colonel Richardson High School | Federalsburg, MD | $9,500 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge | Medford, NJ | $9,095 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment Acquisition |
| Washington High School | Princess Anne, MD | $8,500 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| South Dorchester High School | Cambridge, MD | $8,250 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Maryland State Troopers Alumni Asso | Dunkirk, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment |
| Easton Vol Fire Dept | Easton, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | Annual Contribution |
| Amer Foundation for the Blind | Arlington, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | Annual contribution library collection acquisitions |
| St Michael's Fire Department | St Michaels, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | Annual contribution |
| Crisfield High School | Crisfield, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | Student Scholarship Program |
| Learning Ally | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | Library Education Materials |
| Talbot County Sherriff Dept | Easton, MD | $3,432 | 2025 | Nicole's Promise Christmas supplies |
| St Vincent de Paul Center | Easton, MD | $3,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies |
| St Michaels Community Center | St Michaels, MD | $3,000 | 2025 | Food pantry supplies |
| CarePack Mid-Shore Foundation Inc | Easton, MD | $3,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies |
| St Mark's United Methodist Church | Easton, MD | $3,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies |
| Neighborhood Service Center Inc | Easton, MD | $3,000 | 2025 | One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies |
| Christmas in St Michaels | St Michaels, MD | $350 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2024 | Wetlands restoration project |
| Pelican Harbor Seabird Station | Miami, FL | $13,228 | 2024 | Equipment purchase |
| Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge | Medford, NJ | $12,165 | 2024 | Equipment Acquisition |
| Tri-State Bird Rescue Research Inc | Newark, DE | $12,000 | 2024 | Equipment Acquisition |
| Whale and Dolphin Conservation | Plymouth, MA | $7,992 | 2024 | Equipment acquisition |
Easton High School
$14,497Student Scholarship Program
Kent Island High School
$11,150Student Scholarship Program
North Caroline High School
$11,125Student Scholarship Program
Colonel Richardson High School
$9,250Student Scholarship Program
North Dorchester High School
$7,889Student Scholarship Program
Queen Anne County High School
$7,000Student Scholarship Program
Currituck County High School
$6,386Student Scholarship Program
South Florida Audubon Society
$6,000One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment
St Michaels High School
$5,461Student Scholarship Program
Talbot County Sherriff Dept
$5,257Nicole's Promise Christmas supplies
Easton Vol Fire Dept
$5,000Annual Contribution
St Michael's Fire Department
$5,000Annual contribution
Amer Foundation for the Blind
$5,000Annual contribution library collection acquisitions
South Dorchester High School
$4,500Student Scholarship Program
Crisfield High School
$4,457Student Scholarship Program
Washington High School
$3,000Student Scholarship Program
Ducks Unlimited
$500Contribution
Kent Island High School
$25,650Student Scholarship Program
Talbot County Free Library Foundati
$25,000One-Time Restricted Grant Book Acquistions
North Caroline High School
$16,693Student Scholarship Program
Queen Anne County High School
$14,750Student Scholarship Program
Easton High School
$14,750Student Scholarship Program
Currituck County High School
$14,500Student Scholarship Program
North Dorchester High School
$11,903Student Scholarship Program
St Michaels High School
$11,300Student Scholarship Program
Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitati
$10,275Equipment Acquisition
Colonel Richardson High School
$9,500Student Scholarship Program
One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment Acquisition
Washington High School
$8,500Student Scholarship Program
South Dorchester High School
$8,250Student Scholarship Program
Maryland State Troopers Alumni Asso
$5,000One-Time Restricted Grant Equipment
Easton Vol Fire Dept
$5,000Annual Contribution
Amer Foundation for the Blind
$5,000Annual contribution library collection acquisitions
St Michael's Fire Department
$5,000Annual contribution
Crisfield High School
$5,000Student Scholarship Program
Talbot County Sherriff Dept
$3,432Nicole's Promise Christmas supplies
St Vincent de Paul Center
$3,000One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies
CarePack Mid-Shore Foundation Inc
$3,000One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies
St Mark's United Methodist Church
$3,000One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies
Neighborhood Service Center Inc
$3,000One-Time Restricted Grant Food Pantry Supplies
Christmas in St Michaels
$350Contribution
Ducks Unlimited Inc
$25,000Wetlands restoration project
Tri-State Bird Rescue Research Inc
$12,000Equipment Acquisition
Whale and Dolphin Conservation
$7,992Equipment acquisition