The Phelan Family Foundation made a single $20,000 unrestricted grant to the Community Foundation of Nantucket, indicating the family's preference for supporting local community philanthropy through an intermediary rather than funding program-specific nonprofits directly. Their giving appears focused on place-based general support—likely to benefit a broad set of community needs on Nantucket—rather than issue-specific projects.
Concentrated, one-time giving: a single mid-sized unrestricted grant made to a community foundation, suggesting a preference for channeling support through a local philanthropic intermediary rather than multiple direct grantees.
A $20,000 general-purpose grant to the Community Foundation of Nantucket sets the clearest tone for Ellen and Samuel Phelan Family Foundation Inc: flexible support routed through community institutions, with a strong Nantucket thread. The foundation’s recent grants also show repeated backing for land conservation and preservation, including several awards to Nantucket Conservation Foundation and Nantucket Preservation Trust, alongside support for local community organizations in Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and beyond. Its giving is not limited to one type of nonprofit. The list includes a maritime museum, a cancer institute, a school, a park foundation, a church, and a university foundation, all receiving general-purpose support. That mix suggests a broad, place-based approach centered on communities and institutions the family has chosen to sustain over time. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF or vehicle for individual gifts, and its annual grants total sits at a modest scale relative to its assets. Across the record on file, the foundation appears to favor unrestricted grants that give recipients room to direct funds where they are most needed.
One recurring theme is community philanthropy on Nantucket. The foundation gave $20,000 to the Community Foundation of Nantucket for general purpose support, then made additional general-purpose grants to Nantucket Conservation Foundation and Nantucket Preservation Trust in later years. Another clear area is land and historic preservation. Winnakee Land Trust received multiple general-purpose grants, including $8,965 in 2024, $8,916 in 2025, and $6,000 in 2023. Historic Red Hook also received $5,000 in 2025. The portfolio reaches into education and youth development as well: Summer Search Boston received $5,000 in 2023, $5,000 in 2024, and $5,500 in 2025, while Tabor Academy received $3,100 in 2025. Health and humanitarian support also appear, including $4,000 to Dana Farber Cancer Institute and $3,000 to World Central Kitchens.
Typical awards are small: the grant-size distribution is $250 at the 25th percentile, $500 at the median, and $1,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes a much larger $20,000 grant, showing occasional larger checks alongside a long tail of modest support. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Winnakee Land Trust, Summer Search Boston, Nantucket Preservation Trust, Nativity Catholic Church, Flint Hill School, and Fairfax County Park Foundation, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants are listed as general purpose.
$90K
$1.3M
$87K
$99K
Most grants fall between $250 and $2K, with a median of $500.
25th Percentile
$250
Median
$500
75th Percentile
$2K
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Notable grantees: Community Foundation of Nantucket
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, with Nantucket and Boston-area recipients appearing repeatedly, including Nantucket, MA; Jamaica Plain, MA; Boston, MA; and Marion, MA. New York is also a major recipient state, with grants to Rhinebeck, Kingston, and Red Hook. Additional recipients appear in Virginia, Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington, DC. The data shows 37% of grants went to recipients in New York, the foundation’s headquarters state, but giving also extends meaningfully into Massachusetts.
The recent grants list shows support for community foundations, land trusts, preservation groups, schools, religious organizations, health institutions, and cultural nonprofits. Examples include the Community Foundation of Nantucket, Winnakee Land Trust, Summer Search Boston, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Hudson River Maritime Museum, all funded for general purpose use.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Winnakee Land Trust, Summer Search Boston, Nantucket Preservation Trust, Nativity Catholic Church, Flint Hill School, and Fairfax County Park Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
The typical award is modest: the 25th percentile is $250, the median is $500, and the 75th percentile is $1,500. The record also includes a $20,000 grant, so the foundation sometimes makes substantially larger awards alongside many small ones.
Massachusetts is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities there include Nantucket, Boston, Jamaica Plain, and Marion. New York is also prominent, with grants to Rhinebeck, Kingston, and Red Hook.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINNAKEE LAND TRUST | RHINEBECK, NY | $9,459 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TABOR ACADEMY | MARION, MA | $5,100 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HISTORIC RED HOOK | RED HOOK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST | NANTUCKET, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SUMMER SEARCH BOSTON | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | NANTUCKET, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DAMIANO CENTER | DULUTH, MN | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NATIVITY CATHOLIC CHURCH | LANE BURKE, VA | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PBS THIRTEEN NY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WAMC PUBLIC RADIO | ALBANY, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FAIRFAX COUNTY PARK FOUNDATION | FAIRFAX, VA | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUDSON RIVER ICE YACHT PRESERVATION TRUST | RHINECLIFF, NY | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SMITH COLLEGE ALUMNI FUND | BOSTON, MA | $2,100 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PCOM ALUMNI RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $2,100 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUDSON RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM | KINGSTON, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHENS | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE FISHER CENTER | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | NANTUCKET, MA | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION-RUN FOR RESEARCH | NEWTON, MA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WETA PUBLIC TV | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WALTER REED SOCIETY | BETHESDA, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ANNUAL FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUMANE BORDERS | TUSCON, AZ | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EAGLES NEST FOUNDATION | PISGAH FOREST, NC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO | STPAUL, MN | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| USO | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FLINT HILL SCHOOL | OAKTON, VA | $560 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA | STLOUIS, MO | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RED HOOK RESPONDS | RED HOOK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DEERFIELD ACADEMY | DEERFIELD, MA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON | ARLINGTON, VA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CAMPHILL HUDSON | HUDSON, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RED HOOK COMMUNITY CENTER | RED HOOK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NANTUCKET LAND AND WATER COUNCIL | NANTUCKET, MA | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT TAXONOMISTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RED HOOK DAILY CATCH | RED HOOK, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DULUTH SEAFARERS CENTER | DULUTH, MN | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUDSONIA LTD | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PJ'S RESCUE | DULUTH, MN | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ST JUDE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $325 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF CLERMONT | GERMANTOWN, NY | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RIVERKEEPER | OSSINING, NY | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UPSTATE FILMS | RHINEBECK, NY | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WCAI PUBLIC RADIO | WOODS HOLE, MA | $250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
HISTORIC RED HOOK
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
NANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SUMMER SEARCH BOSTON
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GENERAL PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
$4,000GENERAL PURPOSE
NATIVITY CATHOLIC CHURCH
$3,500GENERAL PURPOSE
PBS THIRTEEN NY
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FAIRFAX COUNTY PARK FOUNDATION
$3,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HUDSON RIVER ICE YACHT PRESERVATION TRUST
$2,500GENERAL PURPOSE
SMITH COLLEGE ALUMNI FUND
$2,100GENERAL PURPOSE
PCOM ALUMNI RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT
$2,100GENERAL PURPOSE
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$2,000GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION-RUN FOR RESEARCH
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
WETA PUBLIC TV
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
WALTER REED SOCIETY
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ANNUAL FUND
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HUMANE BORDERS
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
EAGLES NEST FOUNDATION
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$1,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
RED HOOK RESPONDS
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
DEERFIELD ACADEMY
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
CAMPHILL HUDSON
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
RED HOOK COMMUNITY CENTER
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
NANTUCKET LAND AND WATER COUNCIL
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT TAXONOMISTS
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
RED HOOK DAILY CATCH
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
DULUTH SEAFARERS CENTER
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
HUDSONIA LTD
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
PJ'S RESCUE
$500GENERAL PURPOSE
HUDSON HALL
$250GENERAL PURPOSE
FRIENDS OF CLERMONT
$250GENERAL PURPOSE
UPSTATE FILMS
$250GENERAL PURPOSE
WCAI PUBLIC RADIO
$250GENERAL PURPOSE