The Messler Family Foundation shows a focused interest in land and coastal conservation, demonstrated by a single grant to a Maine-based land trust. Although based in Charleston, SC, the foundation directed its entire documented giving to Maine Coast Heritage Trust, suggesting a targeted commitment to protecting coastal lands and habitat. The grant size indicates willingness to make meaningful, project-level investments in conservation organizations.
Highly concentrated: a single moderate-sized grant to one environmental land-trust recipient (Maine Coast Heritage Trust). No evidence of diversified or repeated giving—appears as a targeted, one-off philanthropic investment in coastal conservation.
A defining feature of the Messler Family Foundation is its concentration on Maine land and coastal conservation, anchored by a $46,250 unrestricted grant to Maine Coast Heritage Trust in Topsham, ME. That grant is the largest listed in the recent record and points to a pattern of support for organizations working on land stewardship, habitat protection, and conservation easements. The foundation’s giving also reaches beyond a single conservation group: The Nature Conservancy in Brunswick received unrestricted support, as did Maine Farmland Trust in Belfast, indicating interest in both coastal and working-land protection. The recent record shows a foundation that uses unrestricted grants rather than tightly restricted project funding. Its recipients include land trusts, conservation organizations, and related civic or cultural groups in Maine, along with a smaller set of grants outside the state. Even with a modest asset base, the foundation has made repeated gifts at the $10,000 and $5,000 levels, suggesting a steady, flexible approach to nonprofit support. The pattern is shaped by Maine-based grantees and a clear interest in organizations tied to place, land, and community stewardship.
Land conservation is the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $10,000 unrestricted to The Nature Conservancy in Brunswick, ME, and $5,000 unrestricted to Natural Resources Council of Maine in Augusta, ME, both of which align with environmental protection work. Support for land trusts and related stewardship also appears in gifts to Maine Farmland Trust in Belfast, ME, including $10,000 grants in both 2023 and 2024. That repeated support suggests an ongoing interest in protecting working lands. The foundation also backs organizations connected to coastal communities and local life. Penobscot Bay YMCA in Rockport, ME received $15,000 unrestricted in 2024, and Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers in Rockport received $5,000 unrestricted in 2023. These grants show a broader attention to Maine organizations serving community needs alongside conservation.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $10,000 at the 75th percentile. That places most awards in a modest, mid-sized range, with an occasional larger grant such as the $46,250 award in 2023. The recent record also shows repeat giving to several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including multiple unrestricted awards to the same organizations. The foundation is a family foundation by name, and its grants are consistently unrestricted. It does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments.
$389K
$1.9M
$212K
$207K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 3% of grants go to recipients in ME.
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Notable grantees: Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 100% of documented grants going to U.S. organizations. Maine is the top state by grant count, and many recipients are in coastal or central Maine communities such as Topsham, Brunswick, Belfast, Rockport, Camden, and East Boothbay. The foundation also made smaller numbers of grants outside Maine, including recipients in New York, Virginia, California, and South Carolina. Only 3% of grants went to recipients in the HQ state of South Carolina.
The recent grants point to conservation groups, land trusts, and Maine community organizations. Examples include Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Maine Farmland Trust, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine, along with place-based organizations such as Penobscot Bay YMCA and Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers.
The documented grants are all marked unrestricted. That includes awards at several levels, from $5,000 and $10,000 grants to the $46,250 grant to Maine Coast Heritage Trust, showing a consistent preference for flexible support.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Penobscot Bay YMCA, Trekkers, The Nature Conservancy, Historic Charleston Foundation, Maine Farmland Trust, Finding Our Voices, Bigelow Laboratories, and Sanctuary For Families. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts.
Maine is the top state by grant count. The recipient list includes organizations in Topsham, Brunswick, Belfast, Rockport, Camden, East Boothbay, Boothbay, and Augusta, showing a strong concentration in Maine communities.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $10,000 at the 75th percentile. Most listed grants fall within that range, with a larger $46,250 award standing above the rest.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penobscot Bay YMCA | Rockport, ME | $15,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Maine Farmland Trust | Belfast, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| The Nature Conservancy | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Trekkers | Rockland, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Gamble House | Pasadena, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Finding Our Voices | Camden, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Salvation Army | Alexandria, VA | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Friends of Haystack Mountain | Edgcomb, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Historic Charleston Foundation | Charleston, SC | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Center for Furniture Craftsmanship | Rockport, ME | $10,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Sanctuary for Independent Media | Troy, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Making Community Happen | Rockland, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Bigelow Laboratories | East Boothbay, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| City Harvest | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Park Slope Child Care Collective | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Natural Resources Council of Maine | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Points North Institute | Camden, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens | Boothbay, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Sanctuary For Families | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers | Rockport, ME | $5,000 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Exodus Transitional Community | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| PAWS | Rockport, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Galapagos Conservancy | Fairfax, VA | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Midcoast Habitat for Humanity | Rockport, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Out As I Want To Be | Rockland, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| The Door | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Coastal Opportunities (Coastal Workshop) | Camden, ME | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Camba | Brooklyn, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Land Trust Alliance | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | unrestricted |
| Maine Coast Heritage Trust | Topsham, ME | $46,250 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Maine Farmland Trust | Belfast, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Gamble House | Pasadena, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens | Boothbay, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Historic Charleston Foundation | Charleston, SC | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Center for Furniture Craftsmanship | Rockport, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Salvation Army | Alexandria, VA | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Trekkers | Rockland, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Finding Our Voices | Camden, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Penobscot Bay YMCA | Rockport, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| The Nature Conservancy | Brunswick, ME | $10,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Sanctuary For Families | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Natural Resources Council of Maine | Augusta, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Making Community Happen | Rockland, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Points North Institute | Camden, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers | Rockport, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Bigelow Laboratories | East Boothbay, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Exodus Transitional Community | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Land Trust Alliance | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2023 | unrestricted |
| Sanctuary for Independent Media | Troy, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | unrestricted |
Penobscot Bay YMCA
$15,000unrestricted
Maine Farmland Trust
$10,000unrestricted
The Nature Conservancy
$10,000unrestricted
Trekkers
$10,000unrestricted
Gamble House
$10,000unrestricted
Finding Our Voices
$10,000unrestricted
Salvation Army
unrestricted
Friends of Haystack Mountain
$10,000unrestricted
Historic Charleston Foundation
$10,000unrestricted
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
$10,000unrestricted
Sanctuary for Independent Media
$5,000unrestricted
Making Community Happen
$5,000unrestricted
Bigelow Laboratories
$5,000unrestricted
City Harvest
$5,000unrestricted
Park Slope Child Care Collective
$5,000unrestricted
Natural Resources Council of Maine
$5,000unrestricted
Points North Institute
$5,000unrestricted
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
$5,000unrestricted
Sanctuary For Families
$5,000unrestricted
Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers
$5,000unrestricted
Exodus Transitional Community
$2,500unrestricted
PAWS
$2,500unrestricted
Galapagos Conservancy
$2,500unrestricted
Midcoast Habitat for Humanity
$2,500unrestricted
Out As I Want To Be
$2,500unrestricted
The Door
$2,500unrestricted
Coastal Opportunities (Coastal Workshop)
$2,500unrestricted
Camba
$2,500unrestricted
Doctors Without Borders
$2,500unrestricted
Land Trust Alliance
$2,500unrestricted
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
$46,250unrestricted
Maine Farmland Trust
$10,000unrestricted
Gamble House
$10,000unrestricted
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
$10,000unrestricted
Historic Charleston Foundation
$10,000unrestricted
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
$10,000unrestricted
Salvation Army
$10,000unrestricted
Trekkers
$10,000unrestricted
Finding Our Voices
$10,000unrestricted
Penobscot Bay YMCA
$10,000unrestricted
The Nature Conservancy
$10,000unrestricted
Sanctuary For Families
$5,000unrestricted
Natural Resources Council of Maine
$5,000unrestricted
Making Community Happen
$5,000unrestricted
Points North Institute
$5,000unrestricted
Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers
$5,000unrestricted
Bigelow Laboratories
$5,000unrestricted
Exodus Transitional Community
$2,500unrestricted
Land Trust Alliance
$2,500unrestricted
Sanctuary for Independent Media
$2,500unrestricted