Open Foundations · Maine

Fisher Charitable Foundation

Portland, Maine · EIN 010512082. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $546K across 107 grants in 2025, a median of $5K each.

All Maine foundations · All states

$546K
paid in 2025
107
grants paid
$5K
median grant
30%
to first-time recipients
$2.5M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
OWEN W WELLS
Address
PO BOX 17513, PORTLAND, ME, 04112
Phone
2072531568
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
INFORMATION AND A GRANT APPLICATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE HTTPS://FISHERCHARITABLEFOUNDATION.ORG/APPLICATION-PROCEDURES/
Submission deadline
FEBRUARY 15, MAY 15, AUGUST 15, NOVEMBER 15
Restrictions on awards
THE FOUNDATION GENERALLY LIMITS ITS GRANTS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, ACTIVITIES, OPERATIONS OR PURPOSES WHICH TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE STATE OF MAINE.

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2025, IRS filing object id 202641349349104229. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The filing states only a general purpose, with nothing specific enough to pull out as recurring language.

Biggest grants in 2025

The 15 largest of the 107 grants paid in 2025, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Maine Medical CenterME$25,000DEAN L. FISHER SCHOLARSHIPS
2Downeast Community PartnersME$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
3Hospice of Southern MaineME$15,000MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND MEDICATIONS
4Mitchell InstituteME$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
5United Way of AroostookME$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
6Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern MaineME$10,000A PLACE FOR GROWTH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
7Community ConceptsME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
8Community DentalME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
9Good Shepherd Food Bank of MaineME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
10Knox County Homeless CoalitionME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
11Legal Services for the ElderlyME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
12Lifeflight FoundationME$10,000LIFEFLIGHT CRITICAL CARE PROGRAM
13Open Arms Clinic IncGA$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
14Portland Museum of ArtME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
15Portland Symphony OrchestraME$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
202085$469K
202185$474K
202279$505K
202383$478K
2024109$535K
2025 (partial year)107$546K

Where the money went

Share of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state
Maine97%
Georgia2%
Massachusetts1%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Alexsandra L FisherTRUSTEE/PRESIDENT · 2025
Arie Fisher ColesTRUSTEE · 2025
Craig N DenekasTRUSTEE · 2025
Cynthia K HammondTRUSTEE · 2025
Henry Lp SchmelzerTRUSTEE · 2025
Meg BaxterTRUSTEE · 2025
Owen W WellsTRUSTEE/CLERK · 2025
Paul D PietropaoliTRUSTEE · 2025

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

Get matched against every grant these foundations actually paid

One foundation is a start. Civly Grant Matching reads your own filings, matches your programs against millions of paid grants by purpose, geography and grant size, and hands back every funder like this one with the deadline, the restrictions and the named trustees attached.

See Grant Matching