Open Foundations · Maine

Elsie & William Viles Foundation

Augusta, Maine · EIN 223089641. 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 $860K across 46 grants in 2024, a median of $5K each.

All Maine foundations · All states

$860K
paid in 2024
46
grants paid
$5K
median grant
12%
to first-time recipients
$21.2M
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
Patricia A West
Address
Elsie and William Viles Foundation, Augusta, ME, 043320319
Phone
2076221124
Form the request should take
The application form, submission materials, and other application information can be found online at: https://www.elsieandwilliamvilesfoundation.org/Application/ To request funding, applicants should be prepared to submit a cover letter, proof of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and a proposal for the project or purpose which requires funding. Applicants may also be requested to provide budgets and reports regarding the use of any received funding.
Submission deadline
Applications open April and are due by May. Recipients are notified in July.
Restrictions on awards
The Foundation only provides funding for charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes as are permitted to organizations exempt from federal income tax and described in section 501(c)(3) of the code, including without limitation, projects and organizations that: Preserve open spaces and conservation of forest lands; care for and protect animals; support children and education; and promote and preserve Maine History and culture.

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2024, IRS filing object id 202513429349100116. 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 words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2024 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

food

Biggest grants in 2024

The 15 largest of the 46 grants paid in 2024, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Kennebec Valley Humane SocietyME$159,800General operating support
2Mainegeneral HealthME$159,800General operating support
3Maine State MuseumME$79,900General operating support
4South Parish Congregational ChurchME$79,900General operating support
5Viles ArboretumME$79,900General operating support
6Cony High SchoolME$64,977Scholarship support
7Augusta Food BankME$25,000Weekend KidsPack Program
8Foundation for Maine's Community CollegesME$24,00016 Scholarships at Kennebec Valley CC
9City of AugustaME$20,200Payment in lieu of taxes
10Kennebec Land TrustME$15,000Accessible trail/parking area
11Children's Center Early Intervention and Family SupportME$10,000Playground maintenance and enhancements
12Hubbard Free LibraryME$8,500Update and expand children's sections
13Augusta Boys and Girls ClubME$7,500Supplies for teens to build 30 computers
14Friends of the Kennebec River Rail TrailME$7,500Engineering assessment
15Winthrop Food PantryME$7,500Add items to and sustain KidsPak Program

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
202024$686K
202126$743K
202230$797K
202330$813K
202446$860K

Where the money went

Share of 2024 grant dollars by recipient state
Maine98%
Ohio2%

Who decides

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

Charles W HaysDirector · 2024
Daniel E WathenPresident/Director · 2024
Mark L JohnstonTreasurer/Director · 2024
Patricia a WestExecutive Director (end 6/2024) · 2024
Paul R AbbeyDirector · 2024
Sharon MurrayExecutive Director (start 6/2025) · 2024
Warren E Winslow JrDirector · 2024
William N LundDirector · 2024

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