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Haven Trust

Annual Giving
$0.1M
Grant Range
$100K - $0.1M

Haven Trust

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Varies significantly ($125,000 in 2023; higher in prior years with 100 grants in 2020)
  • Total Assets: $11,474,349 (2023)
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $125,000 (typical recent awards)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Maine; also Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, California, Virginia, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New York, and Washington D.C.
  • Decision Time: Unknown
  • Success Rate: Unknown

Contact Details

  • Address: 50 Congress St, Suite 800, Boston, MA 02109-4034
  • Phone: (617) 227-8660
  • Website: None publicly available
  • Email: Not publicly available

Overview

Haven Trust is a private independent foundation established in 1960 in Massachusetts. With total assets of approximately $11.5 million, the foundation is supported by George Lewis and operates as a family foundation. The foundation has been designated as a 501(c)(3) organization since March 1964 and files Form 990-PF annually.

The foundation demonstrates variable grantmaking patterns, with significant fluctuations in the number of grants awarded year to year—from 100 grants in 2020 to just 1 grant in 2023. The trustees include Nathaniel Jeppson, Lisa Lewis, and Matthew Megargel, all of whom serve without compensation. The foundation operates without any full-time staff, suggesting a lean, trustee-directed operation.

Haven Trust has supported organizations including Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Boston and Waterman's Community Center in North Haven, Maine, indicating interests in environmental conservation and community programming.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • General Support Grants: $100,000 - $125,000 (based on recent awards)
  • Application method: No public application process; grants appear to be made at trustee discretion

Priority Areas

  • Education
  • Health Care
  • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
  • Environmental Conservation (based on past grant recipients)
  • Community Programs (based on past grant recipients)

What They Don't Fund

No explicit exclusion criteria are publicly available. As a small family foundation, Haven Trust likely focuses grants on organizations known to the trustees or within their areas of interest.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

  • Nathaniel Jeppson (Trustee)
  • Lisa Lewis (Trustee)
  • Matthew Megargel (Trustee)

All trustees serve without compensation. The foundation is supported by George Lewis.

Staff: The foundation operates with no full-time employees, indicating that trustees directly manage grantmaking decisions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Haven Trust operates as a private family foundation where grants are made at the discretion of the trustees. There is no online application portal, published guidelines, or formal application procedure available publicly.

Organizations interested in being considered for funding may contact the foundation directly at (617) 227-8660, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited inquiries will be considered.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's known grant recipients (environmental organizations and community centers in Maine and Massachusetts), organizations that align with the trustees' interests in education, health care, environmental conservation, and community programming may be better positioned to be considered.

The foundation has supported Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Boston, suggesting an interest in Boston Harbor environmental conservation. The 2023 grant to Waterman's Community Center in North Haven, Maine, indicates connections to the Maine island community.

Decision Timeline

No information is publicly available regarding decision timelines.

Reapplication Policy

No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Given that Haven Trust operates without a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on available information:

  • Geographic alignment: The foundation shows strong preference for organizations in Maine, with additional giving in Massachusetts and other northeastern states
  • Program alignment: Focus on education, health care, and community programming
  • Environmental interests: Past support for Boston Harbor conservation suggests this as a funding area
  • Relationship-based giving: As a family foundation with no staff, grants likely flow through trustee networks and personal connections
  • General operating support: The documented 2023 grant was for "General Support," indicating willingness to provide unrestricted funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: Haven Trust operates through trustee discretion without formal application procedures
  • Variable grantmaking: Annual grants have ranged from 1 to 100, suggesting strategic shifts or cyclical giving patterns
  • Maine focus: Primary geographic focus is Maine, with secondary interests in Massachusetts and other states
  • Family foundation structure: Supported by George Lewis; trustees include members of the Lewis family
  • Substantial grant size: When grants are made, they tend to be significant ($100,000-$125,000)
  • Direct contact: The phone number (617) 227-8660 is the only publicly available contact method
  • Areas of interest: Education, health care, environmental conservation, and community programming

References

Information compiled December 2025 based on publicly available 990 filings and nonprofit databases.

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