The Collis Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The filing says the foundation's donee organisations should be located primarily in New England, and its stated themes are family, education and health, so a small nonprofit doing that kind of work in New England has a clear reason to check fit.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $10,000 and $280,000, and the median grant is $50,000, though its largest grant was $1,000,000, so a request sized around $50,000 is realistic and the band is not a ceiling.
- First-time applicants send a two- or three-page letter of inquiry covering purpose, project, leadership, outcomes, budgets and other funding, and the filing gives no deadlines and says it accepts applications, so there is no fixed window to aim for.
- Current grantees should contact the Executive Director before submitting a new proposal, and in its most recent filing 51% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in one of the two filings before, so an existing relationship may count for a good deal.
Overview
The Collis Foundation is a US private foundation based in Providence, RI.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (brownhealth.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Collis Foundation makes grants to charitable organisations, and the filing says donee organisations should be located primarily in New England. An account of its grantmaking describes it as supporting Rhode Island nonprofits working in family, education and health. Its recorded recipients include schools and universities, food banks and an orchestra, alongside other charitable organisations; many grants are recorded as general support. First-time or nonrecurring applicants are asked to submit a short letter of inquiry; current grantees should contact the Executive Director before a new proposal. The inquiry covers the organisation's purpose, project, leadership, outcomes, budgets and other funding.
Themes
- Family
- Education
- Health
Geographic Focus
New England.
How to apply
First-time or nonrecurring applicants submit a two- or three-page letter of inquiry; current grantees contact the Executive Director before submitting a new proposal.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 51% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 56 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 24% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 51% of grant dollars went to organisations The Collis Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 22 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $40,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School · General support$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Pencils of Promise · General support$500,0002024 tax year
- San Miguel Education Center · General support$105,3092024 tax year
- Lord's Place · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Amos House · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Palm Beach County Food Bank · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Rhode Island Community Food Bank · General support$100,0002024 tax year
- Rise for REW · General support$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Frohman Anderson — Director & Secretary
- Elfriede A Collis — Director
- Astrid C Womble — Director & President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,584,553 | $1,918,091 | $47,138,369 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,436,772 | $2,037,500 | $74,134,062 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,284,196 | $2,460,309 | $96,740,563 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Collis Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (203) 629-7950
- Providence, RI
Applying to The Collis Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (203) 629-7950
- Providence, RI